Laura Van Den Hengel is the scrappy Dutch racer who started late, disappeared for six years, and came back to become the first woman to win in GT Cup Europe—proving that the scenic route sometimes leads to the best destination.

EARLY YEARS

Born February 27, 1991, in Achterveld, Netherlands, Laura Van Den Hengel grew up in the Dutch countryside—a self-described “typical countryside woman” from a non-wealthy background.[2][5] While many racers have origin stories featuring go-karts at age six and wealthy parents bankrolling dreams, Van Den Hengel’s story starts differently. There’s no childhood karting prodigy tale here, no rich family tradition of motorsport, no early mentors guiding a natural talent. Instead, there’s a young woman from rural Netherlands who didn’t even start karting until 2010, when she was already 19 years old.[1]

That late start would become both her biggest obstacle and, oddly enough, part of what makes her story so compelling. While other racers were racking up junior championships and climbing the ladder, Van Den Hengel was just getting started. The details of what brought her to karting remain frustratingly scarce—no documented moment of revelation, no family connection to racing, no dramatic first experience behind the wheel. What we do know is that when she finally did get in a kart, she didn’t waste time.

OTHER INTERESTS

The archives are silent on what Van Den Hengel does when she’s not racing. No hobbies documented, no side businesses, no carefully curated social media presence revealing her love of cooking or hiking or literally anything else. It’s the racing equivalent of a minimalist Instagram account—which, honestly, feels pretty on-brand for someone who started racing at 19 with limited resources and just got on with it. Either she’s extremely private, or racing is the whole story. Probably both.

EARLY SUCCESS

Van Den Hengel joined the Dutch Karting Championship in the O18 class with TR Motorsport, and in 2011—just her second season racing anything—she won the championship.[1] Not bad for someone who’d never sat in a race vehicle before the age most drivers are already thinking about car racing. But then, in what would become a defining pattern in her career, everything went quiet. She raced through 2013, then vanished from competition entirely.[1]

That six-year hiatus from 2013 to 2018 is one of those mysterious gaps that makes you wonder what happened. Personal challenges, according to the limited information available.[1][2][4] For a racer from a non-wealthy background, keeping a motorsport career alive requires constant momentum, constant funding, constant forward motion. Stop, and it’s brutally hard to restart. But in 2018, Van Den Hengel came back. She returned to karting with CRG Holland, this time competing in the German and Dutch Karting Championships in the KZ2 and KZ shifter classes—the top level of karting, where very few women compete.[1][5] She raced through 2021, working her way back into form, building skills, and probably wondering if she’d ever get the chance to move up to cars.

The break came in 2022, when she became a finalist in the Formula Woman competition—a program designed to identify and support talented female racers.[6] She also tested a Mazda MX-5 Cup car at Assen that year, getting her first real taste of car racing.[1][2] Then, in late 2023, came the opportunity she’d been working toward: her car racing debut with Ghinzani Arco Motorsport in GT Cup Open Europe, competing in the Am class at Paul Ricard and Monza alongside co-driver Maurizio Fondi.[1] She finished 9th in class in Race 2 at Paul Ricard and 8th in both races at Monza—not headline-grabbing results, but solid enough to prove she belonged.[1]

NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

• 2011: Won Dutch Karting Championship in O18 class with TR Motorsport[1].
• 2022: Selected as Formula Woman finalist[6]; tested Mazda MX-5 Cup car at Assen[1][2].
• 2023: Made car racing debut in GT Cup Open Europe at Paul Ricard and Monza (Ghinzani Arco Motorsport)[1].
• 2024: Competed full season in GT Cup Open Europe with Mertel Motorsport alongside Alba Vázquez in all-female lineup; achieved 5th in class at Spa Race 2, 4th in AM class at Catalunya-Barcelona, multiple top-10 overall finishes, and several top-3 qualifying performances[1][2][3].
• 2024: Earned first career podium in Italian GT Championship at Mugello (one-off ProAm entry with Ian Rodriguez in Porsche 992 GT3 Cup)[2].
• 2025: Selected as one of three drivers for Iron Dames’ “Supported by Iron Dames” programme[1][3][4].
• 2025: Finished 5th in class (13th overall GT3) in 12 Hours of Mugello GT3 Pro-Am with Proton Huber Competition[1].
• 2025: Became first woman to win in GT Cup Europe[7].

INSPIRATIONS

Another blank page. No documented racing heroes, no drivers she grew up watching, no posters on childhood bedroom walls. It’s possible Van Den Hengel’s late start means she didn’t have the usual fan phase most racers experience as kids. Or maybe she’s just not one for looking backward—hard to romanticize influences when you’re too busy actually racing.

REPUTATION

Within the sports car racing community, Van Den Hengel has quietly built a reputation as one of the more exciting female bronze-rated prospects currently competing.[2] She’s known for natural speed, huge progress in short timeframes, and growing confidence in racecraft.[2] Her 2024 season with Mertel Motorsport showcased particularly strong starts—she regularly gained positions at the beginning of races, including at Spa.[2] She’s also shown skill in mixed-weather conditions and has been working to refine her consistency.[2]

What makes her stand out isn’t just raw pace—it’s the trajectory. She’s a Bronze-rated driver closing gaps to ProAm competitors despite limited testing and constantly facing new cars and tracks.[2][3] Industry watchers describe her as a fast AM driver with genuine impact potential.[2] In 2024, despite having minimal experience, she took on a leadership role in an AM-class entry, partnering with Alba Vázquez in an all-female duo that turned heads for its competitiveness, not just its gender composition.[1][2][3]

The media coverage, while not extensive, maintains a consistently positive tone—emphasizing her progression from karting, her barrier-breaking wins, and her development as a consistently competitive driver.[1][2][7] She’s also notable for competing at the top level of karting in the KZ shifter class, where very few women race.[5][6] Her story—late start, financial challenges, six-year disappearance, comeback—resonates as proof that the traditional path isn’t the only path.

FUTURE GOALS/PLANS

In 2025, Van Den Hengel is competing in GT Cup Open Europe with Burgers Motorsport by HWM, co-driving with Paul Meijer in a Porsche.[1][3] The Iron Dames support programme gives her backing and visibility she’s never had before—a significant milestone for someone who’s spent most of her career scraping together budgets.[1][3][4] She’s also expanding into endurance racing, having competed in the March 2025 Michelin 12 Hours of Mugello with Era Motorsport in a Ferrari 296 GT3.[3]

Her stated aim is to establish herself as a formidable competitor in endurance racing, building on her GT success.[2][4] Given that she’s already become the first woman to win in GT Cup Europe—a historic achievement that came in just her second full season of car racing—the trajectory suggests she’s nowhere near finished.[7] Van Den Hengel shows no signs of stopping, which makes sense. When you start at 19, disappear for six years, and come back to make history, you don’t quit early. You’ve got time to make up.

References:

Wikipedia – Laura van den Hengel
Racers Behind the Helmet – Laura van den Hengel Profile and Win Articles
51GT3 – Laura van den Hengel Driver Profile
Iron Dames – Laura van den Hengel Support Announcement
Women Who Race – Driver Background
YouTube – Formula Woman Finalist Video