Sophia Flörsch (born 1 December 2000) is a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
racing driver
Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition.
Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...
, currently competing in the
European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
with Algarve Pro Racing. She has previously raced in the
DTM, the
FIA World Endurance Championship
The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Interco ...
and
FIA Formula 3, and is a podium finisher in
ADAC Formula 4
ADAC Formula 4 (german: ADAC Formel 4) is a racing series regulated according to FIA Formula 4 regulations. The inaugural season was the 2015 ADAC Formula 4. It replaced the ADAC Formel Masters, held from 2008 to 2014.
History
Gerhard Berger ...
and the
ELMS, as well as the youngest race winner of the
Ginetta Junior Championship.
Personal life
Flörsch was born in
Grünwald, Bavaria
Grünwald (German for ''green forest'') is a municipality in the district of Munich, in the state of Bavaria, Germany. It is located on the right bank of the Isar, 12 km southwest of Munich (centre). it had a population of 11,303.
Grünwal ...
, and has spent most of her life around
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
: she attended
Oberhaching
Oberhaching is a municipality in Bavaria, Germany, with 13,638 inhabitants (2020) on an area of . It is located south of Munich city centre and has a 1,250 year history.
Architecture
The most important buildings are the originally Romanesq ...
Grammar School and is now based in
Pullach
Pullach, officially Pullach i. Isartal, is a municipality in the district of Munich in Bavaria in Germany. It lies on the Isar Valley Railway and is served by the S 7 line of the Munich S-Bahn, at the Großhesselohe Isartalbahnhof, Pullach a ...
. Her interests include karting, skiing and wind surfing.
In February 2020 she won the award for
World Comeback of the Year at the 2020
Laureus World Sports Awards
The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual award ceremony honouring individuals and teams from the world of sports along with sporting achievements throughout the year. It was established in 1999 by Laureus Sport for Good Foundation foundin ...
.
Controversy
Flörsch is an outspoken critic of the
W Series women's
Formula 3
Formula Three, also called Formula 3, abbreviated as F3, is a third-tier class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One dr ...
championship; labelling it a "step back on a sporting level" and "not the way to help women in motorsport" upon launch in 2019, and "gender bashing" in 2022. She further criticised the existence of a series-affiliated
esports championship held during the coronavirus pandemic.
Upon entering the
FIA Formula 3 Championship
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is a third-tier international single-seater racing championship and organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for the FIA Formula 1 ...
in
2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in ...
, Flörsch criticised the German media, claiming that they were favouring
Mick and
David Schumacher due to their fathers' (
Michael and
Ralf respectively) successes and refusing to promote other German junior formula drivers.
Racing career
Karting
Flörsch began karting in 2005. From 2008 to 2014, Flörsch competed in various karting events across Europe through Kart Sport. She became the first female driver and also youngest driver of three series she competed in, the 2008 SAKC Championship, 2009 ADAC German Championship and 2010 European Championship Easykart.
[ She was also scouted by ]Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, inc ...
.
Ginetta Junior
In 2015, Flörsch took part in the 2015 Ginetta Junior Championship season
The 2015 Kick Start Energy Ginetta Junior Championship was a multi-event, one make motor racing championship held across England and Scotland. The championship featured a mix of professional motor racing teams and privately funded drivers, age ...
driving for HHC Motorsport. During the season, Flörsch collected two wins and a further two podiums. She made double Ginetta history at Thruxton by becoming the youngest driver to win a Ginetta Junior race, and also the first rookie to win two out of two races in one weekend. Her season was cut short due to financial issues and she finished at the mid-season point, at that time running in third in the championship, also leading the Rookie championship. Her car for the season was Car 14, which she named ''Paul''.
Formula 4
In 2016, Flörsch signed with Motopark to drive in the ADAC Formula 4 championship. Her car for the season was Car #99, which she called ''Hugo''. In her debut race, she became the first female to score points in an ADAC Formula 4
ADAC Formula 4 (german: ADAC Formel 4) is a racing series regulated according to FIA Formula 4 regulations. The inaugural season was the 2015 ADAC Formula 4. It replaced the ADAC Formel Masters, held from 2008 to 2014.
History
Gerhard Berger ...
race. She almost achieved her first podium in her third race; after being hit by another car in the closing laps of the race she recovered to fifth. Her first fastest lap of the season came at race 3 in Zandvoort, in a race halted by poor weather conditions.
