Sophia Flörsch

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Sophia Flörsch
Sophia Flörsch, Q&A Fev 2021.jpg
Flörsch in 2021
NationalityGermany German
Born (2000-12-01) 1 December 2000 (age 23)
Grünwald, Germany
European Le Mans Series career
Debut season2020
Current teamAlgarve Pro Racing
Car number19
Former teamsRichard Mille Racing Team
Starts8
Wins0
Podiums2
Poles0
Fastest laps0
Best finish13th in 2022
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years2020–
TeamsRichard Mille Racing Team
Best finish9th (2020) in LMP2
Previous series
2021
2021
2020
2019
2018
2016–2017
2015		FIA World Endurance Championship
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters
FIA Formula 3 Championship
FR European Championship
FIA F3 European Championship
ADAC Formula 4
Ginetta Junior Championship
Awards
2020Laureus World Sports Award for
Comeback of the Year

Sophia Flörsch (born 1 December 2000) is a German racing driver, currently competing in the European Le Mans Series with Algarve Pro Racing. She has previously raced in the DTM, the FIA World Endurance Championship and FIA Formula 3, and is a podium finisher in ADAC Formula 4 and the ELMS, as well as the youngest race winner of the Ginetta Junior Championship.

Personal life

Flörsch was born in Grünwald, Bavaria, and has spent most of her life around Munich: she attended Oberhaching Grammar School and is now based in Pullach.[1] Her interests include karting, skiing and wind surfing.[2]

In February 2020 she won the award for World Comeback of the Year at the 2020 Laureus World Sports Awards.[3][4]

Controversy

Flörsch is an outspoken critic of the W Series women's Formula 3 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.[5][6] She further criticised the existence of a series-affiliated esports championship held during the coronavirus pandemic.[7]

Upon entering the FIA Formula 3 Championship in 2020, 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.[8]

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.[2] She was also scouted by Red Bull.[9]

Ginetta Junior

In 2015, Flörsch took part in the 2015 Ginetta Junior Championship season 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.[10] 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.[11] Her car for the season was Car #99, which she called Hugo.[12] In her debut race, she became the first female to score points in an ADAC Formula 4 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 test, driving a Van Amersfoort Racing car. On 6 July 2018, it was announced that she would join Van Amersfoort Racing beginning with the round at Circuit Zandvoort a week later.[13] She finished 22nd in the standings, her sole point coming at the Red Bull Ring.

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, 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's car, through the catch-fencing and smashing into a photographers' bunker, before landing back onto the wheels.[14][15] Flörsch was reported as conscious post-crash and was hospitalised along with Tsuboi, two photographers and a marshal.[16] 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.[17][18]

Formula Regional

Sophia Flörsch at the 2019 Macau Grand Prix.

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.[19] After this series folded before a round was contested, Flörsch and VAR switched to the Formula Regional European Championship for updated Formula 3 machinery.[20] 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 to attend the FIA Formula 3 Championship post-season test on 22 October 2019 in Valencia.[21] In early November, it was confirmed that Flörsch was placed on the team to compete in the 2019 Macau Grand Prix, with support from several Macanese companies and notable people.[22] 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.[23]

2020

Flörsch signed with Campos Racing for the 2020 season of the FIA F3 Championship to partner Alessio Deledda and Alex Peroni. 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 and European F3 categories were merged.[24]

Endurance racing

Flörsch combined her 2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship 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 instead.[25] The campaign also included entry into the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, where she finished in 9th place alongside Visser and Tatiana Calderón.[26]

She continued with the team in 2021, this time in the FIA World Endurance Championship.[27] She also received a call-up from Algarve Pro Racing to replace Diego Menchaca in the 2021 European Le Mans Series season finale at Portimão.[28] 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.[29][30] Flörsch then appeared in the post-season FIA World Endurance Championship rookie test in Bahrain, driving for newly-crowned LMP2 champions Team WRT, where she led both sessions.[31][32]

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, driving one of the team's two Oreca 07 LMP2 cars alongside Roman Rusinov.[33]

DTM

Alongside her FIA WEC programme, Flörsch raced in the 2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters for German team Abt Sportsline with backing from Schaeffler.[34] She competed in 14 out of 16 races, and scored 8 points.

Racing record

Career summary

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2015 Ginetta Junior Championship HHC Motorsport 10 2 1 1 4 211 11th
2016 ADAC Formula 4 Championship Motopark 24 0 0 1 0 25 19th
2017 ADAC Formula 4 Championship ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg 20 0 0 2 2 71 13th
Italian F4 Championship BWT Mücke Motorsport 9 0 0 0 0 28 NC†
2018 FIA Formula 3 European Championship Van Amersfoort Racing 21 0 0 0 0 1 22nd
Macau Grand Prix 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
2019 Formula Regional European Championship Van Amersfoort Racing 24 0 0 1 0 149 7th
Macau Grand Prix HWA Racelab 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
2020 FIA Formula 3 Championship Campos Racing 16 0 0 0 0 0 29th
European Le Mans Series Richard Mille Racing Team 3 0 0 0 0 2 25th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 9th
2021 Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters Team Abt 14 0 0 0 0 8 18th
FIA World Endurance Championship - LMP2 Richard Mille Racing Team 6 0 0 0 0 31 13th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A DNF
European Le Mans Series Algarve Pro Racing 1 0 0 0 1 15 21st
2022 European Le Mans Series Algarve Pro Racing 4 0 0 0 1 23 13th
24 Hours of Le Mans - LMP2 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 20th

