Laura van den Hengel
| Laura van den Hengel | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Born | 27 February 1991 Achterveld, Utrecht, Netherlands |
| Racing licence | FIA Bronze |
| Championship titles | |
| 2025 | GT Cup Open Europe – Pro-Am |
Laura van den Hengel (born 27 February 1991 in Achterveld) is a Dutch racing driver.[1][2]
Career
van den Hengel started karting in 2010. Competing for TR Motorsport in 2011,[3] van den Hengel won the Dutch Karting Championship in the O18 class and raced with them until 2013.[4][5] Returning to karts in 2018 after a five-year hiatus,[6] van den Hengel raced in karts until 2021, competing for CRG Holland in the KZ2 and KZ class of the German and Dutch Karting Championships, respectively.[7][8]
After a move to the GT Cup Championship fell through in 2022,[9] van den Hengel tested a Mazda MX-5 Cup car at Assen, ahead of the final round of the MX-5 Nederland championship.[10] Half a year later, van den Hengel made her car racing debut in GT Cup Open Europe, joining Ghinzani Arco Motorsport alongside Maurizio Fondi in the Am class.[11] Racing in the Paul Ricard and Monza rounds, van den Hengel finished ninth in class in race two at Paul Ricard,[12] and eighth in class at Monza in both races.[13]
In 2024 van den Hengel returned to GT Cup Open Europe, joining Mertel Motorsport alongside Alba Vázquez.[14] After finishing in the top 10 in class in the opening round of the season at Algarve,[15] van den Hengel scored her first top five of the season at Spa in race two with a fifth-place finish.[16] At the penultimate round of the season at Barcelona, van den Hengel scored her best class result, finishing fourth in race two.[17] van den Hengel was joined by Tommaso Lovati for the season finale at Monza. In the two season-ending races, van den Hengel suffered a puncture in race one and finished outside of the top 20, while in race two she retired due to a mechanical issue.[18] During 2024, van den Hengel made a one-off appearance in the 2024 Italian GT Cup Sprint Championship for SP Racing at Mugello alongside Ian Rodríguez.[19] Starting from class pole in race one, van den Hengel finished second in the Pro-Am class on her series debut.[20]
In early 2025, van den Hengel became the one of three drivers to be part of Iron Dames' "Supported by Iron Dames" programme.[21][22] One month later it was announced that van den Hengel would return to GT Cup Open Europe, driving for Burgers motorsport by HWM alongside Paul Meijer.[23] In her second full-time season in GT Cup Europe, Van den Hengel began the year with a win at Algarve,[24] before taking a double win at Spa and Le Castellet,[25] and taking further wins at Barcelona and Monza to seal the Pro-Am title.[26] Ahead of the GT Cup Open Europe season, van den Hengel competed in the 12 Hours of Mugello for Proton Huber Competition in GT3 Pro-Am.[27] In her first race in GT3 machinery, van den Hengel finished 5th in class and 13th in GT3.[28]
Karting record
Karting career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | International Super Cup - KZ2 | Laura van den Hengel | NC |
| Sources:[29] | |||
Racing record
Racing career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | GT Cup Open Europe – Am | Ghinzani Arco Motorsport | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20th |
| 2024 | GT Cup Open Europe – Am | Mertel Motorsport | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14th |
| GT Cup Open Europe – Pro-Am | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC | ||
| Italian GT Sprint Championship – GT Cup Pro-Am | SP Racing | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 16 | NC | |
| 2025 | 24H Series – GT3 Pro-Am | Proton Huber Competition | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | NC |
| GT Cup Open Europe – Pro-Am | Burgers Motorsport by Hans Weijs Motorsport | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 69 | 1st |
Complete GT Cup Open Europe results
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Ghinzani Arco Motorsport | Porsche 992 GT3 Cup | Am | PRT 1 |
PRT 2 |
SPA |
LEC 1 12 |
LEC 2 10 |
MNZ 1 8 |
MNZ 2 8 |
CAT 1 |
CAT 2 |
20th | 0 | |||
| 2024 | Mertel Motorsport | Ferrari 488 Challenge Evo | Am | ALG 1 9 |
ALG 2 7 |
HOC 1 8† |
HOC 2 8 |
SPA 1 8 |
SPA 2 5 |
LEC 1 Ret |
LEC 2 DNS |
CAT 1 8 |
CAT 2 4 |
14th | 5 | ||
| Pro-Am | MNZ 1 10 |
MNZ 2 Ret |
NC | 0 | |||||||||||||
| 2025 | Burgers Motorsport by Hans Weijs Motorsport | Porsche 992 GT3 Cup | Pro-Am | PRT 1 1 |
