In Profile: Laurens van Hoepen

He’s made a fast start to life in Formula 3, finishing twice on the podium in the opening rounds, so it’s about time we got to know ART Grand Prix’s Laurens van Hoepen a little bit more.

The Dutch driver goes into his early racing memories, what makes him tick and the one race in 2024 he has circled already on his calendar.

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST RACING MEMORY?

“My first racing memory is the first time I ever sat in a go-kart. It was when I was three-years-old, a friend of my dad’s called him to ask if I wanted to go drive a go-kart, I said yes and that was it, I loved it from the very first moment. “That was in Genk, where a lot of European Championships are held, and some international events sometimes. It was on the rental kart track there, next to the big track. I was super small, so I was on the rental track.”

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR RACING STYLE?

“I would say it’s a mix of a lot of stuff. One lap, I would say rather smooth with the steering wheel. When we’re racing, I’d say aggressive when I need to be but calm when I need to be too. In Qualifying, it’s all about the one lap and you need to push, but you try to take the maximum out of it.”

WHO IS YOUR RACING HERO?

“My racing hero is probably Ayrton Senna. I’ve watched so many videos of Senna and he was always on point, always driving really well.”

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST RACING ACHIEVEMET SO FAR?

“In car racing, it’s probably winning the New Zealand Grand Prix. That was in 2023. The event was quite big, the biggest event in New Zealand, which was quite cool to participate in. I started from pole, got overtaken at the start and on the lap after, I re-overtook and then I led the whole way to the finish. That was at Hampton Downs.”

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT BEING A RACING DRIVER?

“Driving the cars, of course! Honestly, the best thing about being a racing driver is nailing that perfect lap in Qualifying I’d say. Or doing a really nice overtake. Or winning.”

WHAT WE LEARNED: The Main Takeaways from Round 2 of the season in Melbourne

DO YOU HAVE ANY SECRET TALENTS?

“Not really. I do a lot of stuff - I like playing golf and tennis but it’s not like I could go pro in them. I’m quite good at tennis but I wouldn’t say it’s like a secret talent or anything.”

HOW DO YOU RELAX AWAY FROM RACING?

“I’m always thinking about racing, but I try not to think about racing. When I’m not, I like playing tennis or golf, and being in a sunny environment.”

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TRACK ON THE FORMULA 3 CALENDAR?

“I like Monaco. It was really nice to drive there in 2022. Budapest is really fun. Bahrain and Melbourne was really fun too.”