F1 Academy China: Why Ferrari prospect Alba Larsen will get her first podium in Shanghai

Alba Hurup Larsen is no stranger to the F1 Academy setup, competing in the 2025 season with MP Motorsport. The Danish driver is sticking with MP Motorsport this season, however, the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy has given Larsen its full backing, meaning she’ll now be representing the Prancing Horse across her busy 2026 racing schedule in F1 Academy and the British F4 Championship. As an added bonus, Larsen is a self-proclaimed member of the Tifosi, so we fellow Ferrari fans should give her our full support, given she’s one of us. So not only is Larsen a lifelong Ferrari fan, but she’s also quick, and I expect her to get a podium finish in China.

Alba Larsen Can Learn From Her 2025 China Experience

So, you might be wondering why I believe Alba Hurup Larsen will get her first F1 Academy podium in China. Well, last year, without Ferrari backing, Larsen finished fourth in the feature race, and she would have finished fourth in the sprint race as well if it wasn’t for a penalty demoting her to seventh. Now that the Danish prospect has full Ferrari Driver Academy support and has the added experience from last year, I don’t see how Larsen won't improve this season. Alba is also sticking with MP Motorsport, so despite the new addition of Ferrari support, she’ll still be in a familiar environment in the F1 Academy paddock. 

The Danish Driver Has Full Scuderia Ferrari Backing in 2026

Alba Hurup Larsen is entering her first full season driving under the Ferrari banner after joining the Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy in August 2025. Larsen is now mixing it with the likes of Dino Beganovic, Rafael Camara, and Tuukka Taponen in the FDA, which should do wonders for her overall racing career. However, with this new backing comes added pressure and a busy schedule. Alongside her F1 Academy campaign, Larsen will also be racing in the extremely competitive British F4 Championship in 2026. Both of these series are a pathway to Formula 3 competitions, whether that’s in the FIA F3 series or something like GB3, which just welcomed F1 Academy star Aurelia Nobels to its ranks.

Read the full story of Alba Larsen’s rise to the Ferrari Driver Academy here.

How To Follow Alba Hurup Larsen In 2026

I will be covering all of Alba Hurup Larsen's on track activities in the British F4 Championship and F1 Academy, with her first outing scheduled for this weekend in China for the F1 Academy series. This is a big year for the 17-year-old with lots of exciting storylines to follow, so it’ll be interesting to see just how well Larsen can do this season, and maybe next year I’ll be documenting her Formula 3 success…

Click here to read everything you need to know about F1 Academy China this weekend.