For most teenagers, learning to drive is a rite of passage; for 16-year-old Alba Hurup Larsen, it’s a way of life. The Danish F1 Academy star doesn’t even have her license, and yet she finds herself traveling all around the world, literally driving change in motorsports. “I started racing when I was 11. I started in a go-kart, which is very typical,” Alba tells Teen Vogue. When we met, we were standing inside the paddock in Las Vegas. She’s there for Formula 1’s Grand Prix weekend, where she and her fellow F1 Academy drivers will take to the course for their own competition.
F1 Academy is a Formula 4, women-only competition, in which all of the cars have the same specs, and the drivers are between the ages of 16 and 25. The idea is to give women and girls a space within the sport, not only to learn but to thrive.
“42% of the global lifelong fan base is now female, and the fastest growing fan demographic is the 18 to 24-year-olds,” F1 Academy Managing Director Susie Wolff explains. “I've been in this sport a long time, and suddenly there are so many young girls here. And it's not just about having adulation for the drivers, as many speculate; they love this sport, and they have a real connection to the sport.” The idea that women and girls are only into sports because of their proximity to men is something F1 Academy is addressing. “It's not anymore that male-dominated environment, which is egoistic, or the old stereotypes of what belongs in racing. And I think we've tried to really break down those barriers of what belongs here, allow this new young fan base to understand there's a place for them.”
F1 Academy is part of a growing rise in women’s participation across all sports — that’s also coinciding with an increase in fashion and beauty partnerships within them. Alba, for example, is sponsored by Tommy Hilfiger. Her car, her uniform, and her pre-race fit are all decked out in white, blue, and red. “Fashion is a way to express yourself and feel confident,” Alba says. “When you have that confidence outside of your sport, you can always transfer that into the sport. I think it's pretty similar to what I do when I walk in the paddock, having a cool outfit. I just feel a bit more confident when people say, ‘Oh, your jacket is so cool,’ I can transfer that energy into the car.”
Alba’s paddock look is decidedly cool, a pair of dark wash wide-leg Tommy jeans paired with red cowboy boots, and a white leather jacket. Her nails, done by her mother, are long and feature F1 Academy details. Still, she says it’s actually her racing look that is her favorite outfit. “That's my favorite thing to wear because I feel so powerful,” she explains.
There’s something special about looking around the F1 Academy paddock — the drivers aren’t limited to stereotypes, they can be exactly who they are. “I've really tried to create an environment where the drivers can celebrate their individuality,” Wolff says. “You want to go and do a photoshoot? That doesn't make you any less serious racing driver. You want to wear a face full of makeup under your helmet? That doesn't mean you're any less fierce out on the racetrack. We're all individuals. We could all turn up here, celebrate who we are, and not try to fit into a box of what we think a driver should be and what we think an engineer should be, and worry that the ecosystem won't take us as seriously or what judges us for how we look.”
After the race, in which Alba placed fourth, she stood in the paddock, wearing her racing suit and bright blonde hair tied back in a ponytail. “I just love the sport,” she says with a slight smile. “I'm here to stay.”
