The roar of Formula 1 engines at Austria’s Red Bull Ring changed everything for American Express F1 Academy driver, Nicole Havrda. What began as a reluctant family pit stop transformed into a life-altering moment for the now-19-year-old Hitech TGR driver.
Deciding to become a racing driver
Havrda recalled the pivotal moment that more or less decided her career path for her. “It was at the F1 Grand Prix in Austria. Right there and then, I knew I wanted to do that.”
Despite her father showing an interest in watching Formula 1, Havrda wouldn’t describe herself as a fan. On a family road trip through Europe, her father decided to make a pit stop at the Austrian GP. At this point in time, Havrda was focused on her swimming, and becoming a professional swimmer. That changed when she entered the Red Bull Ring.
She continued stating “My dad’s always watched Formula 1 a little bit. We weren’t fans or anything, I didn’t like cars. We went for a road trip through Europe because my family lives in Prague and my dad was like ‘we may as well just stop at the Grand Prix, I’ve always wanted to watch’.“
“It was very random. I was swimming back then so I was focused (on that), I wanted to be a swimmer. Out of nowhere, this happened — I didn’t even want to go to the track, to be honest! Thank goodness I did because I just fell in love with it right there and then.”
Trading swimming for racing
Before discovering her passion for motorsport, American Express driver Havrda was involved in competitive swimming. The transition was not immediate, but one element drew her away from the pool and towards the paddock.
“I was a swimmer back then and I think the thing that made me fall in love with racing was basically just the adrenaline. I was missing the adrenaline in swimming, so seeing that adrenaline in racing just hit me. That’s what I fell in love with.”
“I’ve been racing since I was 10, starting in karting,” she explains of her racing beginnings.
Small-town roots
American Express driver Havrda cherishes her Canadian hometown’s tranquility. The contrast between racing’s urban circuits and her peaceful origins provides an essential balance.
“The thing I love most about Canada is the nature, the peace, fresh air and the animals. It’s so picturesque. You can literally walk out of your house and there’s a forest. It calms me when I go back home because of that.
“The thing I love most about Canada is the nature, the peace, fresh air and the animals. It’s so picturesque. You can literally walk out of your house and there’s a forest. It calms me when I go back home because of that.”
Beyond the track
When not racing, the Hitech driver maintains diverse interests that keep her grounded. Havdra’s hobbies reflect both her athletic nature and need for relaxation.
“Relaxing because I feel like I’m always somewhere. The gym is a big one, even though that’s part of racing,” she noted. “That’s a big one that I just love doing as a hobby because it takes me out of that mindset. It makes me relax in a way too. Also, little things like skiing, I love skiing and then tennis. I love tennis as well. Just outdoor stuff.”
Her career backup plan revealed some family influence: “A lawyer because my dad’s grandpa was a lawyer, I like that kind of thinking.”
Pre-race rituals and inspiration
Nicole Havdra’s race preparation focuses on physical readiness and mental fortification. The American Express driver deliberately avoids superstitions while embracing practical preparation methods.
“No to the superstitions because that stuff scares me! Sometimes, I think about if I have some and then I’m like ‘no I can’t think about that’ because I’ll just do it all the time.”
“Pre-race is just warming up, that’s the biggest one, stretching properly. In the car, you sit for about 30 minutes and it’s a very stiff position, so sometimes you can get back pain from it,” she noted. “Stretching really well, warming up and getting the blood flow, as well as lots of music to get me in the zone.”
Her musical choices reflect a desire for a competitive edge: “Thinking about things that make me frustrated because I want to be mad and in the zone and not just happy and blossoms.”
Drake’s song Trophies tops her pre-race playlist. “There’s this one song, it’s called Trophies by Drake. It’s pretty good. There are a few other songs, I have a whole playlist.”
Culinary preferences and personal life
Despite her serious racing focus, American Express driver Havrda enjoys simple pleasures. Her food choices blend comfort with cultural preferences.
“It’s very American but I love Panda Express, which is Chinese food, but not like Chinese food here in China.” When asked about her order: “The chow mein and of course the orange chicken, because that’s so popular. It’s so good! It’s like sweet but orange-y, it’s interesting.”
“Also pizza, I love pizza, it’s my favourite.” When pressed about her favourite pizza topping: “Cheese, no pineapple! It depends, some pepperoni, some meat is nice. Vegetables, but it really depends on how I feel.“
Pet companionship provides emotional support: “Dogs, I love dogs. I have a little Yorkie. He’s called Bailey, he’s a little boy.”
When asked about her favorite tv show or movie: “I love The Last Dance with Michael Jordan. It shows the determination that he had, the focus and the drive. Instead of going to the bar and that kind of stuff, he would be at the gym working out towards his goals. I think that’s pretty cool, I’ve watched it like a million times!”
Career highlights
Havrda takes pride in achievements others might overlook. Her Formula Regional Americas Championship success against male competitors stands as career-defining moments.
“I know a lot of people don’t look at it because they don’t know much about it — Formula Regional Americas. Getting podiums in that against really good guys that went to IndyNXT, being able to compete against guys like that, especially in such a physical car. The Formula 3 car is very physical.“
“Getting a podium at Indianapolis was really cool, and a podium at COTA. those are pretty surreal.”
2025 season goals
When asked at the start of the season about her ambitions for the season, American Express driver Havrda remained grounded yet optimistic: “Definitely podiums, that would be amazing. Honestly, a good year — a very consistent, good year with lots of learning.”
She was the most excited for her home race at the start of the season: “I have to say Canada, my home track. I think that will be really cool, even though I’m from the west coast and that’s the east coast. It’s going to be super cool because I’ve been to the Grand Prix there for two years and it’s just going to be so surreal to be there.“
Other circuits also captivated her imagination: “I’m really looking forward to Miami and Vegas because Vegas being a street circuit in Vegas, that’s pretty cool at night. And Miami just being Miami — I love Florida. I’ve been to Florida so many times I would say it’s like my home away from home,” she stated prior to the beginning of the season.
So far, with 3 races left, Havrda has only scored 1 point and is 16th in the standings.
Racing against the best
When asked about dream opponents, Havrda immediately identified her idol: “Lewis Hamilton. I’ve always looked up to him. His driving style, I think he’s very clean. Aggressive as well — every good driver is aggressive.“
“Just very clean and it’s just iconic because I’ve looked up to him since day one. Seeing his story and how he won what he’s won, I’d choose to race against him.”
Message to future racers
Havrda’s ad vice for aspiring female drivers extends beyond motorsport: “You just have to believe in yourself. You have to just push yourself, you have to be determined with whatever you want to do, not just racing.“
“If you don’t want to race, you want to be an engineer or a mechanic or even maybe a lawyer in the future, just be determined, disciplined and motivated.“
American Express driver Havrda’s philosophy emphasizes finding inspiration: “For me, I look into a lot of quotes and people telling me inspirational stuff. I think it’s important to have those people. Us racers like to look up to people and I think that’s very important because I looked up to a bunch of people when I started racing.”
From reluctant Austrian GP spectator to F1 Academy driver, Nicole Havdra’s journey proves that life changing moments often arrive unexpectedly.
