Sophia Flörsch facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Sophia Flörsch
Flörsch in 2024
Nationality	German
Born	(2000-12-01) 1 December 2000 (age 24) Grünwald, Germany
Indy NXT career
Debut season	2025
Current team	HMD Motorsports
Racing licence	FIA Silver
Car no.	24
Starts	1 (1 entries)
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Poles	0
Fastest laps	0

European Le Mans Series career
Debut season	2020
Current team	Algarve Pro Racing
Car no.	19
Former teams	Richard Mille Racing Team
Starts	8
Wins	0
Podiums	2
Poles	0
Fastest laps	0
Best finish	13th in 2022

24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	2020–
Teams	Richard Mille Racing Team, Algarve Pro Racing
Best finish	9th (2020) in LMP2


Previous series
2020, 2023–2024 2021 2021 2019 2018 2016–2017 2015	FIA Formula 3 Championship FIA World Endurance Championship Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters FR European Championship FIA F3 European Championship ADAC Formula 4 Ginetta Junior Championship
Awards
2020	Laureus World Sports Award for Comeback of the Year

Sophia Flörsch (born December 1, 2000) is a German racing driver. She recently competed in Indy NXT with HMD Motorsports. Sophia has also raced in Formula 3, DTM, and the FIA World Endurance Championship. She has achieved podium finishes in ADAC Formula 4 and the ELMS. She is also the youngest race winner in the Ginetta Junior Championship. In February 2023, she joined the Alpine Academy, a program that supports young racing talents.

Sophia Flörsch: A Racing Star

Her Early Life and Interests

Sophia Flörsch was born in Grünwald, Bavaria, Germany. She grew up near Munich and attended Oberhaching Grammar School. She now lives in Pullach. Outside of racing, Sophia enjoys karting, skiing, and windsurfing. Her racing heroes include famous drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, and Michael Schumacher.

Sophia's Views and Special Roles

Sophia has strong opinions about how to help women in motorsport. She believed that separate racing series for women were not the best way forward. She felt they could create "segregation" instead of helping women compete equally.

Sophia is also an ambassador for several groups. She works with the Schaeffler Group and non-profit organizations like Dare to be Different and Wings for Life. In February 2020, she won the World Comeback of the Year award. This award recognized her amazing return to racing after a serious accident.

Sophia's Racing Journey

Starting in Karting

Sophia began her racing career in karting in 2005. From 2008 to 2014, she competed in many karting events across Europe. She made history by becoming the first female and youngest driver to win in several series. These included the 2008 SAKC Championship, 2009 ADAC German Championship, and 2010 European Championship Easykart. Her talent even caught the eye of Red Bull.

Ginetta Junior Success

In 2015, Sophia joined the 2015 Ginetta Junior Championship season with HHC Motorsport. She won two races and earned two more podium finishes. At Thruxton, she became the youngest driver to win a Ginetta Junior race. She was also the first rookie to win two races in one weekend. Her season ended early due to money issues, but she was running third in the championship at the time.

Moving to Formula 4

Sophia Flörsch racing at Sachsenring in ADAC Formula 4 in 2016.

In 2016, Sophia raced in the ADAC Formula 4 championship with Motopark. In her very first race, she became the first female driver to score points in an ADAC Formula 4 event. She nearly got a podium finish in her third race. She also set her first fastest lap at Zandvoort.

The next year, she raced for ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg. She earned her first podium at the Sachsenring and another at Hockenheim. She also set two fastest laps there.

Stepping Up to FIA Formula 3 European Championship

Her First Season in F3

Sophia tested an FIA Formula 3 European Championship car in March 2018. She then joined Van Amersfoort Racing in July. She finished 22nd in the standings, scoring one point at the Red Bull Ring.

A Big Crash and Comeback

In November 2018, Sophia competed in the Formula 3 World Cup at the 2018 Macau Grand Prix. During the main race, her car crashed at high speed. She was taken to the hospital with a back injury. The next day, she had a long surgery, which was successful. Her team leader said there was "no fear of paralysis." This amazing recovery led to her winning the World Comeback of the Year award in 2020.

Racing in Formula Regional

In 2019, Sophia continued with Van Amersfoort Racing in the Formula Regional European Championship. Even though the team joined the series just a week before it started, Sophia did well. She finished 7th in the standings, scoring points in all 24 races. She also set a fastest lap at the Red Bull Ring.

Competing in Formula 3

Return to Macau in 2019

Sophia Flörsch at the 2019 Macau Grand Prix.

Sophia raced in the 2019 Macau Grand Prix with HWA Team. Unfortunately, her car had a mechanical problem, and she could not finish the race.

Her 2020 F3 Season

For the 2020 season, Sophia joined Campos Racing. It was a tough year with some mechanical issues. She finished 29th out of 35 drivers. She was the first woman to race in this championship since it was formed.

Making History in 2023

Flörsch driving the Dallara F3 2019 during the 2023 Spielberg Formula 3 round.

Sophia returned to the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2023 with PHM Racing by Charouz. She also became part of the Alpine Academy. She scored her and PHM's first points with a 9th place finish at the Red Bull Ring. However, she later lost these points due to a rule violation.

She then made many overtakes in races at the Hungaroring and Spa-Francorchamps. At Spa, she finished 7th in a wet race, earning 6 points. This was a big moment for women in motorsport, as she became the first female driver to score points in the series. It was also a huge achievement for her team.

Another Macau Race in 2023

Flörsch racing at the 2023 Macau Grand Prix with Van Amersfoort Racing

At the end of 2023, Sophia raced in the 2023 Macau Grand Prix again with Van Amersfoort Racing. This time, she finished the race in 11th place.

The 2024 F3 Season

Sophia stayed with Van Amersfoort Racing for the 2024 season. She had a best finish of 11th place. Her team manager said she "would have deserved" to score points and was often caught in accidents caused by other drivers.

Endurance Racing Adventures

Sophia Flörsch at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2020, Sophia also started racing in endurance events. She joined the Richard Mille Racing Team in the LMP2 class of the 2020 European Le Mans Series. This included racing in the famous 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, where she finished 9th.

She continued with Richard Mille in the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2021. She helped her team finish in the points five times. She also got a podium finish in the 2021 European Le Mans Series season finale. This made her the first woman to finish on an overall podium in that series.

In 2022, Sophia joined Algarve Pro Racing for the European Le Mans Series. She and her teammate finished second in their first race together. She also raced in the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans. After a two-year break, Sophia returned to LMP2 racing in 2025. She rejoined Algarve Pro Racing in a test and development role.

Racing in DTM

Alongside her endurance racing, Sophia competed in the 2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) for Abt Sportsline. She scored 8 points in her first season racing GT3 cars.

Indy NXT Experience

In December 2024, Sophia signed with HMD Motorsports to race in the 2025 Indy NXT series in the United States. However, due to unexpected budget problems, she had to end her season early after only one race.

Images for kids

Flörsch in 2024
FIA Silver Driver
Sophia Flörsch racing at Sachsenring in ADAC Formula 4 in 2016.
Sophia Flörsch at the 2019 Macau Grand Prix.
Flörsch driving the Dallara F3 2019 during the 2023 Spielberg Formula 3 round.
Flörsch racing at the 2023 Macau Grand Prix with Van Amersfoort Racing
Flörsch driving for Van Amersfoort Racing during the 2024 Spielberg Formula 3 round
Sophia Flörsch at the 2022 24 Hours of Le Mans.