ALICE ENE - THE WORLD’S YOUNGEST DRIFT CHAMP AT 15 YEARS OLD

Romanian drifter Alice Ene might only be 15 years old, but already she has left her mark on the world of drifting. Earlier this year, she was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the youngest-ever driver to win a major drift championship. She also came runner-up in this year’s European Drift Queen series. Her father, Sorin, tells us more.

Earlier this year the Guinness World Records recognised and certified Alice’s performance as the first drift driver in the world to win this record. At only 15 years old, she was awarded it as recognition for her achievement in winning the 2021 European Drift Championship.

She competed at the Nürburgring Drift Cup, a very big drift event that attracts some of the biggest names in the sport from all over the world. There were 108 drivers, and Alice was competing in the pro class, where she qualified in 22nd place. That qualification for us is like a podium because the track is so difficult and the competition so high. The drifting here is dangerous and fast, with speeds of up to 160km/h and that was a first for Alice. It was amazing, because no one in the crowd knew that they were watching a 15-year-old girl. She was the youngest drift pilot in the competition and the spectators were very surprised. After the drift event finished, many drivers came to our paddock to have their picture taken with Alice. They found it hard to believe that a young girl was competing against them at this level and at these speeds.

We were very satisfied and happy with that. We were competing against teams with big budgets. We are very small but we still make big results.

When Alice was eight years old, she asked me if she could sit on my lap and steer. She liked that a lot. A little later, she wanted to learn to drive properly, and after that she wanted me to show her how to drift. At 10, I started teaching her properly and at 13 she got her professional drift licence. She was the youngest drifter in Romania at the time. At 14, she started competing and, in her debut year, she won the Queen of Europe.

When we rebuilt the engine recently, we could see inside it and how good the quality of the Motul lubricants are. In 10 years, I haven’t had any problems related to the oil parts. We also use all the other Motul products. In drifting, the cooling and steering systems are very important. As is the transmission in a drift car. It works at very high temperatures and the transmission oil from Motul is very good at dealing with that. We never have any issues with these parts.