Zoe Florescu Potolea was born on 23 December 2008 and holds Romanian and United States citizenship. She is based between Bucharest, Romania, and Desenzano del Garda, Italy. She has one younger sister, Lara Florescu-Potolea, and is supported throughout her career by her parents, Madeleine and Radu.

Zoe discovered karting at the age of eight at La Conca, Italy, where she attended a karting camp and took her first steps in motorsport with Real Racing Team. Her first karting experience took place in October 2016, followed by her first official race in September 2018 at the Karting Masters event at AMC Kart, Bucharest. In May 2019, she competed in her first international race at Pista Azzurra, Jesolo, before completing her first full karting season in 2019.

During her early years, Zoe competed in over 50 events within three seasons, gaining valuable experience at both national and international level. After stepping up to the Junior category in 2021, she was often the only female driverracing in her class — a challenge that strengthened her determination and competitive mindset.

In 2021, Zoe achieved a major international result by finishing second overall in the International Karting Masters, confirming her potential among top-level competition.

Her breakthrough came in 2022, when she won the FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars Junior programme, an elite global selection organised by the FIA in partnership with Ferrari. As part of this achievement, Zoe received direct support and funding from Ferrari, which enabled her to step into one of the strongest international karting environments. She joined the Tony Kart Racing Team programme and competed as an official driver in the 2023 international OK category season, racing across CIK-FIA European Championship, Champions of the Future, and WSK series against the world’s top young drivers.

In 2024, Zoe progressed into the highly demanding KZ2 shifter kart category with the Birel ART Racing Team, competing in the most technically and physically challenging discipline of karting. Racing against experienced professionals, she earned podium finishes in the ACI Italian Karting Championship and qualified for the KZ World Cup final at Franciacorta.

At the 2025 KZ World Cup, Zoe finished 25th overall out of more than 100 drivers, as the only female competitor in the race — a significant achievement at the highest level of shifter karting. Her performances throughout the season placed her 29th overall in the 2025 FIA International Karting Ranking, making her the only female driver ranked in the KZ2 shifter category.

Alongside karting, Zoe has also gained experience in car racing. She competed in the Romanian Endurance Series in the Dacia Logan Cup with West Competition Racing, where she finished third overall, was the best-placed rookie, and contributed to the team’s Romanian Endurance Series Team Championship title.

In September 2025, Zoe was invited to the inaugural F1 Academy Rookie Test at the Circuito de Navarra, driving for Campos Racing in a car from the Red Bull F1 Academy programme. She finished 8th overall, delivering a strong and competitive performance in her first official single-seater evaluation.

Her transition to single-seater racing continues in 2026, with Zoe set to make her Formula 4 debut. She has been announced as a race driver for Campos Racing in the Formula Winter Series, marking her first full competitive campaign in single-seater racing.

In January 2026, Zoe was selected as one of the new drivers for the More Than Equal driver development programme — a global, high-performance initiative founded by Karel Komárek and David Coulthard, dedicated to identifying and developing the first female Formula 1 World Champion.

Away from the track, Zoe is bilingual in English and Romanian, advanced Italian and Spanish. She studies at Minerva Virtual Academy for Athletes and practises padel and tennis. Her favourite Formula 1 driver is Max Verstappen.