LAURA VAN DEN HENGEL Completes Spa Sweep, Takes GT Cup Europe Championship Lead

May 19, 2025

by RACERS // from www.racers-behindthehelmet.com

GRRL! SUMMARY:

LAURA VAN DEN HENGEL and co-driver Paul Meijer dominated the second GT Cup Europe round at Spa-Francorchamps, securing both ProAm victories to take the championship lead. The Burgers Motorsport duo now sits atop the standings with 24 points after three wins in four races, proving the Iron Dames-supported driver’s meteoric rise in just her second full season of car racing. “It’s one of the first times I came out really happy from a race weekend,” VAN DEN HENGEL reflected, highlighting the massive progress she’s feeling behind the wheel of their #7 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup car.
The weekend showcased VAN DEN HENGEL’s resilience and raw speed, particularly in Race 2 where she recovered from a last-place restart after an early spin to help secure victory. Her charge through the field demonstrated the pace that nearly delivered overall wins at both Portimão and Spa, with the Dutch driver consistently setting fastest AM lap times and proving she belongs among the series’ elite. Meijer’s final-lap heroics at Eau Rouge, overtaking for the class win in one of racing’s most iconic corners, capped off a statement weekend that has the team “in fight mode for the overall win.”
The success comes after a complete car rebuild following VAN DEN HENGEL’s crash at Portimão’s opening round, where she had dominated every session before being collected at the Race 2 start. Hans Weijs Motorsport’s spectacular effort to rebuild the car with a new chassis proved worthwhile as the team immediately returned to the top of timing sheets from the first practice session. With six points clear of their nearest ProAm rivals and just three points behind the overall championship leaders, VAN DEN HENGEL heads to Hockenheimring carrying success ballast but also the confidence of a driver who’s finally feeling her breakthrough moment arrive.