Doriane:

Learning From George, the Netflix Limelight, and Le Mans

And who better to learn from than F1’s most recent polesitter at the circuit?

“To prepare for Montreal, I have his [George’s] onboard from 2024,” says Doriane.

This weekend will see three F1 ACADEMY races take place around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, a re-worked schedule after the cancellation of the second race last time out in Miami.

“I will have a chat with George on Thursday, because we have never raced there and we only have one FP1. “It will be very important to switch on very quickly and be competitive from lap one.”

It is a plan that has worked before.

“In Miami we had a chat about the characteristics of the track, how the weather could be unpredictable, but also tyre management, race craft, and the best places to overtake.

“I learned a lot from George, Kimi, and the team. We have talked a bit together and now we are doing it before each race weekend.

“In Miami, it was great to have the support of the team on and off the track.

Hearing advice is one thing, using it to full effect can be quite another. But that’s exactly what Doriane did. The French racer turned P6 in the reverse grid race into the top step of the podium.

After struggling in Miami in 2024, winning in Florida 12 months on was a big goal for the year ticked off.

“We brought new things to Miami after last year, and it was good to see that we could bounce back, after Jeddah too which was difficult,” she says.

“It shows we can be competitive everywhere, at every kind of track, and this is good confidence for the rest of the season.”

Going into Canada, Doriane sits one point behind Ferrari’s Maya Weug in the standings, though our junior is the only driver on the grid to have claimed two victories from five races so far.

An excellent feature race win in China was added to Miami, and there was a further podium for the collection in Jeddah. Like Maya, Doriane is yet to finish outside the top four at a race in 2025.

“The season has been quite good overall in terms of performance, starting with a win in China was really good,” Doriane says.

“Jeddah was a bit more challenging, which was a surprise because we were strong there last year, but this year that was not the case, and unfortunately, we lost the championship lead.

“Miami was intense but exciting, I love it when there are unexpected conditions like the weather we had, it was really fun.

“Having three races this weekend in Montreal will be really good for the series. I can’t wait to get on track and see if we can take back the championship lead, that’s the aim.”

F1 ACADEMY was in the headlines again at the end of May, despite not racing, thanks to the launch of Netflix’s new behind-the-scenes, access all areas, ‘F1: The ACADEMY’ docuseries, following the drivers on the grid through the 2024 season.

The stars of the series also swapped the tarmac for the purple carpet in London for the series premiere. Managing Director Susie Wolff, Toto, and Doriane were all in attendance.

Stepping further into the limelight has seen Doriane’s inbox fill up quickly.

“I received so many messages, telling me how much they liked the series, and they enjoyed getting to know more about me,” she says.

“They also feel like I am an example for the future, for the next generation. That feels great because it is exactly why I am doing this.

“I am very competitive and want to win races, but I also want to create a path for those younger than me, who didn’t believe before but can believe now because they have seen girls competing and winning.

“It’s really cool and positive for motorsport, in general.”

While many eyes will be on Montreal this weekend, fans around the world will also be tuning into the latest edition of the Le Mans 24 Hours. In between F1 ACADEMY duties, Doriane will be one of them, paying special attention to her Iron Dames team’s progress.

“It is one of the most legendary races in our sport, I will be watching. I did it aged 19 in 2023 and it was one of the best weekends of my life,” she adds.

“It’s a beautiful event. It’s massive and in France, and I would love to do it again one day.

“I’ll be keeping watch on the Iron Dames, it is a big race for them and anything can happen. It is always exciting to watch them go racing.”