Emma Felbermayr joins 2025 F1 ACADEMY grid with Kick Sauber

Emma Felbermayr will make her F1 ACADEMY debut next year, as Kick Sauber have announced that the Austrian driver will be representing them on the 2025 grid in her Rodin Motorsport-operated car.

Beginning her racing journey in karting aged seven, Felbermayr went on to compete in her first national race in the Micro Class the following year before progressing through the Mini Class and into the Junior level.

At 13, she competed in her first international race, finishing runner-up in the 2021 ADAC Ladies Cup. The next year saw her step up into the Senior category, racing in the German Championship, WSK races and the World Championship.

Following her recovery from a rib injury in early 2023, Felbermayr moved into the KZ category. Alongside competing in the German Championship and ADAC Kart Masters, she qualified 23rd overall out of 119 drivers in the World Championship in Wackersdorf.

This year has seen the 17-year-old race in all major shifter karting events, including WSK-Karting and the World and European Championships ahead of her graduation to single-seaters for the upcoming season. As part of her racing programme, Felbermayr will also participate in the 2025 Formula Winter Series and Spanish F4 Championship with Rodin.

Speaking on the announcement, Felbermayr said: “I’m proud and thrilled to be joining KICK Sauber F1 Team for the 2025 F1 ACADEMY season. This is an incredible opportunity to take the next step in my racing career and to challenge myself at this exciting level.

“I’m looking forward to representing the team, growing as a driver, and making the most of the visibility and platform F1 ACADEMY offers. I can’t wait to get started and see what we can achieve together!"

Mattia Binotto, COO & CTO, Sauber Motorsport added: “We are delighted to welcome Emma to the team, as she prepares to make her F1 ACADEMY debut in 2025 in our colours. Emma is young, but has already shown her potential, and we are looking forward to seeing her represent us on the international scene from next year.

“We are also thrilled to be partnering with Rodin Motorsport for our F1 ACADEMY operations, counting on their decades-long experience with junior drivers in several series, and having most recently clinched the 2024 F1 ACADEMY title. This marks the beginning of an exciting journey, and we can’t wait to see what we can achieve together. Welcome to the family, Emma!"

Benn Huntingford, Sporting Director, Rodin Motorsport concluded: "We're delighted to welcome Emma to Rodin Motorsport. She has shown great potential and resilience in karting and we look forward to supporting her in her transition into cars with F1 ACADEMY.

"There will be a steep learning curve ahead but together with KICK Sauber F1 Team I'm confident that our combined experience and resources can give Emma the platform she needs to be successful. I'd like to thank Kick Sauber for entrusting Rodin Motorsport with this important step in Emma's career."