Meet Laura Camps: The 19YO Spaniard Gears To Dominate Racing Tracks

What impressed me most about Spanish national Laura Camps is her self-belief. When I sat down to interview her ahead of her race at the Indian Racing League, I was curious to understand the current motorsport scene in Spain. To my question, how far has Spain come with respect to diversity in motorsports, she responded, "In Spain, we've had and we have really good female drivers like Marta García López, Maya Weug, who's also in Ferrari Driver Academy), Me, to say it like that. I'm not as successful as them but it's still something, no? I'm still going far, so I think the current scene is uplifting."

Laura Camps Torras may just be 19, but her drive (quite literally) to leave her mark on track comes from early experience and conviction. In an exclusive conversation with SheThePeople, Laura Camps recalled her first exposure to the tracks, how she made motorsport a life choice, how she's conscious of her strengths and weaknesses, and what she really feels about legacy.

The Dad-Daughter Hobby

Camps' exposure to karting began when she was eight years old, through her dad's inclination towards cars. It soon became something they shared. "My dad is a huge fan of cars and he brought me to rental karting for the first time when I was around eight, and we kind of started from there. We enjoyed the fast speciality of motorsport - like the adrenaline - so while we started it as a hobby together, he eventually saw something in me and encouraged me to compete. I loved it too so we just started competing and I continue to go strong racing in single-seaters" she recalled. 

Being A Part Of The Ferrari Driver Academy

Camps, who is one the most recognised female racers in Spain, is positive about the growing acceptance and enabling of women in the sport. "The sport is growing little by little. Also, we're getting more noticed as we keep getting faster so I think the motorsport scene for female drivers in Spain is very good," she added. 

Camps' passion and the work she put in during her growing up years earned her not just fame but also a decorated spot at the Ferrari Driver Academy (FDA), Formula One's driver development programme working to promote young talent within its organisation. Camps was the second girl to join the FDA. She further went on to clinch the FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars programme title, an initiative in collaboration with the FDA that aims to promote women in motorsport. 

A lot of people can say that they've been part of the Ferrari Driver Academy. I think that's a very good deal. For me to make it as the second woman at the FDA was truly a motivating achievement. I was at the right place at the right time, I did everything I could and won the scholarship. Being an ambassador representing Ferrari was something that I think every child who starts in motorsport and dreams about F1, dreams about driving for Ferrari someday.

The Turning Point On Track

As a teen soon stepping into her 20s, Camps still has heaps and miles to go. What's interesting about her story is that she takes every chance as an opportunity to excel, irrespective of circumstance. Was there a turning point in her trajectory so far that she considers career-altering? "Absolutely," she said. "Apart from entering the Ferrari Drivers Academy, I think when the 2020 pandemic was going on, there was not a lot of racing and my dad and my mechanic decided to switch to the KZ category. That's when I started going very fast in karting and I believe that was a significant turning point in my career from being maybe a middle table, a little bit at the back in junior series to just going directly to the front in KZ in Spanish karting. That was something very positive to look at has led me to where I am right now."

Camps' awareness about her areas of improvement is something that has made a big impact on her growth, both as a sportsperson and a professional. She worked on channelling her aggression on track and moving faster, a trick she learned along the way. "I think there are weaknesses as you said, that you need to work on them. I do it step by step, it's not something that one cannot remove instantly, but being aware of it is the first major step towards change. I've been working on it, I think I'm getting better and I will not stop working until that turns out as a strength and not a weakness."

What Is Camps' Mantra To Fighting Unforeseen Challenges?

As a young racer in the public eye, shouldered with expectations, how does she navigate pressure, especially in a sport that rallies behind on a blink-and-miss philosophy? Can one be truly prepared? "On my part, I train a lot physically because that's some of my strength; my muscles are good, so with little training and, even if I train very hard, it's easy for me to gain muscular resistance. I also try to do some breathing exercises when I'm in the car trying to calm down my nerves because it's an instant reaction - you go in the car, you have to race, and you get nervous, I think it's something every driver gets and then as soon as the engine goes on, I forget about everything else."

I think that you always need to anticipate yourself and train twice as hard as everyone else to get the results you want, whether it's in sports or in life.

How Do Studies And Racing Come Together?

When Camps went to the Ferrari Driver Academy, her mom imparted one crucial instruction to her. "You want to live in Italy? That's great, but you need to keep studying, you're not going to leave your studies." How did Camps take it? "Very well. It was easy for my family because I've always been a good kid when it came to studies. Having said that, being out of home a lot, and being out of school a lot, does disrupt your routine. I remember it was challenging last year when I finished my previous university studies in Spain while also racing in India, but I managed to read, and the school helped me a lot."

I am a racer and that's my priority, but I'm also a young girl who decided to study too and make it all work together. I'm doing university studies in international relations but I'm doing it online so I go at my own pace and while I have some deadlines that I need to work on, organisation and planning help me through it all.

Impact of The Gender-Inclusive Indian Racing League 

Representing Hyderabad Blackbirds, Camps landed in India this week to participate in the Indian Racing League, a platform she conveys has a global impact in more ways than one. IRL is the first of its kind in the country world's first gender-inclusive league as well, where both male and female racers participate together in teams, a concept yet to be adopted in other countries. 

The Indian Racing League has an exceptional impact because there aren't just Indian drivers here, there are also international drivers; there's a woman that needs to go in each team mandatory and I think that's a very good thing because you are frankly enabling having an initiative that maybe not other championships have and you're introducing the girls to the sport, helping them race even if they don't have the opportunity somewhere else.

How Does A Racer Seek Calm?

It's intriguing to find out that given motorsport is a high-stake, high-intensity arena, when and how does a racer find calm? Camps' idea of calmness stems from her self-care routine which she eases herself into. "I honestly don't do a lot of it every day but I do enjoy some peaceful time during the night to read, like a little bit of time to myself to just calm down, finish the day, read a little bit. Also, during the day, my self-care would be going to the gym but I try to be very careful not to just over-push myself because I could get hurt. I try and mix a lot of things but reading surely is the focal point."

What Does Legacy Mean To A 19-Year-Old?

Does the thought of building a legacy factor in on her daily performance? "It's a mix of a lot of things. I like to take things one day at a time but I also want to answer your question about legacy and yes I, obviously, want to leave a legacy in the motorsport world. I would love to make history, I would love to be remembered for being a role model in motorsport for young female drivers. I'm still young and growing bit by bit every day and I think, well I'm sure I will make it. Most of the girls that are racing right now have an impact on other girls so we need to keep playing the game to keep that going."

The other day I got told by a parent, 'My daughter started karting because of you', and I learned that while she was just two years younger than me, she still started racing getting inspired by me. So I do take the meaning of impact very positively. I believe small or big, bringing a change for the better does add to a legacy you carry with you, and also the one you leave behind.