Zoe Florescu Potolea emerged as the Junior category winner and will receive support from Ferrari Driver Academy for an international karting season in 2023 with Tony Kart Racing Team.
FIA Women In Motorsport is promoting the "Girls On Track - Rising Stars" programme and for the second time in the history of the project, it included a Junior category as well, with drivers under 14 years of age being selected among the most promising young female karting talents globally. The winner, Zoe Florescu Potolea, 13, was born in Bucharest, has Romanian and US citizenship, as well as a residence in Italy, thus representing Italy in the selection.
Zoe is one of the up-and-coming feminine names in karting worldwide in 2022. This season she raced with Birel Art Racing Team in some of the most highly-competitive karting competitions in the world, including the WSK Euro Series, RGMMC Champions of the Future, the FIA European Karting Championship and the FIA World Karting Championship.
With the support and under the guidance of Ferrari Driver Academy, and with the karting expertise and on track tremendous success record of Tony Kart Racing Team, Zoe will have the chance to further climb the ranks of karting and motorsport.
For the "Girls On Track - Rising Stars" programme over 80 applications were submitted by the National Sporting Authorities from all over the world, and eight junior drivers were invited to Circuit Paul Ricard karting track in August for the first stage of the selection.
Four female drivers emerged as the top finalists of the first stage in France, and advanced for the second stage of the selection in Italy. They met in November in Maranello, for the second stage of the selection - where Ferrari Driver Academy had the tough job of assessing the young talents.
The drivers spent two days in the iconic Maranello Ferrari Driver Academy headquarters, before moving to Franciacorta Karting Track, where they hit the track in Tony Kart racing karts and got to show their on-track skills, speed, and fighting spirit.
Laurent Mekies, Scuderia Ferrari Racing Director:
"Congratulations to Zoe, who was the most outstanding performer at the Franciacorta test in the Junior category and who will now be racing in Karts with support from ourselves and long-term Academy partner Tony Kart. Ferrari does a lot to promote FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars, as we consider it an integral part of our global scouting programme in which, every year, along with our partners, we choose the most talented youngsters from around the world."
"Once again, with the support of the Ferrari Driver Academy, we have discovered some great talents such as our 4 junior finalists, Lisa, Zoe, Sara, Mathilda, who showed their predisposition to forge a career in motorsport." - commented FIA Women In Motorsport President and Iron Dames founder, Deborah Mayer.
"One of the strengths of our programme is to detect and nurture girls at an early age, when they begin to dream about becoming racing drivers", she continued. "Bringing more women into motor sport requires to widen the base of the pyramid and we will develop further this strategy in the future."
Mohammed Ben Sulayem, FIA President:
"I offer my sincere congratulations to Aurelia Nobels and Zoe Florescu Potolea as the 2022 FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars. With this success, they now have a fantastic opportunity to develop a career in motor sport. As we look forward to seeing the progress of these two exciting young female drivers, I also want to thank the Ferrari Driver Academy and The Iron Dames for their partnership in the success of this pioneering initiative. The fact that young female talents around the world are being recognised and supported is a very positive sign. The FIA is at the forefront of change when it comes to diversity, and initiatives such as Girls on Track – Rising Stars are a major part of our goal to greatly increase motor sport participation in the coming years by encouraging and supporting under-represented sections of society."
“Honestly I can’t believe it. It has been an awesome experience throughout the programme in Paul Ricard and in Franciacorta. I will give my best to honour this opportunity" - Zoe commented at the announcement. "Thank you so much to all who make
it possible.”