The following year she raced for BWT Mücke Motorsport, scoring two podiums and two fastest laps.
FIA Formula 3 European Championship
2018
On 13 March 2018, Flörsch participated in her first FIA Formula 3 European Championship
The FIA Formula 3 European Championship was a European Formula Three(F3) auto racing competition, organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). After one season of the FIA Formula 3 International Trophy, the FIA revived t ...
test, driving a Van Amersfoort Racing
Van Amersfoort Racing is an auto racing team based in the Netherlands. In 2022 the team competes in the Formula 2 Championship, the Formula 3 Championship, the Formula Regional European Championship, Euroformula Open Championship, Italian F4 Cham ...
car. On 6 July 2018, it was announced that she would join Van Amersfoort Racing beginning with the round at Circuit Zandvoort
Circuit Zandvoort (), known for sponsorship reasons as CM.com Circuit Zandvoort, and previously known as Circuit Park Zandvoort until 2017, is a motorsport race track located in the dunes north of Zandvoort, the Netherlands, near the North Sea ...
a week later. She finished 22nd in the standings, her sole point coming at the Red Bull Ring
The Red Bull Ring is a motorsport race track in Spielberg, Austria, Spielberg, Styria, Austria.
The race circuit was founded as Österreichring (translation: Austrian Circuit) and hosted the Austrian Grand Prix for 18 consecutive years, from t ...
.
2018 Macau Grand Prix
From 15 to 18 November 2018, Flörsch participated in the Formula 3 World Cup at the 2018 Macau Grand Prix. During the main race, on Lap 4, she made contact with fellow driver Jehan Daruvala
Jehan Daruvala (born 1 October 1998) is an Indian racing driver currently serving as a reserve driver for the Mahindra Racing Formula E team. He was a protégé of the Force India F1 team, after being one of three winners of a 'One in a Billio ...
, who was reportedly slowing for erroneously-displayed yellow flags on the straight between Mandarin Corner (Turn 2) and Lisboa Bend (Turn 3). This caused a front left suspension failure, catapulting her car into Lisboa Bend sideways at high speed, launching off Sho Tsuboi
is a Japanese racing driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing. He currently competes in the GT500 class of the Super GT Series for TGR Team au TOM's, where he is the 2021 series champion. He also competes in the Super Formula Championship for P.mu Cerum ...
's car, through the catch-fencing and smashing into a photographers' bunker, before landing back onto the wheels. Flörsch was reported as conscious post-crash and was hospitalised along with Tsuboi, two photographers and a marshal. She was later diagnosed with a spinal fracture, for which she underwent a surgery lasting almost 10 hours the following day, subsequently reported as successful with “no fear of paralysis”, by her race team leader, Frits van Amersfoort.
Formula Regional
On 14 December 2018, Van Amersfoort Racing confirmed that Flörsch would race for the team in the European F3 replacement series, Formula European Masters, in 2019. After this series folded before a round was contested, Flörsch and VAR switched to the Formula Regional European Championship
The Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) is a FIA-certified regional European Formula 3 racing series. On 12 October 2018 it was announced that the Italian autosport regulator Automobile Club d’Italia (ACI) and karting pro ...
for updated Formula 3 machinery. Having joined the championship only one week before the opening race, the team struggled throughout the entire season, and Flörsch could only manage 7th place in the drivers' standings.
Formula 3
2019 Macau Grand Prix
Flörsch was selected by the HWA Team
HWA Team, also known as HWA RACELAB, is the auto racing team of HWA AG, a German company based in Affalterbach, that also develops and builds vehicles and components for Mercedes-AMG race cars. It is named after founder Hans-Werner Aufrecht.
...
to attend the FIA Formula 3 Championship
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is a third-tier international single-seater racing championship and organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for the FIA Formula 1 ...
post-season test on 22 October 2019 in Valencia. In early November, it was confirmed that Flörsch was placed on the team to compete in the 2019 Macau Grand Prix
The 2019 Macau Grand Prix (formally the 66th Suncity Group Macau Grand Prix – FIA F3 World Cup) was a motor race for Formula Three cars held on the streets of Macau on 17 November 2019. Unlike past races, the 2019 Macau Grand Prix was held ...
, with support from several Macanese companies and notable people. She failed to finish the race after her car suffered a mechanical failure which left her stranded ahead of the Mandarin Oriental Bend on the eighth lap.
