Alba Larsen’s Girls International Racing Lab (G.I.R.L.): Empowering the next generation of women in Motorsports.
- Olivia Fitchet
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
Written by Olivia Fitchet, Edited by Rohan Brown
17-year-old Alba Larsen, is a Danish Ferrari Academy driver competing in F1 Academy for the 2026 season. As the years progress she becomes a well established female within this sport.
She started her motorsport career a lot later than others starting at the age of 12-years-old, though she rapidly progressed into the single seater category making her debut in the 2024 Indian F4 championship, finishing the season 6th overall.
Larsen created Girls international Racing Lab (G.I.R.L.) when she was 15. This initiative aims to empower young girls across the globe and provide them with a pathway into motorsports.
The organisation's mission this year is to have 15,000 girls take part in G.I.R.L. events across the globe, with events already planned in Sweden, Germany, the USA and China.
From a young age, Larsen has created a remarkable impression within the motorsport industry.
In 2025, Larsen competed in her debut season of F1 Academy racing for MP motorsport collaborating with Tommy Hilfiger. Throughout the season she was consistently among the leading contenders.
Across the eight races, she scored points on seven occasions, achieving her best result in fourth place. She rounded up the season with 70 points overall, placing her seventh in her debut season.
This strong performance attracted the attention of Ferrari, leading to them selecting her to join their academy programme. Continuing Larsen’s development in the junior Formula categories. Her 2026 racing programme will include F1 Academy, racing with MP motorsport (supported by Ferrari), as well as competing in the British Formula 4 Championship.
At the 2025 FIA Awards, Larsen won the FIA women in motorsport award for her organisation G.I.R.L. Which has already created an impact within this sport with over 400 girls and young women across Denmark alone already a part of the organisation.
G.I.R.L. involves female only go-karting events, meet-ups and mentoring sessions with Larsen herself and other role models within the industry. With the clear goal of empowering women and creating a mark within this challenging industry.
By winning this award it helped provide G.I.R.L. with more recognition, which is extremely important and praised Larsen for her incredible contribution to making this sport more inclusive and accessible for females.
After winning the FIA Women in Motorsports Award, Larsen said:
“I started G.I.R.L. when I was 15 to make it easier for other girls to try motorsport and to strengthen the mental resilience of teenage girls everywhere. The response and support has been incredible.
"Our goal for 2026 is to see 15,000 girls take part in G.I.R.L. events across the world. This award feels like the ultimate recognition of that mission, and it gives me more confidence than ever that we’ll attract more partners and collaborators, so we make this vision a reality and go even further.”
Women and girls represent around 10% of participation in motorsports across all levels according to More Than Equal.
This makes role models like Larsen crucial for females within this sport as they are the voice for all the girls and women trying to get involved in this industry. Larsen has utilised her platform to create something incredible, so girls don’t have to face the struggles she did.
The organisation G.I.R.L. is the beacon women need within this sport to succeed. By creating this it can help empower females across the globe and provide them with the essential opportunities to flourish in this industry.
It’s important we continue to support organisations like this as they need this awareness in order to grow and thrive within this industry.
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