Consistent IMSA LMP2 front-runner featuring Ferdinand Habsburg — Austrian nobleman, grandson of royalty, and professional racing driver.
Ferdinand Habsburg is the great-grandson of Karl I, the last Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary — whose family ruled the Austro-Hungarian Empire for centuries. Today, Ferdinand is a full-time professional racing driver competing in both WEC and IMSA. He is proof that you can be both European royalty and a genuinely fast racing driver.
One ORECA LMP2 07-Gibson competing in LMP2 class
Era Motorsport has established itself as one of the most competitive American LMP2 operations. The team's consistency in setup, strategy, and driver management has allowed them to challenge for LMP2 class wins and championships across multiple IMSA seasons. Their Le Mans appearances further validate their credentials on the world stage.
The team is structured as a professional operation — even their gentleman driver entries are backed by the same engineering standards applied to fully professional cars. This ensures that when Kyle Rao joins Ferdinand Habsburg and Dwight Merriman Abel, the car is optimized regardless of who is behind the wheel.
Ferdinand Habsburg-Lothringen was born in 1997 in San José, Costa Rica, into the House of Habsburg — one of Europe's most ancient and powerful royal dynasties. His great-grandfather Karl I was the last Austrian Emperor, who abdicated in 1918 as the Austro-Hungarian Empire dissolved after World War I.
Today, Ferdinand is not a nobleman in any political sense — Austria is a republic and there is no throne to sit on. Instead, he is a professional racing driver who has earned his place on the grid through talent and hard work rather than family name. He has been emphatic in interviews that his racing career is based on merit, not hereditary privilege.
Habsburg has competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), including Le Mans, as well as IMSA. His technical understanding, smooth driving style, and professional approach have made him a valued member of the Era Motorsport lineup.
A 12-hour LMP2 race at Sebring is as much about strategy as raw speed. Teams must balance stint lengths with tire wear, fuel consumption, and driver performance windows. With three drivers sharing the car over 12 hours, the rotation schedule must account for each driver's peak performance times, rest requirements, and any traffic management issues during the race's critical phases.
The Habsburg dynasty ruled Austria from 1276 and, at its peak, controlled Spain, the Netherlands, large parts of Italy, and much of Central Europe. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was one of the great powers of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Ferdinand Habsburg is the great-grandson of the last Emperor — but he prefers racing prototypes to inheriting empires.
The FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) is the global counterpart to IMSA's North American series. WEC includes the Le Mans 24 Hours, races at Spa, Portimao, Fuji, Bahrain, and other international venues. Many drivers compete in both series — using IMSA races as preparation for WEC events, or treating both as part of an endurance racing world championship calendar.