Emma Felbermayr: F1 Academy star from Upper Austria rocks Montreal!

Emma Felbermayr: F1 Academy star from Upper Austria rocks Montreal!

Emma Felbermayr, the 18-year-old racing driver from Upper Austria, achieved an impressive third place in her debut in the F1 Academy on June 14, 2025 in the race in Montreal. Loud crown Felbermayr only had to admit defeat to the French Doriane Pin and the British Ella Lloyd. The race took place on Saturday morning over 17 laps at the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, while a total of three races will be held in Montreal due to a canceled race in Miami.

Felbermayr's rise in motorsport is remarkable. Her best placement to date before the race in Montreal was a fifth place in Shanghai. It is also particularly mentioned that Felbermayr drives for the Kick Sauber team, which is supported by the Sauber Formula 1 racing team, and the technical implementation is carried out by Rodin Motorsport. She began her career in karting at the age of seven and took part in her first national race in the Micro Class in 2021, as reported on the F1 Academy website reported.

Important stages of the career

Felbermayr made continuous progress throughout her career. She entered the junior category via the Mini Class and, at the age of 13, came second in the ADAC Ladies Cup 2021. In 2022 she managed to move to the senior category, where she took part in the German Championships and other important competitions. After recovering from a rib injury in 2023, she entered the KZ category and qualified for the World Championships in Wackersdorf, where she finished 23rd out of 119 riders.

Felbermayr will also take part in the 2025 Formula Winter Series and the Spanish F4 Championship with Rodin. Mattia Binotto, COO & CTO of Sauber Motorsport, was very positive about their potential and the partnership with Rodin Motorsport. Rodin Motorsport Sporting Director Benn Huntingford reiterated support for Felbermayr's transition into motor racing.

Women in motorsport

Felbermayr's successes are part of a larger trend that shows increasing participation of women in motorsports. Racing series like the W Series and Extreme E actively support female racers to break down barriers and increase visibility. The launch of the F1 Academy in 2023 is a further step towards promoting women in motorsport. However, despite these advances, there is often a lack of role models and support, which can affect the motivation of young female drivers Motorsport.com is observed.

The challenge is to change the perception of women in motorsport and lower the barriers to entry. Initiatives to reduce costs and promote female talent in strategic positions are crucial to achieving equality in motorsport. There are clear signs of improvement, but there is still a lot of work to be done to create balance and continue to nurture natural talent like Emma Felbermayr.