Margaux Verza

Margaux Verza is a French racing driver and automotive engineering student who transformed a chance passenger ride into a burgeoning motorsports career, competing in everything from Porsche club events to European endurance championships while earning a double diploma from ESTACA and Cranfield University.

EARLY YEARS

Born around 1998-1999 in France, Margaux grew up in Paris as the daughter of two pharmacists—not exactly the typical motorsports pedigree. Her first taste of circuit life came in 2015 during a Track Day at age 16 or 17, when she rode shotgun as a passenger. She didn’t even have her driver’s license yet, but that single experience opened her eyes to a world she never knew she needed. It was the kind of pivotal moment that rewires your brain: suddenly, this wasn’t just a hobby to admire from the sidelines. It was something she wanted to link to her entire career.

By March 2016, barely legal to drive, Margaux got behind the wheel of a Porsche 993 4S at Dijon circuit for her first real drive. Most teenagers are struggling with parallel parking; she was learning racing lines. In 2017, she and her father joined the Porsche Motorsport France club, turning what could have been a bonding hobby into the foundation of a competitive racing career. Both her parents may have been firmly planted in the pharmaceutical world, but Margaux had other plans—ones that involved high-octane fuel and late-night engineering problem sets.

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not strapped into a race car or buried in automotive engineering coursework, Margaux is passionate about horse riding. It’s a fitting counterbalance to motorsports—both require precision, trust in your equipment (or animal), and the ability to make split-second decisions. The discipline and physical demands of équitation likely translate well to the kind of core strength and focus required in endurance racing, even if she’s swapped four legs for four wheels most of the time.

EARLY SUCCESS

Verza didn’t rush into wheel-to-wheel competition. She spent her early years racking up Track Days, refining her driving and soaking up seat time while juggling her engineering studies. Her first actual race didn’t come until August 2018, when she piloted a Porsche 996 CUP at Magny-Cours with CG Motorsport. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was real racing—and she was hooked.

In 2020, she planned a partial season in the Club Porsche Motorsport France driving a Cayman GT4 MR, but COVID-19 had other ideas. After just three rounds, the season ground to a halt. It was a frustrating setback, but Margaux kept her head down, continuing to study in England (she’d relocated in September 2020 for her dual degree program) and waiting for the next opportunity.

That opportunity arrived in 2022 when she joined Patrick Roger Autosport GP for the Alpine Elf Europa Cup as a French rookie. Her debut season was a baptism by fire: nine races, zero podiums, and a 21st-place championship finish with just nine points. But hidden in those stats were glimpses of real talent. At Monza, she posted P10 and P12 in practice—strong pace in the dry—before crashing in qualifying during her first-ever experience racing in the rain. Undeterred, she charged from the back of the grid to P13, her best result of the season. “I just felt amazing with the car,” she said afterward, a sign that the pieces were starting to click. She knew she could have followed the leaders with her pace if not for the qualifying mishap: “That’s why I have to do a good qualifying in Paul Ricard.”

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2018: First race at Magny-Cours in Porsche 996 CUP with CG Motorsport.
• 2022: Competed in Alpine Elf Europa Cup with Patrick Roger Autosport GP, finishing 21st in championship standings with career-best P13 at Monza after recovering from rain crash in qualifying.
• 2024: Class win in Spanish Endurance Championship with Vortex in Porsche 992.
• 2024: Class win in 24H Series European championship with Vortex.
• 2024: Class podium and victory in Porsche Sprint Challenge France, qualifying 7th overall and 2nd in 718 RSS class with a time of 1:40.486.

INSPIRATIONS

Margaux’s most significant influence was unquestionably her father, who not only introduced her to the Porsche Motorsport France club in 2017 but raced alongside her in those early years. Their shared passion turned family time into competitive development, a rare dynamic that gave her both a mentor and a teammate rolled into one. Beyond that, the 2015 Track Day experience—a single ride as a passenger—proved to be the spark that lit everything else. Sometimes inspiration isn’t a person; it’s a moment that refuses to let you go.

REPUTATION

In the paddock, Verza has earned a reputation for tenacity and steady progression. Her 2022 Alpine Elf Europa Cup season was noted by media as a remarkable development arc for a French rookie—someone who started the year learning the ropes and ended it with charging recovery drives and competitive pace. Her ability to push hard in the dry and recover from setbacks (like the Monza rain crash) has been acknowledged as evidence of both raw speed and mental toughness. She’s not the loudest voice in the room, but her on-track performances are starting to speak volumes. Career statistics show three wins, four poles, 23 races, ten podiums, and one fastest lap across various series—solid numbers for someone still balancing a demanding engineering degree with a racing calendar.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of 2024, Margaux was competing with Vortex in both the Spanish Endurance Championship and the 24H Series European, racking up class wins and proving her endurance racing chops. She’s also wrapping up her automotive engineering studies, completing a double diploma from ESTACA and Cranfield University—a qualification that positions her uniquely in the motorsports world. Whether she’ll leverage that engineering background into a technical role, use it to deepen her understanding as a driver, or combine both paths remains to be seen. What’s clear is that Verza isn’t interested in choosing between brains and speed. She’s building a career where she gets to use both, one lap—and one equation—at a time.

References:

Bio: Margaux Verza – Pilote Alpine Elf Europa Cup
Margaux Verza – Driver Database
Female Drivers in National Sportscar Racing
Stunning Recovery in Monza Secures Margaux Verza Her Best Result of the Season
The Battle Resumes in the Alpine Elf Europa Cup at Magny-Cours
First Class Podium and Victory for Margaux Verza in Porsche Sprint Challenge France