Emma Felbermayr: Austria’s First Woman in F1 Academy Who Already Won Her First Race and Is Now Dreaming of Formula 1

EMMA FELBERMAYR: THREE GENERATIONS OF RACING HERITAGE SHAPED INTO A DRIVER

In motorsport there are families who do not simply love the sport but live it as part of their deepest identity. The Felbermayr family from Wels, Austria, is one of them. Three generations of racing drivers. Grandfather Horst Felbermayr Sr. competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and continued racing into the 2010s in the European Le Mans Series. His son Horst Felbermayr Jr. kept the tradition alive. Emma’s older brother Horst Felix competes today in the European Le Mans Series. And now the youngest of the dynasty is taking the baton with a different helmet, a different category and a story that has everything to be the most brilliant of all.

Emma Felbermayr was born on January 27, 2007 in Wels, Austria. Growing up in a family with that motorsport legacy was not merely a matter of inspiration it was a total immersion in a world where racing cars are not a rarity but part of the everyday landscape. The family’s Felbermayr construction and transport company is one of the most recognisable names in Austrian business, and that structural support has allowed Emma to pursue her dream with the necessary resources.

Karting arrived at age seven when Emma climbed into a kart for the first time. The following year, at eight years old, she contested her first national race in the Micro class. Her progression through the Mini and Junior levels of karting was steady and consistent. In 2019, at twelve years of age, she made her international karting debut competing in the Trofeo delle Industrie in the OKJ class with Solgat Motorsport. In 2021, her final year in the Junior category, she finished second in the ADAC Ladies Cup and participated in the World and European Karting Championships, gaining valuable international experience.

In 2022 she moved into the OK category, the next step up in karting. Her standout results included a ninth place in the German Karting Championship. In 2023 she stepped into the KZ2 category, one of the most demanding in karting with gearbox-equipped machines, competing in the Karting World Cup and the WSK Final Cups. In 2024 she continued in KZ2 at the Andrea Margutti Trophy.

The big leap came in 2025, when she was selected by the Sauber Driver Academy, operated by Rodin Motorsport, to compete in F1 Academy the all-female series launched by Formula 1 to develop women drivers toward the highest levels of motorsport. Emma became the first Austrian woman to compete in F1 Academy, a historic milestone for her country’s motorsport.

The 2025 season was her total debut in single seaters. Emma also competed that year in the Spanish F4 Championship in parallel, as part of her development programme. In F1 Academy, the learning curve was visible but the speed was always there: she finished fifth on debut in Shanghai, scored in Jeddah, and then came the moment that changed everything. In Montreal, Canada, in Race 2 of the weekend, Emma Felbermayr won her first F1 Academy race with a last lap overtake in an absolutely frantic sprint to the finish. The victory came after having been disqualified from Race 1 at the same event, making it one of the most emotionally powerful stories of the season. Four further top-tens followed, including fourth in Singapore. She ended the season tenth in the championship standings.

For 2026, Audi retained her for a second F1 Academy season under their official colours, transitioning from Kick Sauber representation to full integration in the Audi Driver Development Programme led by Allan McNish, the former driver and Le Mans winner. This integration with Audi is not merely symbolic: the German manufacturer is preparing to enter Formula 1 by taking over the current Sauber team, and drivers like Emma Felbermayr are part of Audi’s long-term vision for the sport’s top category.

The 2026 season began promisingly: at Shanghai, Emma finished third in Race 1 and won Race 2, placing herself as the early championship leader in F1 Academy. The words of Audi programme director Allan McNish reflect the confidence the manufacturer has placed in her.

Emma is 19 years old in 2026. She is a fan of Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion who retired in 2022. She is ambitious, hardworking and carries in her DNA a passion for motorsport that needs no explanation once you know her family’s story. Experts who have followed her through the F1 Academy paddock agree that if the machinery and the opportunity align, there is no ceiling for this young Austrian.

Do you think Emma Felbermayr has the talent and the Audi support structure needed to transcend the F1 Academy and establish herself as a reference driver in world motorsport?

IMPORTANT QUOTES AND CURIOSITIES

“Continuing in the F1 Academy and doing so now as an official driver for the Audi Revolut F1 Team is a huge honor. Being associated with a brand with such an incredible history in motorsport is truly inspiring.” — Emma Felbermayr
“I thought my career was over… I am so glad about the podium after that scare.” — Emma Felbermayr after an intense race in 2026

CURIOSITIES

• In Shanghai 2026 she won the second race and led the F1 Academy championship.
• She was born on January 27, 2007, in Wels, Austria. She is 19 years old in 2026.
• She is the first Austrian woman to compete in the F1 Academy.
• She represents a family with three generations of drivers in motorsport.
• Her grandfather and father competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
• Her brother Horst Felix currently competes in the European Le Mans Series.
• She is a fan of Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion with Red Bull and Ferrari.
• Her first victory in the F1 Academy came with an overtake on the last lap in Montreal 2025.
• She is part of the Audi Driver Development Programme, the same one that launched Michèle Mouton.
  

Sources: F1 Academy Official f1academy.com, Formula 1 Official formula1.com, Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org, Racers Behind The Helmet racers-behindthehelmet.com, EverythingF1 everythingf1.com, Dive Bomb dive bomb.com, Paddock Chronicle thepaddockchronicle.com, F1 Live Pulse blog.f1livepulse.com