Sophia Floersch shares test day glimpse from 'beautiful' Laguna Seca Raceway

Sophia Floersch, the former Formula 3 driver preparing for her INDY NXT debut in 2025, has shared a glimpse of her final testing days at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. INDY NXT teams gathered at the California circuit for a two-day test session ahead of the new season.

Floersch uploaded a picture of herself on her Instagram story standing in the pit road area and commented on the beautiful atmosphere of the California track.

Screengrab of Sophia Floersch's Instagram story (@sophiafloersch)

Floersch has a strong racing background. She is the first woman to score points in the Formula 3 Championship, where she competed until 2024. She also has experience in endurance racing, particularly in the European Le Mans Series' LMP2 class where she stood on the podium twice. She joined HMD Motorsports in December of 2024 to compete in the 2025 INDY NXT Championship.

The 24-year-old German driver has already delivered some strong performance in earlier testing days. One of her best results came during testing days at the Sebring International Raceway in Florida in January where she posted the fifth fastest time on the grid.

Floersch was within half a second of Dennis Hauger, who topped the timing board and is a leading contender for the 2025 title as a recent signing for Andretti Global. She was also the quickest of the HMD Motorsports drivers, almost a hundredth of a second ahead of Caio Collet, who was the Rookie of the Year in 2024.

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Sophia Floersch slams the driver age talks ahead of her debut in the American racing scene

Sophia Floersch at the Formula 3 Championship - Round 10 Monza - Practice & Qualifying - Source: Getty

There is a general belief in the motorsport community that as drivers get old their reflexes dull down to an extent and as a result, they are not as fast as they once used to be. Formula 1 driver Fernando Alonso is the prime example of this type of discussion as he races at the pinnacle of motorsport well into his forties and is constantly being talked about including whether he should retire.

However, Sophia Floersch believes that competence on the racetrack should matter more than any other criteria in judging a racing driver. Going against the age argument, she recently wrote via her LinkedIn page:

"I've been driving for almost 20 years now....crazy... And now in America. But hey, it's not a matter of age! It's about performance, personality, and the unconditional will to make a difference! And that should not only be the only thing that counts in motorsport, but also in business!

It doesn't matter how old you are - there's no such thing as too young or too old, is there? Let's talk about competence and skills!"

As far as making a move to the American racing landscape was concerned, Floersch said that any racing driver will eventually end up in a place where they think they can show their true potential which is also good for their career. She will make her INDY NXT debut in St. Petersburg on March 2, 2025.