Alba Larsen joins Ferrari as she returns to F1 Academy in 2026 with one of the most recognisable names in motorsport behind her. Ferrari has selected the 16 year old Dane to represent the Scuderia in her second season, backing a driver whose rookie year showed both pace and purpose.
Drawing attention with her success both on and off track, Ferrari’s decision now places Larsen firmly among the drivers shaping the next phase of the series.
A rookie season built on consistency
Larsen finished her debut F1 Academy season seventh in the standings, collecting seven top five finishes along the way. Her strongest results came late in the year, with fourth place finishes in Shanghai Race 2 and Las Vegas Race 2, performances that highlighted how far she had come since the opening rounds.
What stood out was not just raw speed, but how reliably she delivered points. Larsen finished inside the top five more often than many of her more experienced rivals and scored in all but one race. For a rookie navigating new circuits, reverse grids and limited practice time, that consistency mattered.
With championship runner up Maya Weug completing her second year in the series, Larsen’s performance gave Ferrari confidence that her trajectory was the most suitable replacement for the support from Maranello.
Wearing red and earning it
Joining the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy marks a major step in Larsen’s career. Ferrari has followed her path since her success in the FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars programme, which she won in the senior category in 2023. That programme opened the door to single seaters and eventually to F1 Academy.
By backing the Dane for 2026, Alba Larsen joins Ferrari as the Scuderia’s latest investment in the future of women in single seater racing.
“Racing for Ferrari in F1 Academy is a dream come true. They’ve been my favourite team since I was a child and getting to wear red feels surreal. I’m ready to give everything I have for the Scuderia.”
Ferrari’s support places Larsen in one of the most visible seats in F1 Academy. Expectations will naturally rise, but so will opportunity. With a year of experience behind her, increased racing mileage and the backing of the Scuderia, 2026 offers a chance to turn consistency into podiums and podiums into wins.
Making waves off track
The announcement as Ferrari’s F1 Academy driver was not the only highlight Larsen stacked up this week. On her seventeenth birthday, she travelled to Uzbekistan to be awarded the 2025 FIA Women in Motorsport Award. The recognition was tied not only to her performances on track, but to her work off it.
At 15, Larsen founded Girls International Racing Lab, known as G.I.R.L., with the aim of making motorsport more accessible to young girls and strengthening confidence through racing experiences. The initiative has already reached thousands, with a target of 15,000 participants worldwide in 2026.
“This award feels like recognition of the mission”
As Alba Larsen joins Ferrari, her second season in F1 Academy becomes about more than results. It becomes about turning potential into long term progress.
Despite her impressive achievements and confident attitude at such a young age, Alba Larsen’s story is still early. What Ferrari has invested in is not just a fast driver, but a young racer building something lasting, on track and beyond it, and her growth is definitely one to keep an eye on.
1 Comment