PRT 2 Ret |
SPA 1 1 |
SPA 2 1 |
HOC 1 Ret |
HOC 2 2 |
LEC 1 1 |
LEC 2 1 |
CAT 1 4 |
CAT 2 1 |
MNZ 1 4 |
MNZ 2 3 |
1st | 69 |
Notes
References
- ^ "'Ik heb geen rugzak met geld, maar kan wél goed racen'". De Telegraaf (in Dutch). 31 August 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
- ^ "Laura groeide op tussen de boerderijdieren, nu racet ze met 320 km/u in een dure Ferrari". ad.nl. 21 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Nico Gloudemans in zee met TR Motorsport en Intrepid". racexpress.nl (in Dutch). 22 February 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel stapt in schakelkart". racexpress.nl (in Dutch). 22 December 2011. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Review GK4 Kart Series Berghem". racexpress.nl (in Dutch). 3 June 2013. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel". irondames.ch. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Kartster Laura van den Hengel krabbelt op na heftige crash en rijdt fraaie inhaalrace in internationaal topveld". barneveld.nieuws.nl (in Dutch). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Regerend KZ-kampioen Kart Support in de hoogste versnelling op weg naar meer succes!". racexpress.nl (in Dutch). 25 June 2018. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Terschuurse Laura van den Hengel in de race voor plaatsje in team McLaren". barneveldsekrant.nl (in Dutch). 3 December 2021. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel wil altijd maximaal presteren". mazda-mx5cup.nl (in Dutch). 16 November 2022. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Summer round at the Paul Ricard for the GT Cup Europe". www.gtcupopen.net. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel makes remarkable race car debut with Top-10 in class". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 24 July 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel charges through the field in epic Monza stints". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Achterveldse Laura van den Hengel in zee met Ferrari". leusderkrant.nl. 20 February 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel and Alba Vazquez show potential in GT Cup Open Europe opener". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "GT Cup Open: Laura van den Hengel and Alba Vazquez secure first ever top-five". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 31 May 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "GT Cup Open Europe: Season's best for Laura Van Den Hengel and Alba Vazquez at Barcelona". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 3 October 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Rising Through the Ranks: Laura van den Hengel's Remarkable Journey of Growth". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel to make Italian GT debut at Mugello". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 19 August 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura Van Den Hengel makes Italian GT debut with class podium in Mugello". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 28 August 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel opgenomen in het nieuwe project: 'Supported by Iron Dames': "Ik voel me enorm vereerd"". racexpress.nl. 6 March 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "'Supported By Iron Dames' Initiative Launched Alongside Main Driver Programme". dailysportscar.com. 8 March 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Il costruttore di semirimorchi Burgers presenta il suo team racing ufficiale". vadoetornoweb.com. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel becomes first woman to win in GT Cup Europe". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 29 April 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "Laura van den Hengel sweeps Spa weekend with double class victory in GT Cup Europe". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 19 May 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "Terschuurse Laura van den Hengel schrijft autosportgeschiedenis: "Alles draait om discipline."". vrmg.nl (in Dutch). 15 November 2025. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
- ^ "Kessel Ferrari on 12H Mugello Pole". sportscar365.com. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ "Rising to the challenge: Laura van den Hengel takes on 12H of Mugello for GT3 debut". racers-behindthehelmet.com. 25 March 2025. Retrieved 26 April 2025.
- ^ Kartcom. "Van Den Hengel Laura". Retrieved 26 April 2025.