Photo: ELMS
After two years racing in sportscars, Sophia Floersch will make her single-seater comeback in the FIA Formula 3 championship with PHM Racing by Charouz.
After beginning her car racing career in winning style in the Ginetta Junior championship in Britain, Floersch then moved into Formula 4 in her native Germany. In her second year there she also competed in Italian F4, and earned two podiums.
She moved up to the FIA European Formula 3 championship with Van Amersfoort Racing in 2018, scoring one point. Floersch made headlines worldwide that year after fracturing her spine in a horrific crash in the Macau Grand Prix.
After stepping down to the Formula Regional European Championship in 2019 and finishing seventh in the standings, Floersch returned to F3 for 2020 with a full season in the new Formula 1-supporting FIA championship with Campos Racing.
Following a disappointing campaign, Floersch moved to the DTM with Abt and the World Endurance Championship’s LMP2 class with Richard Mille Racing for 2021. She was not a stranger to the prototype sportscars, having raced for Richard Mille in the European Le Mans Series the previous year. In 2022 she returned to ELMS with Algarve Pro Racing and left the DTM.
To prepare for her single-seater return, the 20-year-old has been testing one of VAR’s Euroformula-spec Dallara 320s.
“I am really excited and very happy to return to FIA F3 this season with PHM Racing by Charouz,” said Floersch.
“My goal has always been to race with the best of the best. Since the beginning of my career, I have been working very hard towards this goal every day with my team in the background.”
PHM Racing is gearing up for its first season in FIA F3 having acquired the cars and entries from Charouz Racing System. Charouz will operate the cars on behalf of PHM for 2023.
Floersch added: “It is well known that PHM Racing has a great mission to develop the next generation of top talents in motorsport. So I want to thank Paul [H. Muller, PHM’s team owner] for giving me the opportunity to be part of his great team. I know that racing with PHM Racing will help me improve my potential in formula racing.
“Together we want to develop and improve performance throughout the season. I am aware that this opportunity comes with challenges and efforts. It will be a challenge for everyone – team & driver.”
Roland Rehfeld, PHM’s team manager, commented: “I have lots of respect for Sophia’s decision to come back to formula sports and to take the challenge in this competitive field. She is very experienced in professional racing in various classes and has a very professional attitude and working style.”
Floersch is the team’s first signing for FIA F3, although PHM will also continue to support Taylor Barnard and Nikita Bedrin in their moves to F3 with Jenzer Motorsport.