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Emely de Heus is a Dutch racing driver who’s carved out a reputation as a gritty competitor in both single-seater and GT racing, currently competing in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany series with ID Racing while juggling a software engineering degree.

EARLY YEARS

Born February 10, 2003, in Mijnsheerenland, a small town in the Hoeksche Waard region of the Netherlands, Emely grew up in a family steeped in motorsport and machinery. Her father, Bert de Heus, had competed in endurance racing including the 24 Hours series, and the family operates De Heus Tractors, a business supplying construction and agricultural equipment. Racing wasn’t just a hobby in the de Heus household—it was practically in the DNA.

Like most racing hopefuls, she started in karting, where she first met fellow Dutch driver Dilano van ‘t Hoff in 2012 at Strijen. The two would become childhood racing rivals, their fathers having raced on the same circuits years before. She stuck with karting through her teenage years, learning racecraft and honing her competitive edge on tracks across the Netherlands and Belgium.

OTHER INTERESTS

When she’s not strapped into a race car, de Heus unwinds by mountain biking with her old trainer, often exploring abandoned buildings—a hobby that’s equal parts adventure and escape. She’s also partial to chocolate (aren’t we all?) and has been known to indulge her sweet tooth between race weekends. Racing number 7 follows her everywhere—from karting to football to hockey—a constant since she started competing as a kid. And in a move that would make any parent proud, she’s studying software engineering, proving she’s got the brains to match the bravery.

EARLY SUCCESS

De Heus made her mark in 2020 when she clinched the Dutch Winter Championship in Senior karting, dominating with a four-second lead that left no question about who deserved the title. She also collected a handful of pole positions in the Benelux series, showing she had the speed to compete at the front. The 2019 and 2020 Rotax Max Challenge International Trophy also featured on her karting résumé.

In 2021, she jumped into single-seaters with Spanish F4, where she claimed the female trophy title and finished in the top ten overall—a solid debut that proved she could handle the transition from karts to cars. A year later, she switched to W Series with Sirin Racing alongside experienced compatriot Beitske Visser, forming an all-Dutch lineup. She scored points on her debut in Miami, a promising start that suggested bigger things were on the horizon.

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2020: Dutch Winter Champion in Senior karting with a commanding four-second lead.
• 2021: Female trophy title winner in Spanish F4 with a top-10 overall finish.
• 2022: Scored points on W Series debut in Miami with Sirin Racing.
• 2023: First pole position and maiden single-seater race win at Barcelona in F1 Academy.
• 2023: Additional podium finish at Zandvoort in F1 Academy.
• 2023: Finished ninth overall in F1 Academy with MP Motorsport.
• 2024: Competed in F1 Academy under the Red Bull Ford banner with MP Motorsport.
• 2024: Made Porsche Carrera Cup Germany debut at Imola.
• 2024: First rookie podium and first top-20 overall result in Porsche Carrera Cup Germany at home race.
• 2024: Second rookie podium in Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.
• 2025: Promising GT racing debut at 24 Hours of Dubai with WS Racing before a fire ended the run.

INSPIRATIONS

Growing up, de Heus idolized Michael Schumacher and Kimi Räikkönen—two drivers known for their raw talent and unflinching focus. She’s said watching them race taught her something every time, whether it was racecraft, consistency, or just the sheer bloody-mindedness required to compete at the highest level. It’s not hard to see traces of that quiet determination in her own approach to racing.

REPUTATION

De Heus has earned a reputation as a driver who shows flashes of serious speed but has struggled with consistency. Her 2023 F1 Academy season featured a mid-season upturn that saw her score eight of her season’s points in the back half of the year, but ultimately, one win in Barcelona and a podium at Zandvoort remained her peaks. She’s been candid about needing to iron out the mistakes that have held her back, acknowledging that “the speed was there” but execution under pressure has been the challenge.

She’s also become a vocal advocate for women in motorsport, speaking openly about the barriers female drivers face. In interviews, she’s noted that “a lot of people hate women in motorsport,” pointing to the lack of financial backing, limited opportunities, and deeply ingrained biases that prevent talented female drivers from advancing. Her willingness to call out these issues—while still grinding away in the paddock—has made her a respected voice among her peers.

In 2024, she was part of the Red Bull Ford Academy Programme, which extended its title partnership with F1 Academy. The programme thanked her for her “commitment and hard work” over the season, a diplomatic nod to a year that didn’t quite deliver the results she’d hoped for. Still, she’s shown she can adapt: her switch to Porsche Carrera Cup Germany with ID Racing demonstrated versatility, and she’s now part of the Porsche Talent Pool.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

De Heus continues to compete in the 2025 Porsche Carrera Cup Germany season with ID Racing, which began at Imola Circuit in April and runs through October at Hockenheimring. After making a promising GT debut at the 2025 24 Hours of Dubai—where strong pace was cut short by a fire—she’s proven she’s willing to diversify her racing portfolio. Whether she continues to pursue GT endurance racing or focuses on refining her single-seater career remains to be seen, but one thing’s clear: she’s not done yet.

REFERENCES

[1] Emely de Heus – Wikipedia
[2] Biography – Emely de Heus Official Website
[3] Emely de Heus Makes Porsche Carrera Cup Germany Debut in Imola – Racers Behind the Helmet
[4] Emely De Heus – F1 Academy Racing Series
[5] Introducing Emely De Heus: The Red Bull Ford Driver – F1 Academy
[6] A Failed Project-Verstappen Paved the Way for De Heus – GPblog
[7] 2023 Rewind: De Heus Seizes Maiden Single Seater Victory – F1 Academy
[8] The Speed Was There – Emely De Heus Looking to Iron Out Mistakes – F1 Academy
[9] PCC Germany: Emely de Heus Secures First Rookie Podium – Racers Behind the Helmet
[10] Emely De Heus Scores Second Rookie Podium in PCC Germany – Racers Behind the Helmet
[11] Woman Spotlight Wednesday: Emely De Heus – Dive Bomb
[12] Dilano van ‘t Hoff, Remembered by Those Who Knew Him – Feeder Series
[13] De Heus: ‘A Lot of People Hate Women in Motorsport’ – GPblog
[14] Emely De Heus Makes Promising GT Debut at 24H Dubai – Racers Behind the Helmet
[15] Red Bull Ford Academy Programme Extends Title Partnership – Ford