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Maya Weug made history as the first female driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy, and she’s been making Ferrari’s legendary red look good ever since—fighting for championships, pulling off last-lap overtakes, and proving that the road to Formula 1 doesn’t have a “boys only” sign.

EARLY YEARS

Born on June 1, 2004, in Benissa on Spain’s Costa Blanca, Maya Martine Els Weug is a product of pure European racing DNA—Dutch father, Belgian mother, Spanish upbringing. She’s the kind of multilingual powerhouse who can trash-talk you in five languages: English, Dutch, Spanish, Catalan (Valencian), and Italian. Try keeping up with that paddock presence.

Maya started karting at seven years old, sharing her first kart with her brother because apparently sibling rivalry is the best training ground for motorsport. She still remembers that first lap, the moment the racing bug bit and never let go. Raised in Spain but carrying the flags of three nations throughout her career, she’s competed under Dutch, Belgian, and Spanish colors depending on the series—because when you’ve got that many passports, why pick just one?

Eventually, the pull of Maranello became too strong to resist. She relocated to Italy, settling near Ferrari’s headquarters, because when the Prancing Horse calls, you answer. Living near the epicenter of Ferrari’s racing operations gave her better access to the Driver Academy’s resources and put her right in the heart of motorsport’s most storied legacy.

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not wrestling race cars around circuits, Maya is a self-proclaimed sports junkie. Paddle, basketball, football—basically, if there’s a ball, a racket, or any form of competitive movement involved, she’s in. She’s admitted that if racing hadn’t worked out, she’d probably be knee-deep in another sport or working as an engineer, because sitting still just isn’t in her vocabulary.

EARLY SUCCESS

Maya’s karting career reads like a highlight reel. In 2015, still racing under the Dutch flag, she was crowned Vice Champion in the Spanish Karting Championship, proving early on that she could run with—and beat—the boys. The following year, 2016, she claimed the WSK Final Cup victory, adding serious international credibility to her growing résumé.

But the real game-changer came in 2020 when she entered the FIA “Girls on Track-Rising Stars” programme, an initiative designed by the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission to identify and nurture female racing talent. Maya didn’t just participate—she won the whole damn thing. Beating out competitors from around the globe, she secured her spot as the first-ever female driver in the Ferrari Driver Academy in 2021, a moment that made headlines and history in equal measure.

Walking through those Ferrari gates wasn’t just a personal win; it was a barrier-smashing, glass-ceiling-shattering statement that women belong in the most prestigious driver development programs in the world. The name Ferrari comes with legacy, pressure, and sky-high expectations—and Maya grabbed that opportunity with both hands.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2015: Vice Champion, Spanish Karting Championship.
• 2016: Winner, WSK Final Cup.
• 2020: Winner, FIA Girls on Track-Rising Stars programme.
• 2021: First female driver to join the Ferrari Driver Academy.
• 2023: Scored points in Formula Regional European Championship.
• 2024: Third place finish in F1 Academy Championship with Prema Racing; secured maiden F1 Academy win at Yas Marina in the final race of the season, helping Prema clinch the Teams’ Championship.
• 2024: Best result at Spa-Francorchamps with a rookie win and 6th place overall.
• 2025: Runner-up in F1 Academy Championship with MP Motorsport, finishing on 157 points; delivered a dominant performance at Zandvoort with a decisive Race 2 victory; earned third win of the season in Singapore with a thrilling last-lap overtake on championship leader Doriane Pin.
• 2025: Earned a fully funded Ferrari 296 GT3 test with AF Corse as F1 Academy runner-up.

INSPIRATIONS

While specific racing idols aren’t extensively documented, Maya has made it clear that her inspiration comes from a simple, stubborn belief: if you have a dream, go after it, work hard, and never give up. It’s not poetic, but it’s effective. She’s driven by the desire to inspire and empower young girls to chase their own dreams, proving through action that talent and determination don’t have a gender requirement.