2020
Flörsch signed with Campos Racing
Campos Racing is a Spanish motor racing team, founded by former Formula One driver Adrián Campos. The team has been successful in Formula Three and the GP2 Series.
History
After retiring from racing, Campos formed his own team at the end of 1 ...
for the 2020 season of the FIA F3 Championship to partner Alessio Deledda and Alex Peroni
Alexander Peroni (born 27 November 1999) is an Australian racing driver, currently competing in the 2022 European Le Mans Series for Algarve Pro Racing. He has competed in the 2021 Indy Lights Series for Carlin Motorsport, and in the 2020 F ...
. After a difficult year with several mechanical problems, she finished 29th out of 35 drivers in the standings, with a best finish of 12th. She was the first woman to race in the championship since its formation after the GP3 Series
The GP3 Series, or GP3 for short, was a single-seater motor racing series launched in 2010 as a feeder series for the GP2 Series, introduced by GP2 organiser Bruno Michel. GP3 followed the entire European leg of the Formula One series and th ...
and European F3 categories were merged.
Endurance racing
Flörsch combined her 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship
The FIA Formula 3 Championship is a third-tier international single-seater racing championship and organised by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The championship launched in 2019 as a feeder series for the FIA Formula 1 ...
commitments with a debut in prototype racing, skipping the Spa-Francorchamps Formula 3 round to enter the Le Castellet 240 with Beitske Visser for Richard Mille Racing Team in the LMP2 class of the 2020 European Le Mans Series
The 2020 European Le Mans Series was the seventeenth season of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) European Le Mans Series. The six-event season began at Circuit Paul Ricard on 19 July and finished at Algarve International Circuit on 1 Novemb ...
instead. The campaign also included entry into the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 88th 24 Hours of Le Mans (French: ''88e 24 Heures du Mans'') was a 24 hour automobile endurance race for Le Mans Prototype (LMP) and Le Mans Grand Touring Endurance (LMGTE) cars held from 19 to 20 September 2020 at the Circuit de la ...
, where she finished in 9th place alongside Visser and Tatiana Calderón
Tatiana Calderón Noguera (born 10 March 1993) is a Colombian racing driver who currently drives the No. 11 Dallara- Chevrolet car part-time for A. J. Foyt Enterprises in the 2022 IndyCar Series. Calderón previously drove for the Drago Cors ...
.
She continued with Richard Mille in 2021, this time in the FIA World Endurance Championship
The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Interco ...
, where she led the team to five points finishes and qualified a season-best 6th at the 8 Hours of Bahrain, ahead of Formula One race winner Juan Pablo Montoya
Juan Pablo Montoya Roldán (; born September 20, 1975) is a Colombian racing driver.
He won the International F3000 championship in 1998, the CART FedEx Championship Series in 1999 in his debut year in the series, and the IMSA WeatherTech ...
. She also received a call-up from Algarve Pro Racing to replace Diego Menchaca in the 2021 European Le Mans Series
The 2021 European Le Mans Series was the eighteenth season of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) European Le Mans Series. The six-event season began at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on 18th April and finished at Algarve International Circuit ...
season finale at Portimão
Portimão () is a city and a municipality in the district of Faro, in the Algarve region of southern Portugal. The population in 2011 was 55,614, in an area of 182.06 km2. It was formerly known as Vila Nova de Portimão (). In 1924, it was ...
. She finished third alongside Ferdinand Habsburg and Richard Bradley, achieving the team's first podium and becoming the first woman to ever finish on an overall podium in the series. Flörsch later appeared in the post-season FIA World Endurance Championship
The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Interco ...
rookie test in Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
, driving for newly-crowned LMP2 champions Team WRT, where she led both sessions.
In 2022, Flörsch left the Richard Mille project to join G-Drive Racing and make a full-time return to the European Le Mans Series
The European Le Mans Series (abbreviated as ELMS) is a European sports car racing endurance series inspired by the 24 Hours of Le Mans race and organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO). The European Le Mans Series is similar to the fo ...
, driving one of the team's two Oreca 07
The Oreca 07 is a Le Mans Prototype built by French manufacturer Oreca to meet the 2017 FIA and ACO LMP2 regulations. It made its official race debut in the opening round of the 2017 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the 24 Hours of Da ...
