Le Mans, France – Swedish entrepreneur and racing driver Carl Moon Runefelt achieved his first-ever Ferrari Challenge podium with a third-place finish during the 24 Hours of Le Mans race week, one of the most recognised events on the international motorsport calendar.
Competing at the legendary Circuit de la Sarthe in a Ferrari 296 Challenge, he showed a strong performance against experienced competitors. This result marked an important milestone in Moon Runefelt’s young and developing motorsport career and highlighted an unconventional path to one of racing’s well-known venues.
“This is a dream come true for me — to get a podium at Le Mans. This is the most historic track in the world, and getting a podium here is something I'll remember forever. My goal is to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans one day, and this was just the beginning” says Carl Moon.
His P3 podium at Le Mans was achieved only a few months after his Ferrari Challenge debut at Circuit Paul Ricard earlier in March 2026.
First held in 1923, the race has become a symbol of advanced racing and has already been won by some of the sport's greatest manufacturers and drivers like Ferrari, Porsche, Audi, and Toyota. For generations of racing drivers, competing at Le Mans has represented a huge career milestone and, for many, an important lifelong ambition.
The Circuit de la Sarthe is unlike most modern race tracks. Measuring 13.6 kilometres, it is among the world's longest permanent motorsport circuits, combining permanent racing facilities with public roads that are closed only for competition. The circuit is recognised for its long straights and high-speed corners, where drivers spend extended periods at maximum speed. The sustained demands placed on engines, brakes, tyres, and drivers have helped establish Le Mans as one of the toughest tests in the world of motorsport. Competing at Le Mans, Moon Runefelt drove a Ferrari 296 Challenge, a race car capable of reaching speeds exceeding 300 km/h.
Before the race, Carl told himself that his goal was to finish in fifth place. “Qualifying was challenging because I experienced some technical issues - my radio wasn't working properly. I ended up qualifying P10, which was below my expectations. Even so, I went into the race aiming to finish in P5, while still keeping my dream result of P3 in mind despite starting tenth on the grid. I knew I could do it. I said to myself, 'I've seen people go from last to first. If they can do that, I can go from tenth to fifth. Then I got an amazing start. During the race, I couldn't hear a single word from my coach, my radio was not working at all. But despite that, I managed to do everything perfectly. Everything came together. I didn't make a mistake in a single corner. The feeling right now is pure euphoria. I'm going to go and write a song about it” - tells he, recalling the race.
Unlike most drivers competing at Le Mans, Moon Runefelt did not go through the traditional route to professional racing. As a teenager, he was passionate about motorsports and grew up spending hours in a go-kart seat. However, like many aspiring drivers, he faced a significant challenge - a lack of financial resources.
“When I was a kid, and we went go-karting with my friends, I was always the fastest. I've always known that I have a passion for motorsport, but my parents never had the financial capabilities to put me into professional training,” Moon Runefelt recalls.
Being unable to continue in motorsport, he turned the attention to entrepreneurship and investing, eventually founding The Moon Group, an investment and venture firm focused on blockchain, Web3, and AI startups. Another of Carl's projects is The Moon Show, a media platform and YouTube channel with more than 650k followers. Through the show, he shares commentary and educational content on entrepreneurship, investing, financial markets, and emerging technologies with a global audience.
Moon is also working on his musical career as a singer and songwriter. His released songs include "In One Direction," "Walk on Water," "In Glory," and "No Escape," which can be heard on major streaming platforms and his musical YouTube channel. Not long ago, Carl released a music video for his song "Dragon" Although the original track was released in 2015, the video attracted more than 950,000 views in just three weeks.
His success in business later provided him with the opportunity to return to racing and follow the dream he had been forced to put aside as a teenager.
This achievement is particularly notable, taking into account his limited racing experience. To close this gap, Moon Runefelt has devoted extensive time to simulator training and race preparation, applying the same discipline and commitment that helped drive his business success.
“Last year was my first time driving a race car,” he said. “Most of the people I’m competing against have five, ten, sometimes twenty years of experience. I know I'm behind in terms of experience, which means I have to work harder. I've spent countless hours in the simulator and have done everything I can to prepare”
Driving on the Circuit de la Sarthe, one of the world's most demanding and historic race tracks, Moon Runefelt faced a unique challenge. The circuit combines permanent racing facilities with public roads that are closed specifically for competition, making track time and preparation significantly more limited than at conventional racing venues.
For him, competing at Le Mans draws on many of the same skills that he has faced in his entrepreneurial career. Both business and motorsport require calculated risk-taking, rapid decision-making, and constant adaptation.
“If you don’t want to win, you’re not going to win. No risk, no gain,” he says.
His third-place finish at Le Mans represents a major milestone in his racing career. It demonstrates exactly how determination, entrepreneurial success, and a willingness can create opportunities even in the most exclusive arenas of international motorsport and make everything possible. Moreover, Moon Runefelt's journey also shows that even in a sport as competitive and exclusive as motorsport, there is still room for those who take their own path. While many drivers begin racing at a young age, Carl's success proves that some of the sport's most prestigious stages are always achievable even after entering the profession later in life.
Le Mans occupies an important place in global motorsport. Together with the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix, the race is regarded as part of motorsport's unofficial "Triple Crown", including three events considered among the most prestigious in racing. This year, the event attracted more than 350 000 spectators from all over the world.
About Carl Moon Runefelt
Carl Moon Runefelt is a Swedish entrepreneur, investor, and racing driver. He is the founder and CEO of The Moon Group, an investment firm focused on emerging technologies, including blockchain, Web3, and artificial intelligence. He also created The Moon Show, a media platform and YouTube channel counting more than 650k followers. Having built a career in venture investing, Moon Runefelt later started motorsport professionally, competing in Ferrari Challenge events.
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