† 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)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 DC Points
2015 HHC Motorsport Ginetta G40 BHI
1
5 		BHI
2
21 		DON
1
8 		DON
2
8 		THR
1
1 		THR
2
1 		OUL
1
4 		OUL
2
4 		CRO
1
2 		CRO
2
3 		SNE
1 		SNE
2 		KNO
1 		KNO
2 		ROC
1 		ROC
2 		SIL
1 		SIL
2 		BHGP
1 		BHGP
2 		11th 211

Complete ADAC Formula 4 Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Pos Points
2016 Motopark OSC1
1
8 		OSC1
2
Ret 		OSC1
3
5 		SAC
1
14 		SAC
2
7 		SAC
3
10 		LAU
1
13 		LAU
2
20 		LAU
3
27 		OSC2
1
14 		OSC2
2
20 		OSC2
3
10 		RBR
1
16 		RBR
2
27 		RBR
3
10 		NÜR
1
12 		NÜR
2
14 		NÜR
3
9 		ZAN
1
Ret 		ZAN
2
Ret 		ZAN
3
29 		HOC
1
28 		HOC
2
12 		HOC
3
18 		19th 25
2017 ADAC Berlin-Brandenburg OSC1
1
15 		OSC1
2
13 		OSC1
3
22 		LAU
1
Ret 		LAU
2
7 		LAU
3
6 		RBR
1
18 		RBR
2
Ret 		RBR
3
19 		OSC2
1
8 		OSC2
2
10 		OSC2
3
Ret 		NÜR
1
19 		NÜR
2
12 		NÜR
3
11 		SAC
1
6 		SAC
2
3 		SAC
3
7 		HOC
1
DNS 		HOC
2
3 		HOC
3
7 		13th 71

Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 DC Points
2018 Van Amersfoort Racing Mercedes PAU
1 		PAU
2 		PAU
3 		HUN
1 		HUN
2 		HUN
3 		NOR
1 		NOR
2 		NOR
3 		ZAN
1
23 		ZAN
2
17 		ZAN
3
19 		SPA
1
16 		SPA
2
17 		SPA
3
21 		SIL
1
18 		SIL
2
19 		SIL
3
17 		MIS
1
16 		MIS
2
19 		MIS
3
18 		NÜR
1
Ret 		NÜR
2
15 		NÜR
3
21 		RBR
1
17 		RBR
2
10 		RBR
3
15 		HOC
1
15 		HOC
2
19 		HOC
3
18 		22nd 1

Complete Macau Grand Prix results

Year Team Car Qualifying Quali Race Main race
2018 Netherlands Van Amersfoort Racing Dallara F317 20th 19th DNF
2019 Germany HWA Racelab Dallara F3 2019 27th 21st DNF

Complete Formula Regional European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 DC Points
2019 Van Amersfoort Racing LEC
1
9 		LEC
2
8 		LEC
3
5 		VLL
1
9 		VLL
2
5 		VLL
3
C* 		HUN
1
7 		HUN
2
4 		HUN
3
6 		RBR
1
6 		RBR
2
6 		RBR
3
5 		IMO
1
7 		IMO
2
8 		IMO
3
4 		IMO
4
7 		CAT
1
9 		CAT
2
8 		CAT
3
5 		MUG
1
6 		MUG
2
8 		MUG
3
9 		MNZ
1
6 		MNZ
2
10 		MNZ
3
9 		7th 149

* 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)

Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 DC Points
2020 Campos Racing RBR
FEA
26 		RBR
SPR
16 		RBR
FEA
21 		RBR
SPR
Ret 		HUN
FEA
18 		HUN
SPR
14 		SIL
FEA
22 		SIL
SPR
25 		SIL
FEA
20 		SIL
SPR
19 		CAT
FEA
27 		CAT
SPR
23 		SPA
FEA 		SPA
SPR 		MNZ
FEA
21 		MNZ
SPR
12 		MUG
FEA
22 		MUG
SPR
24 		29th 0

Complete European Le Mans Series results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rank Points
2020 Richard Mille Racing Team LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 LEC SPA LEC
11 		MNZ
10 		ALG
11 		25th 2
2021 Algarve Pro Racing LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 CAT RBR LEC MNZ SPA ALG
3 		21st 15
2022 Algarve Pro Racing LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 LEC
2 		IMO
8 		MNZ
10 		CAT
12 		SPA ALG 13th 23

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
2020 France Richard Mille Racing Team Colombia Tatiana Calderón
Netherlands Beitske Visser 		Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 364 13th 9th
2021 France Richard Mille Racing Team Colombia Tatiana Calderón
Netherlands Beitske Visser 		Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 74 DNF DNF
2022 Portugal Algarve Pro Racing United States John Falb
United Kingdom Jack Aitken 		Oreca 07-Gibson LMP2 361 25th 20th
LMP2 Pro-Am 5th

