5 things to know about Ferdinand Habsburg

The Prince of 24 Hours of Le Mans

Ferdinand Habsburg, as his name suggests, is a descendant of the last emperor of Austria-Hungary. Indeed, the winner of the Le Mans classic in LM P2 is the great-grandson of Charles I, Emperor of Austria between 1916 and 1918. Ferdinand Zvonimir Maria Balthus Keith Michael Otto Antal Bahnam Leonhard von Habsburg-Lothringen, by his full name, is thus the Imperial Prince of Austria, Royal Prince of Hungary and Bohemia. A title which has no legal existence in Austria but is considered a courtesy title.

A pilot involved in ecology

A rookie at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Austrian stands out in the paddock for his ecological fiber. The Salzburger thus initiated the “Drive Fast, Act Faster” campaign visible on the sides of the Oreca 07-Gibson #31 in Sarthe. “During the last offseason, I traveled a lot, says the 24-year-old pilot. Over the last year, many things have become very clear. Fires around the world have intensified. As someone who loves being in the water, in the ocean, I realized that when we went to surf somewhere, we could find ourselves surfing on plastic. I said to myself that there was certainly something to do that did not contradict my job.” 

Fan's taking initiative. How awesome is this! https://t.co/AsVv0vrDOm

— Ferdinand Habsburg (@Fhabsburg62) September 15, 2021

Awarded at the 24 Hours of Le Mans

An approach in line with the philosophy of the ACO which, on the occasion of these 24 Hours of Le Mans, presented a prize rewarding the commitment of competitors in terms of social and environmental responsibility (CSR), in particular the progress made from one year to the next. This award designates the team providing the most effort in reducing CO2 emissions linked to the transport of materials and people, and logistics from garages to race tracks as well as contribution, participation and development of initiatives innovative social or environmental projects that create a positive impact and added value for their local communities... A prize awarded this year to Ferdinand Habsburg.

With Algarve Pro Racing in Spa

If the Austrian won in Sarthe with Team WRT, he will not ride with the team from across Quiévriain at the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps this weekend, like Charles Milesi lined up with COOL Racing. Only the unfortunate trio from Le Mans (Louis Délétraz, Robert Kubica and Yifei Ye) will be lined up in the Ardennes. Habsburg will ride with the Algarve Pro Racing team. 

ALSO READ > The list of participants in the 4 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps

Brother-in-law of a former pilot Formula 1

Ferdinand Habsburg is also the brother-in-law of a former Formula 1 driver. His sister, Archduchess Eleonore, married the Belgian Jérôme d'Ambrosio on July 20, 2020.