LMP2 cars alongside Roman Rusinov
Roman Aleksandrovich Rusinov ( rus, Рома́н Алекса́ндрович Ру́синов, p=rɐˈman ɐlʲɪˈksandrəvʲɪtɕ ˈrusʲɪnəv, born 21 October 1981 in Moscow) is a Russian auto racing driver who competed in the FIA World Endu ...
. The plan quickly changed following the team's withdrawal due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine
On 24 February 2022, in a major escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War, which began in 2014. The invasion has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths on both sides. It has caused Europe's largest refugee crisis since World War II. ...
. Algarve Pro Racing, who were set to run G-Drive's cars, took over independently, signing Flörsch and F2 podium finisher Bent Viscaal
Bent Max Calvin Viscaal (born 18 September 1999 in Almelo) is a Dutch racing driver who is set compete in the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship with Prema Racing. He last competed in the 2022 European Le Mans Series for Algarve Pro Racing. H ...
. Despite both being silver-rated and lacking experience compared to the rival three-driver lineups, the pair took second place on debut at Paul Ricard
Paul Louis Marius Ricard (; July 9, 1909 – November 7, 1997) was a French industrialist and creator of an eponymous pastis brand which merged in 1975 with its competitor Pernod to create Pernod Ricard. Ricard was also an environmentalist and ...
. That was to be the high point of their season though, as a late puncture at Imola
Imola (; rgn, Jômla or ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Bologna, located on the river Santerno, in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The city is traditionally considered the western entrance to the historical r ...
, an untimely full-course yellow at Monza
Monza (, ; lmo, label= Lombard, Monça, locally ; lat, Modoetia) is a city and ''comune'' on the River Lambro, a tributary of the Po in the Lombardy region of Italy, about north-northeast of Milan. It is the capital of the Province of M ...
and a pit-lane start at Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ...
limited their next results, before Flörsch vacated her seat for the final two rounds. She also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose w ...
alongside Jack Aitken
Jack Aitken (Korean: 한세용, ''Han Se-yong''; born 23 September 1995 in London) is a British- South Korean racing driver who currently competes for Racing Team Turkey in the European Le Mans Series and for Emil Frey Racing in the ADAC GT ...
and bronze-rated , where bad fortune struck too. As the cars lined up for the start of the race, Flörsch's car came to a stop at the start-finish line with a sensor issue. She managed to restart it and crawl back to the pits, but the trio lost five laps and all podium aspirations while the crew fixed the problem. They ended up charging back up to fifth place in the LMP2 Pro/Am subclass, as Aitken set the 8th fastest LMP2 time and Flörsch was the 3rd quickest silver driver.
DTM
Alongside her FIA WEC
The FIA World Endurance Championship is an auto racing world championship organized by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) and sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The series supersedes the ACO's former Intercont ...
programme, Flörsch raced in the 2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for German team Abt Sportsline with backing from Schaeffler
Schaeffler Technologies AG & Co. KG, also known as Schaeffler Group (''Schaeffler-Gruppe'' in German), is a German manufacturer of rolling element bearings for automotive, aerospace and industrial uses. It was founded in 1946 by brothers Dr ...
. She competed in 14 out of 16 races, and scored 8 points.
Racing record
Career summary
† As Flörsch had not competed in the required number of rounds she was ineligible for a championship position.
Complete Ginetta Junior Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Macau Grand Prix results
Complete Formula Regional European Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
* The third race in Vallelunga was cancelled due to bad weather and later run in Imola as a fourth race.
Complete FIA Formula 3 Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in ''italics'' indicate points for the fastest lap of top ten finishers)
Complete European Le Mans Series results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results
( key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in ''italics'' indicate fastest lap)
References
External links
*
*
Profile on Motorsportal.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Florsch, Sophia
2000 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Munich
German racing drivers
German female racing drivers
Ginetta Junior Championship drivers
ADAC Formula 4 drivers
Italian F4 Championship drivers
FIA Formula 3 European Championship drivers
Laureus World Sports Awards winners
FIA Formula 3 Championship drivers
24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
Formula Regional European Championship drivers
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters drivers
European Le Mans Series drivers
FIA World Endurance Championship drivers
Motopark Academy drivers
Mücke Motorsport drivers
Van Amersfoort Racing drivers
HWA Team drivers
Campos Racing drivers
Abt Sportsline drivers
Signature Team drivers