Corinna Kamper is an Austrian racing driver turned broadcaster who graduated from karts to Formula Renault before finding a second career as one of ORF’s most recognisable motorsport voices.

EARLY YEARS

Born on 19 August 1994 in Bruck an der Mur, Austria [1], Kamper came to motorsport through what she later called a “nice accident.” [2] At six years old, a female friend invited her along to try rental karting — and she enjoyed it enough that she wanted to go back. In her own words from a 2021 interview with Der Standard: “Als ich sechs Jahre alt war, hat mich eine Freundin gefragt, ob ich mit zum Kartfahren kommen will. Und es hat mir so Spaß gemacht, dass ich weitermachen wollte.” [3] Her family had no racing background to speak of; her father had been a snowboard racer, not a petrolhead. [2] He nonetheless became her supporter, accompanying her to events throughout her karting years. [4]

The learning curve was steep. She recalled being lapped five times in her first race, once in her second — and winning her third. [3] Her progress caught the eye of Austrian motorcycle racer Gustl Auinger, who watched her on track and urged her father to support her further, initially assuming from her speed that she was a boy. [3] She went on to race for roughly 14 years before stepping back at the age of 20, later reflecting that things had not gone as she had hoped and that time away from the sport helped her learn more about herself. [4]

Funding was a persistent obstacle. She said in 2021 that sponsorship did not eliminate the need for personal financing, and described the cost of training and practice as a genuine barrier to progressing in formula racing. [3]

OTHER INTERESTS

Away from the circuit, Kamper is as active as you’d expect from someone who lists skiing, mountain biking, hiking, diving, sailing, and surfing among her interests. [4] She has taken over the family boat-licence school and also works as a driving instructor and diving instructor. [5] Her official website describes her as a dance enthusiast as well. [6] She has spoken about her love of nature and called on individuals to make environmentally conscious choices, which also informed her support for alternative racing concepts such as the Rotax Project E20 electric kart. [4]

EARLY SUCCESS

Kamper moved into competitive single-seaters in 2011, racing in both the InterSteps Championship and the LO Formel Lista Junior series. Running under the Kamper Motorsport banner in the InterSteps Championship, she finished tenth overall [1], while her campaign with Daltec Racing in the Formel Lista Junior delivered a race win and sixth place in the championship. [1] That same year, she was named Styrian Nachwuchssportlerin des Jahres — young sportswoman of the year. [7]

From 2012, she stepped into Formula Renault 2.0 NEC competition, first with Daltec Racing in 2012 and then with Fortec Competition in 2013, driving the Barazi-Epsilon FR2.0-10. [1] Results at that level were harder to come by, and in 2014 she moved to the ADAC Formel Masters with HS Engineering, completing two rounds in the Dallara Formulino Plus before her full-time single-seater career drew to a close. [1]

She returned to competition in 2021 at the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals, entering the electric Project E20 Senior class under the Kamper Racing banner. [1] In 2022 she appeared at the Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy at Karting Genk, reporting that she had been quickest in most practice sessions and had narrowly missed pole position. [4] That same year, she was named among 14 drivers invited to attend a W Series prospective-driver test — a test, not a championship start. [8]

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2011: Race win and sixth-place finish in the LO Formel Lista Junior championship with Daltec Racing [1].
• 2011: Named Styrian Nachwuchssportlerin des Jahres (young sportswoman of the year) [7].
• 2022: Named among 14 drivers invited to the W Series prospective-driver test [8].
• 2022: Competed at the Rotax MAX Challenge Euro Trophy at Karting Genk in the Rotax Project E20 electric kart class, reporting top pace in practice [4].

INSPIRATIONS

It was a girl, not a famous champion, who set Kamper’s career in motion — something she has noted with some irony given how few women she encountered in motorsport as she progressed. [2] She has spoken about the persistence of gender roles that discourage families from taking young girls karting, though she said the situation had improved since she started out. [3] Male competitors, she recalled, could be either very welcoming or outright hostile; she was frequently asked less technical questions than her male peers. [3] None of that stopped her, and she has been candid that she wants the path to be easier for the girls coming after her.

REPUTATION

Corinna Kamper has built a substantial public profile in Austrian broadcasting. ORF lists her as a member of its Formula 1 Motorhome expert team and describes her work presenting and co-commentating across Formula 2, Formula 3, F1 Academy, Formula E, and Le Mans. [9] The Red Bull Ring, Austria’s home Formula 1 venue, holds a particular place for her — she told Kronen Zeitung in July 2023: “Es ist für mich wie ein Heimkommen. Diese Formel-1-Strecke ist mein zweites Wohnzimmer.” [10] She also works as an ORF fitness presenter, and her official website describes her goal as bringing enthusiasm for sport and movement to viewers. [6]

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of 2026, ORF continues to list Kamper among its Formula 1 Motorhome expert team, with her name appearing in updated programme information as recently as October 2026. [11] No announced racing entry or team plan has been confirmed for that period. [11]

References:

[1] DriverDB — Corinna Kamper
[2] YouTube interview — Corinna Kamper
[3] Der Standard — ORF-Expertin Kamper (2021)
[4] Vroomkart — Corinna Kamper at RMC Euro Trophy
[5] Apple Podcasts — 1 Gast 2 Seiten: Corinna Kamper
[6] Corinna Kamper official website
[7] ORF Stars — Corinna Kamper
[8] Performance Racing — W Series driver search testing program
[9] ORF — Who is Who: Corinna Kamper
[10] Kronen Zeitung — Kamper interview (2023)
[11] ORF — Formel 1 programme information