Nerea Marti

Nerea Martí is a Spanish racing driver who became the first woman to win the Valencian Karting Championship and has established herself as one of the most experienced female racers competing across multiple series worldwide.

EARLY YEARS

Born January 2, 2002, in Albalat dels Sorells, Valencia, Spain, Nerea Martí grew up surrounded by the sound of engines and the smell of racing fuel—not by accident, but by family design. When she was nine years old, her father and uncle opened Karting Horta Nord, a rental kart track in Valencia. It was 2011, and while most kids her age were learning multiplication tables, Martí was learning racing lines.

But getting from the family track to actual competition wasn’t a straight shot. Motorsport, as she’d later describe it, was “a difficult world and really expensive,” and her family didn’t immediately have the resources to fund a racing career. For years, she watched from the sidelines. At thirteen or fourteen, she attended the Karting European Championship in Valencia as a spectator, watching other drivers do what she desperately wanted to do herself. She pushed. She pleaded. She wore her parents down with sheer persistence until finally, at age fourteen, they relented: “Okay, we’re going to give you the opportunity.”

Her first competition kart experience came in 2015 on the Valencia track with the family team. Her father became her primary coach, teaching her the craft from the ground up. It was a family affair in every sense—mentorship, funding, and opportunity all came from the same source. And then there was her grandfather, who gave her something priceless: the chance to test a Formula 4 car at the Valencia track before his death in 2018. She’d later call it one of the most beautiful memories of her career. “I went to hug them and was really excited,” she recalled.

OTHER INTERESTS

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EARLY SUCCESS

Martí didn’t just compete in karting—she dominated it, and she did it in a region where women winning championships was unheard of. In 2017, racing for the Circuit Ricardo Tormo Fórmula de Campeones team and supported by Praga España Motorsport (who had signed her as an Official Driver that same year), she became the first female to win the Campeonato de Karting de la Comunidad Valenciana in the junior category. She came back in 2018 and did it again in the senior category, this time with Formula de Campeones.

The wins kept stacking up. She finished as runner-up in the 2018 Rotax Series at the national level and placed seventh in the Spanish Kart Championship in 2017. By 2020, she was collecting podiums in the Spanish Karting KZ category, the highest level of karting competition. She wasn’t just fast—she was consistent, hungry, and impossible to ignore.

In March 2019, Praga España Motorsport put her through a single-seater training program, and by the time she made her Spanish F4 debut later that year, she was ready. She stepped onto the podium in her very first race—a statement arrival if there ever was one. Over the course of the season, she finished in the top five in five separate races and ended the year as the second-highest-finishing female driver in the championship. “I started to feel really comfortable in the competition,” she said, “and I knew I wanted to go all the way.”

Then came W Series. Selected for the 2020 season after passing their rigorous testing program, Martí was set to race—until COVID-19 canceled the entire season. When W Series finally returned in 2021, she made up for lost time. She finished fourth overall that year, including a third-place podium finish at Hungaroring in round four. In 2022, she came back and finished seventh overall with several more podiums to her name.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2017: First female to win the Valencian Karting Championship (junior category) with Circuit Ricardo Tormo Fórmula de Campeones; 7th place, Spanish Kart Championship with Praga España Motorsport.
• 2018: Won Valencian Karting Championship (senior category) with Formula de Campeones; runner-up, Rotax Series (national level).
• 2019: Podium finish on Spanish F4 debut; top-five finishes in five races; second-highest female finisher in Spanish F4.
• 2020: Multiple podium finishes in Spanish Karting KZ category; selected for W Series (season canceled due to COVID-19).
• 2021: 4th overall, W Series; 3rd place podium at Hungaroring, round four.
• 2022: 7th overall, W Series; multiple podium finishes.
• 2023: Six podium finishes in F1 Academy, including one win; Formula 4 win in Mexico.
• 2024: Competed in F1 Academy with Campos Racing, driving a Tatuus-Autotecnica car; sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger.
• 2026: Named Team Ambassador for Andretti Formula E Team for Season 12; represents team at Mexico City, Miami, and Madrid E-Prix; performs simulator work.

INSPIRATIONS

Martí’s inspirations didn’t come from posters on a bedroom wall or highlight reels of famous drivers—they came from her kitchen table. Her father taught her how to race. Her uncle helped open the track that gave her a start. Her grandfather gave her the gift of that first Formula 4 test, a moment she treasures above nearly all others. “I have always learned together with my family, especially with my father,” she said, “and since I was selected for ‘Praga España Motorsport’ we have been able to train much more in this world.”

The support from Praga España Motorsport became another cornerstone. They didn’t just sponsor her—they developed her, giving her access to training, equipment, and opportunities that turned raw talent into podium finishes. It was a partnership built on belief, and it paid off in championships and barrier-breaking performances.

REPUTATION

Adrian Campos, Team Principal of Campos Racing, didn’t mince words when describing Martí: “one of the most experienced female racing drivers all around the world” and “a clear contender for wins and podiums.” That’s not hype—that’s a résumé. She’s raced karts, single-seaters, GTs, touring cars, and even taken a turn in the E1 electric raceboat series in Miami. She’s competed on F1 weekends in W Series and F1 Academy, in front of the sport’s biggest audiences, and she’s delivered.

Media coverage has consistently highlighted her pioneering achievements and steady climb through the ranks. She’s not just another driver in the women’s racing pipeline—she’s a proven winner with years of professional racing since 2019. Her reputation is built on results, consistency, and an unshakable work ethic. There are no controversies, no drama—just a driver who shows up, does the work, and collects trophies.

Beyond the track, she’s taken on a role as a mentor and advocate for young girls in motorsport. She’s vocal about the importance of visibility and representation, and she takes seriously the idea that her success can open doors for others. “Seeing more and more girls in karting and single seaters is incredibly inspiring,” she’s said. “I love the idea that I can be a role model for future generations… helping them feel that motorsport, and Formula E, is a place where they belong and where they can dream big.”

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

As of January 2026, Martí holds the position of Team Ambassador for Andretti Formula E Team for Season 12. She’s representing the team at the Mexico City, Miami, and Madrid E-Prix, and contributing behind the scenes with simulator work—a role that keeps her immersed in high-level motorsport while expanding her experience in the all-electric series.

Her stated ambitions remain crystal clear: fight for championships and inspire the next generation of young girls to believe they can do the same. “Knowing that I can potentially inspire the next generation of young girls to believe in themselves and chase their dreams is incredibly meaningful to me,” she said in her Andretti announcement. She’s not content to be a footnote in someone else’s story—she’s writing her own, one lap at a time, and she’s making sure other girls know they can too.

References:

Paddock Sorority: Nerea Martí – “Next Year I Want to Fight for the Championship”
Official Nerea Martí Website – History
Campos Racing News
Andretti Global News – Nerea Martí Named Team Ambassador
F1 Academy – Nerea Martí Interview
Racers Behind The Helmet
Famous Birthdays