Complete FIA World Endurance Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Class Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 Rank Points
2021 Richard Mille Racing Team LMP2 Oreca 07 Gibson GK428 4.2 L V8 SPA
8 		ALG
6 		MNZ
8 		LMS
Ret 		BHR
6 		BHR
9 		13th 31

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos Points
2021 Team Abt Audi R8 LMS Evo MNZ
1
15 		MNZ
2
15 		LAU
1
Ret 		LAU
2
15 		ZOL
1
15 		ZOL
2
Ret 		NÜR
1 		NÜR
2 		RBR
1
17 		RBR
2
15 		ASS
1
9 		ASS
2
16 		HOC
1
12 		HOC
2
Ret 		NOR
1
13 		NOR
2
9 		18th 8

References

  1. ^ "Sophia Floersch | LinkedIn". LinkedIn. 29 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Sophia Floersch Vita". Sophia Floersch. 13 August 2015. Archived from the original on 28 June 2017. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  3. ^ "Formula 1 – Sophia Floersch wins 'World Comeback of the Year' at Laureus". FormulaSpy. 17 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  4. ^ "Laureus Awards 2020 Highlights: Tendulkar, Springboks win for World Cup wins; Hamilton, Messi share honours". Sportstar. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  5. ^ "'It's not the way to help women in motorsport' - female F3 driver slams W Series". Wheels24.com. 4 July 2019.
  6. ^ "Sophia Floersch on Twitter". Twitter. 23 July 2022.
  7. ^ "Floersch unhappy with W Series all-female Esports effort". F1i.com. 10 May 2020.
  8. ^ "Sophia Floersch on Twitter". Twitter. 3 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Sophia Floersch: The 14-year-old girl worth watching for". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  10. ^ "Sophia Floersch". Ginetta. 13 August 2015. Archived from the original on 26 December 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  11. ^ "Sophia Floersch sights on single seaters". Paddock Scout. 19 May 2015. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Sophia Floersch on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved 2016-04-18.
  13. ^ Fehling, Jonas (6 July 2018). "Formel 3: Sophia Flörsch ergattert jetzt doch Cockpit bei VAR". motorsport-magazin.com (in German). Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  14. ^ Marcus, Simmons; Noble, Jonathan (18 November 2018). "Floersch suffers spinal fracture in Macau crash". Motorsport.com.
  15. ^ "【澳門大賽車】F3葡京彎炮彈飛車撞向採訪區 17歲德國女車手生死未卜". Apple Daily (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 18 November 2018. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  16. ^ Noble, Jonathan (18 November 2018). "Floersch conscious but hospitalized after Macau shunt". motorsport.com. Motorsport Network. Retrieved 18 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Sophia Floersch fractures spine after airborne crash in Formula 3". the Guardian. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 19 November 2018.
  18. ^ "Sophia Florsch: 'No fear of paralysis' for F3 driver after surgery". British Broadcasting Corporation. BBC. 19 November 2018. Retrieved 28 November 2018.
  19. ^ "Sophia Flörsch secures F3 drive for 2019". Speedcafe.com. Retrieved 14 December 2018.
  20. ^ "Sophia Flörsch and Van Amersfoort Racing at the start of the Championship". ACI Sport. Retrieved 27 March 2019.
  21. ^ "Post-season testing Day 3 entry list". FIA FORMULA 3 CHAMPIONSHIP. Archived from the original on 22 October 2019. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  22. ^ "MACAU COMPANIES SUPPORT RETURN OF FLÖRSCH TO GUIA". Macau Daily Times. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  23. ^ Benyon, Jack (17 November 2019). "Macau Grand Prix: Verschoor upstages Vips for giantkilling win". Autosport. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  24. ^ "Sophia Flörsch completes Campos' 2020 roster". FIA Formula 3. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 28 February 2020.
  25. ^ "Floersch, Calderon, Legge form all-female ELMS team". Motorsport.com. 12 February 2020.
  26. ^ "The 2020 Le Mans 24 Hours entry list in full". Motorsport.com. 29 February 2020.
  27. ^ Lloyd, Daniel (20 December 2020). "Richard Mille Racing Moves Up to WEC LMP2 Ranks". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  28. ^ "Floersch Drafted into Algarve Pro Lineup for Portimao". sportscar365.com. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  29. ^ "ELMS | United vince a Portimao, DKR e Iron Lynx Campioni". Motorsport.com (in Italian). 24 October 2021. Retrieved 24 October 2021.
  30. ^ "Sophia Floersch makes history as first woman on overall ELMS podium". Racers - Behind the Helmet. 26 October 2021. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  31. ^ "07 - Fastest Lap by Driver - Morning session" (PDF). Al Kamel Systems. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  32. ^ "07 - Fastest Lap by Driver - Afternoon session" (PDF). Al Kamel Systems. 7 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  33. ^ "Flörsch For Full ELMS Season With G-Drive Racing". dailysportscar.com. 14 February 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  34. ^ "Female power in DTM: Sophia Flörsch to race with Abt and Schaeffler". DTM. 22 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.

External links

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