REPUTATION

Maya Weug has earned her reputation as a fierce, calculating racer who doesn’t back down when it matters most. That last-lap overtake in Singapore? The stuff of racing folklore. Dubbed “the Lioness of Singapore” by Ferrari after that gutsy move, she showed the kind of racing intelligence and nerve that separates the good from the unforgettable. She’s known for executing when the pressure is highest, and that’s earned her respect both inside and outside the Ferrari bubble.

Her mental toughness has also become a talking point. She’s openly reflected on the psychological side of motorsport, discussing how she stayed strong through tough weekends—like Montreal, where technical issues tested her resolve. Maya doesn’t just have speed; she’s got the head game to match, and that’s what makes her dangerous on track.

Competing in Italian and ADAC Formula 4, then moving up through Formula Regional, and now dominating in F1 Academy, she’s built a career on steady progression and consistent performance. She’s a smooth operator—literally, that’s how F1 Academy described her—who knows how to read a race, manage tires, and strike at exactly the right moment.

The fact that she’s doing all this while representing Ferrari adds another layer. The Prancing Horse doesn’t hand out Driver Academy spots like participation trophies. You earn your place, and you keep earning it every time you get in the car. Maya’s done exactly that, season after season, proving she’s not just a trailblazer because she’s the first woman in the FDA—she’s there because she’s fast, smart, and relentless.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Maya’s endgame is crystal clear: Formula 1. She’s stated it plainly and repeatedly—her goal is the pinnacle of motorsport, and she’s not treating it like some far-off fantasy. Every race, every test, every championship battle is another step on that ladder. The fully funded Ferrari 296 GT3 test with AF Corse she earned as the 2025 F1 Academy runner-up is just the latest opportunity to expand her racing toolkit and prove her versatility beyond single-seaters.

Beyond her own ambitions, Maya is driven—pun intended—to inspire and empower young girls to believe they can achieve their dreams, too. She knows she’s carrying the hopes of a generation of young female racers on her shoulders, and she’s embracing that responsibility with the same determination she brings to every apex. Whether she reaches F1 or carves out a different path in motorsport’s upper echelons, Maya Weug is making damn sure the doors stay open for the girls coming up behind her.

REFERENCES

Maya Weug – Wikipedia
Maya Weug – Iron Dames
Maya Weug Shares Her Racing Journey | F1 Academy – YouTube
Maya Weug – F1 ACADEMY™ Racing Series
Crossing the Line: Maya Weug – The Rookie Reporters
Maya Weug – the History Making Ferrari Driver
Rising Stars Profile Vol.1 – Jessica Edgar & Maya Weug
Maya Weug – Ferrari Driver Academy
Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy Driver – Maya Weug
Maya Weug: A Trailblazer – UniCredit
Women Are Not Barred From Racing in F1. So Why Can’t Any Crack …
Maya Weug graduates from “Rising Stars” program, joins FDA
RACE 1: Pin secures victory in dramatic Las Vegas race as title rival Weug crashes out
Weug, the Lioness of Singapore – Ferrari
Pin wins chaotic Race 1 in Las Vegas as title rival Weug crashes out
Weug executes dominant drive to take victory in Zandvoort Race 2
F1 ACADEMY supports Maya Weug with funded AF Corse GT test
The road to women in Formula 1: the rising stars of motorsport
MAYA WEUG: CHASING THE DREAM OF FORMULA 1
This is how the F1 Academy title was won in 2025
RACE 3: Maya Weug takes maiden F1 ACADEMY win
2025 F1 Academy runner-up Maya Weug bags funded GT3 test
F1 ACADEMY: Weug takes maiden series victory to secure Prema the Teams’ title
Maya Weug: “If you have a dream, go after it, work hard, and never give up”
Girl power from Maya Weug: “When we go head to head on the track”
Maya Weug On Racing Driver Mindset | F1 Academy – YouTube
Weug beats Pin with last lap overtake in Singapore Race 2
Eyes on the Future: a chat with Maya Weug
HEAD-TO-HEAD: How Doriane Pin and Maya Weug stack up in the battle for the 2025 title
From Karting to Ferrari: Maya Weug’s F1 Academy Journey – YouTube
The Women Of Ferrari’s Driver Academy – Females in Motorsport
Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy – SFDA