When the Alpine Elf Endurance Team's #35 car zipped around the roughly eight-and-a-half mile circuit at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race on June 14 and 15, more was at stake than just a chance at motorsport glory.
For every lap completed, Ferdinand Habsburg – one of the three drivers of the #35 car – hoped to raise money to feed children. Apart from being a racing driver in the World Endurance Championship, Habsburg is the heir apparent to the headship of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.
"Hi, I'm Ferdinand Habsburg," he said in a video posted to his social media channels ahead of the weekend's race. "And I'm going to try something special at the 24 Hours of Le Mans this year."
Working with "Mary's Meals," an NGO that serves meals to schoolchildren, Habsburg aimed to turn the pinnacle of the World Endurance Championship calendar into a chance to give back to the world's poorest.
Habsburg also wore a special "Mary's Meals" helmet for the race, bringing additional awareness to the cause.
"I hope to drive as many laps as possible at Le Mans," said Habsburg. "And every lap needs a sponsor. For just £19,15 / € 22 you can sponsor a whole lap of me at the race, and with that we will be able to feed a child for a whole school year."
"If we manage to feed a child for one school year for every lap I drive, then I would consider that a huge success, not only on the race track, but also in the fight against famine," he said.
Additionally, a sponsor would be doubling all the amount raised.
The #35 car finished 10th in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, after having qualified in 12th.
Mary's Meals
Mary's Meals, which was formerly known as Scottish International Relief, was founded in 2002, says its website. It began by serving school meals to about 200 children at two schools in Malawi, a country in Africa.
By 2025, Mary's Meals now serves more than 2.6 million children each school day, said its website.
The charity is named after the Virgin Mary.
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is an annual endurance race held over a full 24-hour period at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France. The winner of the race is the car that has completed the most laps during that time.
This year, 2025, was the 93rd running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Each car is driven by a team of three drivers, who take turns driving the car for different stints. Hypercars, the class of car driven by Habsburg and his teammates, reach speeds of over 200 mph.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is considered part of motorsport's "Triple Crown," along with the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix.
