Ferrari expands its junior academy: With Maya Weug no longer eligible to drive in the F1 Academy in 2026, the team has signed 16-year-old Danish driver Alba Larsen
Ferrari has added 16-year-old Danish driver Alba Larsen to its junior program, further expanding its driver academy. Larsen is currently completing her first season in the all-female F1 Academy series, where she is racing without the support of a Formula 1 team, sporting the colors of sponsor Tommy Hilfiger.
After four of seven race weekends, Larsen is currently sixth overall and has finished in the top eight in all but one of the eight races. This strong start to the season has convinced the Academy engineers that now is the right time to start working together.
Larsen is no stranger to Ferrari: in 2023, the young Roskilde native won the fourth edition of the “Girls on Track – Rising Star” program, which is run in conjunction with the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission.
After observation, now a permanent commitment
At the time, she was just 14 years old, and the experts at Ferrari’s junior academy decided to continue monitoring her development in 2024 and invite her to Maranello on a regular basis.
Now Ferrari has decided to sign the Danish driver and include her in the program starting January 1, 2026. The Scuderia will announce her racing schedule for next year at a later date.
A new face in the academy! Say hello to Alba Larsen, joining the FDA in 2026 https://t.co/CswM4n5tuj pic.twitter.com/wH0dMvO3F0
— Scuderia Ferrari Driver Academy (@insideFDA) August 5, 2025
She will probably complete a second year in the F1 Academy and then replace Dutch driver Maya Weug, who is currently racing in the series in Ferrari colors but will not be able to continue in the championship in 2026 as it is limited to two seasons per driver.
Since every Formula 1 team has to support a female driver in the series, it would make sense for Ferrari to use Larsen for this purpose anyway.
More Formula 4 talent on the roster
In addition, Italian driver Niccolo Maccagnani will also join the team in 2026. Born in 2010, the Italian has impressed Ferrari with his talent in karting and private Formula test drives.
Last November, he took part in the 21st ACI Sport Supercorso, where, according to the Scuderia, he “stood out for his speed on the track and emerged as the most committed young driver with the greatest potential for development.” Recently, the young Roman was the fastest in a Formula 4 group test in Vallelunga, leaving 36 other talents behind him.
The Brazilian Rafael Camara is currently considered the most promising talent in the Ferrari Academy. He secured the Formula 3 title ahead of schedule in Hungary at the weekend and is likely to move up to Formula 2 in 2026.
Sweden’s Dino Beganovic is already racing there and has already had his first practice session in Charles Leclerc’s Formula 1 car in Bahrain and Austria. However, he is currently only eleventh in the overall standings.
