Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky

Swedish racing driver Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky is the reigning Extreme E champion who has quietly accumulated more podium finishes than any other driver—male or female—in the series’ history, proving that consistency and speed make a deadly combination in motorsport’s newest battleground.

EARLY YEARS

Born November 13, 1992, in Karlstad, Sweden, Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky arrived into a motorsports dynasty that would make most racing enthusiasts weak in the knees. Her grandfather, Freddy Kottulinsky, remains the only Swede to win the Paris Dakar Rally. Her father, Jerry Åhlin, competed in the European racing scene from 1983 to 1991. Her mother, Susanne Kottulinsky, raced from 1982 to 2002. With that pedigree, you’d assume little Mikaela was born with motor oil in her veins and a helmet on her head.

You’d be wrong. For years, racing was frankly the last thing on her mind. While her family lived and breathed motorsport, she was busy with soccer, floorball, gymnastics, and dancing—anything but cars. It wasn’t rebellion; she was simply tired of being surrounded by it. When she finally decided to give karting a try at age 12, her parents weren’t exactly blown away. “I think she was last or second to last in her first race,” her father recalled. Her mother immediately chimed in with the brutal honesty only a racing parent can deliver. But here’s the thing about being born into a legacy: sometimes you don’t need natural talent when you’ve got something to prove.

OTHER INTERESTS

Before committing to racing full-time, Mikaela pursued a technical education in high school with a focus on architecture, standing out as the top student of her class. She’s also participated in some wonderfully nerdy Red Bull projects that have nothing to do with traditional racing—like helping speed skater Kjeld Nuis break records on ice by driving a modified car to create a slipstream. Because apparently, when you’re fast on four wheels, people assume you can make other things fast too.

Beyond her own career, she’s become an advocate for women in motorsport, launching the Race Apprentice program to mentor young female drivers. Three young women have already benefited from her guidance, getting the kind of opportunities that weren’t as readily available when she was clawing her way up the ladder.

EARLY SUCCESS

After starting in karts at 12, Åhlin-Kottulinsky spent years proving she belonged. In autumn 2011, she was one of 12 girls selected for the FIA Women in Motorsport shootout to the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup. After several tests at Oschersleben, she earned her spot as a junior driver in the series.

Then came 2015, when a 22-year-old Mikaela made history by becoming the first woman to win a race in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup in Germany. It was the kind of breakthrough that announced she wasn’t just participating—she was competing at the front. She also competed in the Porsche Carrera Cup Scandinavia during this period, with a best result of 8th place at Sovalla, continuing to build her foundation in touring car racing.

By 2017, she’d graduated to the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC), where she would cement her reputation as a barrier-breaker. In 2021, she became the first woman to win an STCC race, a milestone that earned her a contract extension with PWR Racing for two more years. That same season, she delivered a double podium on her first STCC weekend, proving the win wasn’t a fluke.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2015: First woman to win a race in the Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup in Germany.
• 2021: First woman to win a race in the Scandinavian Touring Car Championship (STCC).
• 2022: First female driver to receive the Motor Prince’s Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy for her STCC and Extreme E successes.
• 2023: Won the Extreme E Championship with co-driver Johan Kristoffersson for Rosberg X Racing (RXR) in a dramatic season finale in Chile.
• 2023-Present: Holds the record for most top-three finishes in Extreme E history with 16 podiums—more than any other driver, male or female.
• 2025: Won the time trial at the Extreme H World Cup with Johan Kristoffersson for Team KMS in Qiddiya, Saudi Arabia.

INSPIRATIONS

Growing up in a motorsports family had its advantages and complications. “It has its good sides, and also bad,” she’s said about the experience. The pressure of living up to a legendary surname like Kottulinsky could have been crushing, but instead, it became fuel. Her family’s deep technical knowledge gave her an edge—she understands the mechanics of racing in a way that sets her apart. But she also had to carve out her own identity, separate from the expectations that came with her last name.

REPUTATION

Åhlin-Kottulinsky has earned a reputation as one of the most consistent and technically astute drivers in off-road racing. Extreme E used her extensively during its early testing phases to push the ODYSSEY 21 electric SUV to its limits, a sign of the trust teams place in her feedback and precision. She’s not the flashiest driver on the grid, but she’s quietly racked up 16 podiums in Extreme E—a stat that speaks louder than any soundbite.

She’s also known for her intelligence off the track. Technology consultancy firm Combitech sponsors her specifically because of her technical knowledge and her role as a visible advocate for women in STEM and motorsport. The fact that she was her high school’s top architecture student isn’t just a fun fact—it’s indicative of how she approaches racing: methodically, analytically, and with an eye for the bigger picture.

Her personal life briefly made tabloid headlines when she dated Max Verstappen in 2015 for about nine months, but she’s kept her focus squarely on her career ever since. These days, she’s recognized not for who she dated, but for what she’s accomplished.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky is currently competing in the Extreme H Championship for Kristoffersson Motorsport, the newly rebranded evolution of Extreme E that kicked off in 2025. After winning Race 1 of the Desert X Prix with Johan Kristoffersson for Team KMS, it’s clear she’s not slowing down. The Swedish duo retained their championship-winning partnership as Extreme E transitioned to Extreme H, setting their sights on becoming the series’ most dominant pairing. With her track record of consistency and an ability to adapt to new challenges, expect her to keep rewriting the history books—one calculated pass at a time.

REFERENCES

Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky – Wikipedia
Mikaela Ahlin Kottulinsky About
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky – Driver Database
Mikaela Ahlin Kottlinsky Racing
How it Started: Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky – DirtFish
A Look Back at Five Years of Extreme E – News
PWR Racing extends contract with Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky
RXR retains championship-winning driver pairing for Season 4 – News
Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky becomes first female driver to receive Motor Prince’s Medal
Swedish driver Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky: Life & career – Red Bull
Lack of talent didn’t stop her hunger for racing – Red Bull
Mikaela Leads Women into Motorsport with Race Apprentice
How the ‘fastest woman in the world’ has been defying the odds in Extreme E
Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky on winning her first Extreme E title – News
Combitech sponsoring female racer as part of its drive to attract talent
Team KMS triumphs in Desert X Prix Race 1 – News
2025 Extreme H World Cup: Ahlin-Kottulinsky & Kristoffersson win time trial
Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky: “It takes loads of time, energy, missed events and many sacrifices to get to your goal”
SPEAKER & INSPIRATOR | mikaelaracing – Mikaela Ahlin – Kottulinsky
Interview with Mikaela – WHEELSBYWOVKA
The day Kjeld Nuis hit 93kph on ice skates in Swedish Lapland
Double Podium for Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky on first STCC weekend