Alba Larsen's Ferrari Journey: From Danish Karting to Shanghai

While the average Formula 1 fan might not recognise the name Alba Hurup Larsen, the Danish driver is a highly respected prospect among the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy ranks. She has only been racing for a couple of years, but Larsen has quickly risen through the karting and single-seater scene on her way to F1 Academy. For those who don’t know, F1 Academy is a platform for female drivers to stand out and attract drives in other series or progress further up the Formula ladder. In 2026, Alba Larsen has the full backing from the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy, meaning she’ll be driving in Ferrari’s livery and also represent the Prancing Horse in the British F4 Championship. But how did Larsen get into this position in the first place?

Alba Larsen’s Fast Rise Through Karting

Although Alba Hurup Larsen is representing Ferrari in the 2026 season of F1 Academy, it wasn’t too long ago that she was taking her first steps into motorsport. Larsen first got behind the wheel of a kart on June 30th, 2020, being coached by Erik Magnussen and learning the basics of racing at the age of 14. It was clear to her family that this wasn’t going to be a one-time thing, as Larsen loved her initial experience with karting and wanted to pursue it further. 

Larsen spent around three years karting and competed in the Zealand Karting Championship in Denmark, eventually winning the championship in 2023. This was an incredible achievement for such a novice driver, with many of today’s Formula 1 stars first getting into a kart at a very young age. 2023 was a big year for Larsen, as she was also the winner of the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars programme, which further increased her profile in the wider motorsport world. She even started getting mentorship from Danish legend and former Formula 1 driver Kevin Magnussen. But karting can only take you so far, so it was obvious that if Larsen wanted to have a chance of competing at the highest level, she needed to start her single-seater racing career…

The Dane’s First Single-Seater Experience 

The world of single-seater racing is much more complex and competitive compared to karting. Not only did Alba Hurup Larsen have no experience behind the wheel of a formula car, she had only been driving karts for about three to four years before piloting a Formula 4 machine in a competitive race. This put her at a tremendous disadvantage, as experience is one of the biggest assets in motorsport, whether that’s car knowledge, track knowledge, or just familiarity with team surroundings, all of it adds up on race day. However, Larsen isn’t one to shy away from a challenge, so in 2024, she took her first leap into Formula 4 when driving for MP Motorsport in the F4 Indian Championship.

Alba Larsen’s initial entry into Formula 4 wasn’t easy, with the Danish driver only completing two rounds and five races in the F4 Indian Championship. But it was clear that Larsen was a quick learner, as her results were getting better and more consistent with each race, which is demonstrated in the Dane’s F4 Indian Championship results table below:

Despite her improvements during the F4 Indian Championship, this wasn’t the toughest of competition to be had in the Formula 4 world. In 2025, Larsen linked-up with Jenzer Motorsport and competed in the Formula Winter Series under their banner. However, this didn’t go very well for the young Danish driver, with Larsen failing to break into the top ten in any of her nine races with Jenzer Motorsport. But, given she had such little racing experience, this wasn’t entirely unexpected, and it seems Larsen is more than happy to take her time learning the F4 ropes while competing against much tougher competition. For instance, the 17-year-old also drives in the F4 British Championship, which is one of the toughest Formula 4 series in the world. Her best finish in the F4 British Championship is 11th, but Larsen will once again race in the championship thanks to her impressive performances in F1 Academy.

F1 Academy Springboards Larsen’s Formula Career 

While Alba Larsen might have been struggling in other Formula 4 series, the F1 Academy was a completely different story. Larsen made her F1 Academy debut in 2025, once again working with MP Motorsport, who have often gotten the best out of the young Danish driver. This partnership worked brilliantly in her first season, with Larsen rarely dropping outside of the top five finishing positions during her 14 races in the series. Her best F1 Academy finish is 4th, with the 17-year-old twice missing out on a podium finish in Shanghai and Las Vegas. However, despite not winning trophies in her debut F1 Academy season, her performance thoroughly impressed everyone, especially considering her limited experience driving F4 machinery. 

Thanks to her impressive performances in the F1 Academy, and rapid growth within the wider Formula 4 scene, Alba Larsen caught the eye of the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy. The academy is home to the likes of Dino Beganovic and Rafael Camara, with Beganovic currently driving in F2 and testing for the Ferrari F1 setup. Camara also races in F2, and is the current FIA Formula 3 champion, showing that Larsen was joining a system that produces champions. The Danish driver officially joined the Ferrari Academy in August 2025, but she is entering her first full season in F1 Academy with Ferrari backing, alongside receiving their support during her upcoming F4 British Championship season in 2026. However, with added backing comes added pressure, so many of the Tifosi are expecting Larsen to compete for the F1 Academy title and succeed in her opening race of the season.

Alba Larsen’s Ferrari Journey Starts In Shanghai

As mentioned, although Alba Hurup Larsen officially joined the Ferrari Driver Academy before the end of the previous F1 Academy season, this is her first full year of being a Ferrari-backed driver. Larsen’s Ferrari journey gets its official launch in Shanghai, where Larsen will be driving in Ferrari colours for MP Motorsport in the opening race of the 2026 F1 Academy season. The Danish driver will also compete in the 2026 F4 British Championship with the backing of Ferrari, but given that some dates clash with the F1 Academy schedule, it’s likely that it’ll be another part-time season with Chris Dittmann Racing, which is what she did back in 2025 when making her debut in the British series.

I’m very excited to see just how far Alba Larsen can go with Ferrari. Getting to Formula 1 is obviously the goal, but that’s a very long and difficult road for any driver. However, if Larsen can secure the F1 Academy title this season and get regular top-ten finishes in the F4 British Championship, I don’t see why she can’t make the jump to Formula 3 in 2027.

Can Alba Hurup Larsen get her first F1 Academy podium in China? Read my F1 Academy Shanghai preview here.