Tommy Hilfiger, a familiar name in the world of fashion and well-known in the F1 community because of its partnership with Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton, will feature its own team in F1 Academy — the all-female single-seater racing series. It has been F1 Academy’s official partner since January 2024 and will now be on the grid.
Alba Hurup will be driving for Tommy Hilfiger in the 2025 F1 Academy season. Regarded as one of the brightest talents in the series, Hurup, who will turn 16 ahead of her F1 Academy debut, won the 2023 FIA Girls on Track Rising Stars program and made her single-seater debut in the Indian F4 Championship earlier this year.
In an interview with talkSPORT, she revealed how she would aim to inspire young girls aspiring to make a mark in motorsports. Growing up, the 15-year-old didn’t have one and turned to her nation’s biggest name in racing for advice — Kevin Magnussen.
“I looked up to Kevin Magnusson here from Denmark. He has been my mentor and has helped me a lot,” she said.
Proud to welcome the newest member of @f1academy and the Tommy Family, Alba Hurup Larsen pic.twitter.com/rExhjEr1oT
— Tommy Hilfiger (@TommyHilfiger) November 24, 2024
Magnussen’s time in F1, which came to an end with his Haas axing in 2024, was not laden with trophies. In fact, he stood on the podium just once in his maiden race in Australia 10 years ago.
But he was a handy driver for Renault and Haas, two midfield teams who relied on his solid performances for several years. With Hurup being one of the brightest racing prospects coming out of Denmark, Magnussen took it upon himself to make sure she achieved big things in her career.
“He has helped me a lot about when I first moved from go-kart to Formula 4,” she added. “It became so much more of like professional and he helped me with understanding how to talk to the team and read the data and stuff like that.”
F1 Academy’s attempt to help women get a platform
F1 Academy, which started in 2023, aims to give female drivers a platform to shine on and to show the world that they have what it takes to compete at the highest level of motorsports. It originated out of an idea created by the now-defunct W-Series, which produced some handy drivers who are now competing in different racing ventures around the world.
From F1 Academy Champion to GB3! ️
Abbi Pulling is heading to GB3 after her sensational F1 Academy campaign. We can’t wait to follow her journey in 2025! ⭐️
#F1Academy pic.twitter.com/creJvQbsGU
— F1 Academy (@f1academy) December 11, 2024
Jamie Chadwick, for instance, is a three-time W-Series Champion, who went on to make waves in the US by becoming the first woman to win an Indy NXT race in over a decade.
There are other hugely talented drivers who have come out of F1 Academy over the last few years, including Marta Garcia Lopez, Doriane Pin, and Abi Pulling — Champion of the 2024 season. However, for all of them, the ultimate dream is to drive in F1, which is closer than it was a few years ago, but still a long way away.
