Janina Schall

Janina Schall is a 20-year-old German endurance racer from Dornstadt who’s making serious moves at the Nürburgring while juggling automotive engineering studies—and yes, she just tested a Formula E car because apparently overachieving runs in the family.

EARLY YEARS

Born around 2005 or 2006 in the Swabia region of Germany, Janina grew up with racing literally in her DNA. Her father, Ralf Schall, was a touring car racer, and the family operates under the name Schall Racing—which meant the dinner table conversation probably revolved around lap times instead of homework. By age seven or eight in 2013, she was already strapped into a kart, beginning what would become a decorated karting career that lasted over a decade.

The Swabian region isn’t exactly Monaco, but when your family breathes motorsport, geography becomes irrelevant. While most kids were figuring out multiplication tables, Janina was learning racing lines. She also found time to pursue amateur artistic gymnastics, because apparently one physically demanding sport wasn’t enough. Somewhere in all this, she enrolled in automotive engineering studies at Ulm—proving she wanted to understand what made her cars fast, not just drive them that way.

OTHER INTERESTS

Beyond the track, Janina practiced artistic gymnastics at an amateur level, which likely contributed to the core strength and body awareness that serves endurance racing well. Her decision to study automotive engineering in Ulm demonstrates she’s not content to just turn the wheel—she wants to know what’s happening underneath the bodywork, how the mechanics translate to performance, and probably how to fix it herself when things go sideways.

The engineering studies are ongoing, meaning she’s balancing university coursework with an increasingly demanding racing schedule. It’s the kind of multitasking that would make most people’s heads spin, but for someone who grew up in a racing family and started competing before puberty, it probably feels normal.

EARLY SUCCESS

Janina’s karting career between 2013 and the early 2020s racked up championship titles and vice-championship finishes across multiple series. The specifics are scarce, but the pattern is clear: she won, and when she didn’t win, she came damn close. Multiple championships and runner-up positions meant she arrived at circuit racing with a thoroughly developed racecraft and a competitive edge sharpened by years of wheel-to-wheel karting battles.

Her transition to cars came in 2023 when she debuted on the Nürburgring’s infamous Eifel circuit in a Porsche Cayman V5 with the Rennsport Club Nürburgring. The Nordschleife—all 12.9 miles and 73 corners of it—isn’t exactly where you ease into circuit racing, but Janina made the leap anyway. By 2024, she was competing in the Rundstrecken-Challenge Nürburgring and the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), the endurance series that separates tourists from racers on the Green Hell.

That same year, she joined the all-female Girls Only team for four NLS races, scoring a second-place finish at NLS 3 and then a class win at NLS 6 in the V5 category. The win marked her best sportscar result to date and proved she could not only survive the Nordschleife but dominate it. She also represented her country at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games in the Kart Endurance category, finishing 10th—a solid showing on the international stage.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2013–2024: Multiple karting championship titles and vice-championship finishes across various series[2][3].
• 2023: Circuit racing debut at Nürburgring in Porsche Cayman V5 with Rennsport Club Nürburgring[1][2].
• 2024: Second place at NLS 3, Nürburgring, V5 class with Girls Only team[2][3].
• 2024: Class win at NLS 6, Nürburgring, V5 class with Girls Only team—her best sportscar finish to date[1][2][3].
• 2024: 10th place finish in FIA Motorsport Games Kart Endurance category[2][3][4].
• 2025: Victory at first round of NLS season with Girls Only by WS Racing[3][4].
• 2025: Additional podium finish in NLS sportscars during summer season[3].
• 2025: Defending lead in NLS Ladies Trophy as of October[6].
• 2025: Selected for Porsche Formula E Women’s Test in Valencia, October 31, driving the Porsche 99X Electric[1][3][4][5].

INSPIRATIONS

The most obvious influence on Janina’s career is her father, Ralf Schall, whose touring car racing background and the family’s Schall Racing operation created an environment where motorsport wasn’t a dream—it was simply what the family did. Growing up immersed in that world meant racing was always accessible, always present, and always an option worth pursuing seriously.

REPUTATION

Within the Nürburgring endurance community, Janina has quickly established herself as a legitimate talent. Media coverage describes her as a “German superstar” and a rising name at the Nordschleife, which is high praise considering the caliber of drivers who regularly compete there[5]. After her Formula E test in October 2025, Porsche’s official statement noted that “Janina has largely met our expectations”—the kind of measured German engineering assessment that actually translates to genuine approval[1].

Her involvement with the all-female Girls Only by WS Racing team positions her within the broader conversation about women in motorsport, but her results speak louder than the symbolism. She’s not just participating in diversity initiatives; she’s winning races and leading championship standings. The selection for the Formula E Women’s Test—an initiative specifically designed to reduce barriers for female drivers—recognizes both her current performance and her future potential.

As someone competing regularly at one of the world’s most demanding circuits while maintaining automotive engineering studies, she’s built a reputation for seriousness and commitment. The Nürburgring doesn’t care about your background or gender—it only responds to skill, and Janina’s proven she has it.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

For 2025, Janina is competing in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie AT 3 class with Giti Tire Motorsport by WS Racing, piloting a BMW M4 GT4[6][7]. She’s also continuing with Girls Only by WS Racing for select NLS rounds, where she’s defending her lead in the NLS Ladies Trophy—a position she held as of October 2025[6]. The first round of the season delivered a win, setting a strong foundation for the championship campaign[3][4].

The October 31, 2025 Porsche Formula E test in Valencia represents a significant opportunity. Testing the Porsche 99X Electric puts her in front of one of motorsport’s major manufacturers in a series that’s actively working to increase female driver participation[1][3][4][5]. Whether this leads to a Formula E seat, additional testing opportunities, or simply adds another credential to her resume remains to be seen, but Porsche doesn’t hand out test drives to people they don’t take seriously.

She’s continuing her automotive engineering degree in Ulm, suggesting she’s keeping her options open—whether that means a future in race engineering, vehicle development, or simply having the technical knowledge to be a better driver. The dual track of education and racing is ambitious but practical, especially in a sport where careers can be uncertain and technical understanding increasingly matters.

With multiple NLS wins, championship contention, manufacturer backing for testing, and a growing profile in women’s motorsport initiatives, Janina is positioned at an interesting crossroads. She’s proven herself in endurance racing at one of the world’s toughest venues. The question now is whether she continues building her Nürburgring legacy, pursues the Formula E pathway, or finds some combination that lets her do both. At 20 years old with a decade of racing already behind her, she’s got time to figure it out—and the talent to make whatever she chooses work.

References:

Porsche Newsroom – Formula E Women’s Test Announcement
Females in Motorsport – Janina Schall Profile
FIA Formula E – Women’s Test Driver Announcements
Dive-Bomb – Porsche Formula E Test News
FIA Formula E – Women’s Test Participants List
Giti Tire Motorsport – NLS Race Report October 2025
DriverDB – Janina Schall Career Overview
Pit Debrief – Formula E Women’s Test Coverage
Racer – Formula E Women’s Test Results