Alba Harup Larsen

Alba Larsen is the Danish racing prodigy who went from picking up a go-kart at age 11 to joining the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy by 16—becoming the fastest young female racer on the planet in the process.

EARLY YEARS

Born on December 12, 2008, in Roskilde, Denmark, Alba Larsen didn’t follow the typical motorsports script. Most karters are strapped into their first chassis by age six or seven, already logging thousands of laps before they hit double digits. Larsen? She showed interest around age 11 or 12—practically ancient by karting standards. Her parents, whose names and day jobs remain mysteriously unchronicled, did what any good Danish parents would do when their preteen suddenly develops an inexplicable need for speed: they bought her a go-kart.

What happened next was less “cautious beginner finding her feet” and more “natural taking to water.” Her parents doubled as her mechanics during those early weekend outings, wrenching and learning alongside their daughter as she tore around Danish regional circuits. There’s no record of what sparked that initial interest—no childhood visit to a Grand Prix, no family tradition of motorsports, no formative moment watching racing on television. She just wanted in, and once she got a taste, she fell hard. “That was when I started taking it seriously,” she later said. “It went from a hobby to, ‘this could be my job.’”

By 2021, at age 12 or 13, Larsen made her competitive debut. Late start be damned—she learned racecraft with what observers described as curiosity and ease, making up for lost time with a combination of natural speed and an apparently unshakeable ability to handle pressure.

OTHER INTERESTS

If Alba Larsen has hobbies outside of racing, she’s keeping them under wraps. No art projects, no side gigs, no public passion for gaming or hiking or collecting vintage anything. What we do know is that she excelled in the FIA Girls on Track program’s rigorous testing of cognitive ability, mental strength, stress handling, and physical fitness—so whatever she does in her downtime, it’s clearly working. Beyond that, the girl is a blank slate, which either means she’s laser-focused on motorsports or just really good at keeping her business to herself.

EARLY SUCCESS

Larsen’s karting career was brief but packed. In 2022, she finished third in the Zealand Championship and cracked the top four in both the Danish and Nordic IAME Championships—a solid showing for someone still in her early teens. By 2023, she’d grabbed the Zealand Championship title outright and finished 12th in the Danish Karting League X30 Junior category, while also competing in the IAME Series in both Italy (64th in X30 Junior) and Sweden. She racked up regional wins across Denmark, including multiple victories in the Sydsjællands Automobil Klub’s DASU Junior races. In one unspecified stretch of 14 races, she landed on the podium 11 times.

But the real turning point came in 2023, when Larsen entered the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars program—a global talent search run by the FIA and Ferrari designed to unearth the next generation of female racing talent. Out of a pool representing 1.4 billion girls under 18 worldwide, Larsen came out on top. Her manager, Lars Hemming Jørgensen, summed it up with the kind of understatement that somehow makes it sound even more impressive: “She was the fastest… in a world of 1.4 billion girls under 18, that’s pretty good going.”

Winning FIA Girls on Track didn’t just earn her bragging rights—it catapulted her into single-seaters. In 2024, Larsen made her debut in the Indian F4 Championship and promptly earned Rookie of the Round honors with a P8 finish in just her second appearance. By 2025, at age 16, she was competing in the F1 Academy with MP Motorsport, finishing seventh overall with 70 points across eight races. She scored points in seven of those outings, including a best finish of fourth and four fifth-place results. Consistency, speed, composure—all the things you want to see from a teenager racing against the best young women in the world.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2022: Third place in the Zealand Championship (karting); top-four finishes in the Danish and Nordic IAME Championships.
• 2023: Zealand Championship title (karting); 12th in the Danish Karting League X30 Junior; winner of the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars global talent search.
• 2024: Indian F4 Championship debut; Rookie of the Round honors with P8 finish in second appearance.
• 2025: Seventh overall in F1 Academy with MP Motorsport (70 points, points scored in seven of eight races).
• 2026: Joined the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy on January 1; competing in F1 Academy with MP Motorsport in a Ferrari-liveried car; set to race in the British Formula 4 Championship.

INSPIRATIONS

Larsen hasn’t gone on record about racing heroes, childhood idols, or life-changing moments watching someone else drive. What we know is that her parents supported her from the jump—buying that first go-kart, turning wrenches, showing up weekend after weekend. Beyond that, the influence came from within. She saw racing, wanted it, and went after it with the kind of self-directed hunger that doesn’t need a poster on the wall to keep it burning.

REPUTATION

Within the industry, Alba Larsen has earned a reputation as the real deal. Ferrari thought enough of her to bring her into the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy on January 1, 2026—a move that doesn’t happen without serious speed and serious potential. Her manager’s assessment—”the fastest young female racer on the planet”—isn’t just hype; it’s backed by her FIA Girls on Track win and her steady performances in F1 Academy. She’s known for excelling in the mental and physical components of racing: cognitive sharpness, stress management, fitness. The girl doesn’t crack under pressure, and she doesn’t waste opportunities.

Media coverage has been universally positive, framing her as a prodigy and a barrier-breaker for women in a sport still overwhelmingly dominated by men. There’s no record of controversies, on-track disputes, or drama—just steady progression and an expanding trophy case. Tommy Hilfiger signed on as her sponsor and driver representative in 2025, a partnership she described with genuine gratitude: “I’m deeply honoured that Tommy has entrusted me to fly his flag in the F1 Academy… Having this support at such a pivotal stage in my career means the world to me. I’m excited to represent the Tommy Hilfiger brand as we dream big, show what’s possible and drive change.”

That phrase—”drive change”—feels apt. Larsen is blazing a path in a sport where women still have to prove themselves twice as hard, and she’s doing it without fanfare or fuss. Just speed, smarts, and an apparently unflappable sense of focus.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Larsen’s 2026 season is a double-header: she’s racing in the F1 Academy with MP Motorsport, this time in a Ferrari-liveried car that makes her Ferrari Driver Academy affiliation impossible to miss, and she’s also entering the British Formula 4 Championship. It’s an ambitious schedule for a 17-year-old, but if her trajectory so far is any indication, she’ll handle it just fine. Her stated goal, articulated through her Tommy Hilfiger partnership, is to “dream big, show what’s possible and drive change”—a mission statement that’s equal parts aspirational and practical. She’s not just trying to make it; she’s trying to make it mean something.

Long-term plans remain unspoken, but the Ferrari Driver Academy connection is a massive vote of confidence. That’s the pipeline that’s produced Charles Leclerc, Mick Schumacher, and a roster of other drivers who’ve gone on to serious careers. Whether Larsen’s ultimate goal is Formula 1, endurance racing, or something else entirely, she’s positioning herself in the best possible place to make it happen. For now, she’s focused on the next race, the next championship, the next step forward. And if her first five years in motorsports are any indication, she’s not slowing down.

References:

Vogue Scandinavia – Who is Alba Larsen? Meet the 16-year-old Danish driving prodigy
South China Morning Post – F1 Academy Shanghai coverage
Ferrari.com – Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy
F1 Las Vegas GP – Driver page
F1 Academy Official Site
Racehall.com – Alba Larsen profile