Vanina Ickx
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Vanina Ickx, daughter of F1 legend Jacky, built her own racing legacy with DTM factory drives, Le Mans podiums, and victories spanning touring cars to endurance racing.
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I jumped in at the last minute for somebody, who couldn’t make it, for a one-make cup race. This is how I got the taste.
As a child I was actually very cautious and afraid of practically everything.
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Vanina Ickx BIO
The daughter of F1 legend Jacky Ickx, Vanina carved out her own impressive racing legacy across multiple disciplines, from DTM factory drives to Le Mans podiums. Her late start at 21 led to a versatile career spanning touring cars, endurance racing, and rally raid—proving that motorsport DNA runs deep, even when it takes time to surface.
EARLY YEARS
Born on February 16, 1975, in Brussels, Belgium, Vanina Ickx grew up in the shadow of one of motorsport’s most celebrated names. Her father Jacky Ickx was a six-time Le Mans winner and Formula One star, while her mother Catherine provided the family foundation. Despite the racing pedigree, Vanina described herself as “a child who was actually very cautious and afraid of practically everything”—hardly the profile of a future factory racing driver. She focused on her studies, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from a Belgian university, with no apparent interest in following her father’s tire tracks. That all changed in 1996 when a friend couldn’t make it to a BMW Compact Cup race and asked Vanina to substitute. “I jumped in at the last minute for somebody, who couldn’t make it, for a one-make cup race. This is how I got the taste,” she recalled. She finished dead last, but the racing bug had bitten.
OTHER INTERESTS
Before discovering her need for speed, Vanina was already an adrenaline junkie in other arenas. She competed in equestrian sports and took up parachuting—because apparently jumping out of planes seemed like a logical warm-up for racing cars. Her most impressive non-motorsport feat was becoming the first woman to cross the English Channel in an Ultra-Light plane, a accomplishment that speaks to both her adventurous spirit and her precision under pressure. She also holds a skiing speed record, clocking 136 kph on a ski jump—proving that if there’s a way to go fast, Vanina will find it. These diverse athletic pursuits weren’t just weekend hobbies; they built the courage, coordination, and risk assessment skills that would serve her well when she finally discovered racing. As one profile noted, she’s “a Belgian who dares things many men only dream of.”
EARLY SUCCESS
After that inauspicious last-place debut in 1996, Vanina committed to the BMW Compact Cup for two full seasons, steadily improving to achieve a best finish of fourth place. Her first major endurance test came in 1997 at the Spa 24 Hours, driving a BMW Compact—a baptism by fire at one of Europe’s most demanding circuits. From 1998 onward, she expanded into the Belgian Procar series, piloting BMW 320i and Renault Megane touring cars. The breakthrough moment came in 1998 with a third-place finish in a European race at Spa, followed by a class podium at the 24 Hours of Zolder. By 1999, she had scored a fifth-place overall finish in the Spa 24 Hours touring car category. Her first outright racing victory came in 2000 in Ferrari Challenge, marking her transition from promising amateur to legitimate professional. The same year, she began co-driving with her father in the Dakar Rally, adding rally raid to her expanding skillset and proving that the Ickx family’s versatility wasn’t limited to circuit racing.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2000: First racing victory in Ferrari Challenge
- 2000-2002: Three Dakar Rally entries as co-driver with father Jacky Ickx
- 2006-2007: Audi factory driver in DTM series
- 2008: Victory at Spa 12 Hours
- 2011: 7th overall at 24 Hours of Le Mans in LMP1 class driving Lola-Aston Martin
- Career: Two Le Mans Series podiums
- Career: Multiple appearances at Spa 24 Hours and Nürburgring 24 Hours
INSPIRATIONS
While Jacky Ickx’s influence is undeniable, Vanina’s path to racing was more circumstantial than inspirational. Her father’s motorsport legacy provided the foundation and opened doors—including DTM testing opportunities and the Dakar Rally partnership—but she credits opportunity rather than childhood dreams for her career start. The family racing tradition created an environment where motorsport was normalized, but Vanina’s cautious childhood personality meant she had to discover her own passion for competition. Her late start at 21 actually worked in her favor, bringing maturity and analytical thinking from her biology education to a sport where many drivers peak and burn out young. Rather than following a predetermined path, she created her own route through multiple disciplines, proving that inspiration can come from within as much as from family legacy.
REPUTATION
Vanina has earned respect for her adaptability and determination across multiple racing disciplines, overcoming her late start through sheer persistence and intelligent racecraft. Her versatility—from DTM touring cars to LMP1 prototypes, from circuit racing to rally raid—marks her as one of the most well-rounded drivers of her generation. The motorsport community recognizes her not just as “Jacky’s daughter” but as a legitimate competitor who earned her factory drives and endurance racing podiums through merit. Media coverage consistently highlights her role in breaking gender barriers, particularly her advocacy for women in motorsport. Her courage extends beyond the cockpit; those record-setting adventures in aviation and skiing demonstrate a fearlessness that translates directly to racing. Colleagues and competitors respect her professionalism and racecraft, while her recent involvement with Iron Dames positions her as a mentor figure for the next generation of female drivers. No controversies or disputes mar her reputation—just consistent performance and sportsmanship across nearly three decades of competition.
FUTURE GOALS/PLANS
In January 2025, Vanina joined the Iron Dames team for the Michelin Le Mans Cup, driving a Porsche 911 GT3 R. “I’m so happy and excited to be part of this big family! I can’t wait to create memories and share unforgettable moments with all these amazing women. I’m delighted to be joining the Iron Dames and to be able to continue my career,” she announced. The move represents both a continuation of her racing ambitions and a commitment to advancing women in motorsport. At 50, she shows no signs of slowing down, viewing the Iron Dames opportunity as a chance to mentor younger drivers while remaining competitive herself. The team’s mission aligns perfectly with her advocacy for female empowerment in racing, suggesting her future will blend on-track performance with off-track leadership in promoting gender equality in motorsport.
References:
[1] Racing Career Overview
[2] Iron Dames Team Announcement 2025
[3] Wikipedia Profile
[4] Audi Media Feature 2006
[5] Team Website Biography
