From Shanghai to Montréal—Here's Everything a 19-Year-Old Race-Car Driver Packs for Long-Haul Flights

For the last seven years, motorsport has taken up the majority of 19-year-old Canadian race-car driver Nicole Havrda's time. She's been racing since she was just 12 and rising the ranks until, in 2025, she was invited to join F1 Academy, an all-female racing series founded in 2023 that was designed to drive change in motorsport and support young women's racing careers. F1 Academy, spotlighted in Netflix's new docuseries F1: The Academy, is a single-seater racing series founded by Formula One, in which aspiring female drivers have a chance to work with F1 teams, race during the same weekends as F1, and learn from their favorite F1 drivers, such as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

In her debut season, Havrda is driving for American Express, spotlighting women-owned small businesses along the way. Ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix, her home race, I got the chance to speak with Havrda about her tried-and-true packing tips, her favorite parts about working with Amex, her long-term career goals, and the items she never leaves for a long flight without. Below, read our conversation and shop her packing list, which has been fail-proof during her travels this year, going everywhere from Shanghai to Montréal.

What's your favorite/the most rewarding part about being a race-car driver?

Winning, of course! And seeing people out there who support me and making my parents proud.

Your journey as a woman in motorsport was featured in the documentary The Car Knows No Difference. Why was it important for you to share your experience in the sport with the public? Do you want to continue being outward about your experience, especially now that you're in F1 Academy?

I loved sharing the behind-the-scenes elements of racing and how it really is, especially being a woman in motorsports. We are actually filming a second season of that documentary, and it will feature me racing in F1 Academy.

Tell me about your experience so far in F1 Academy and working with American Express as a partner.

It's been a great experience working with Amex throughout my debut season in F1 Academy. I'm especially proud of how our partnership spotlights local women-owned small businesses at every F1 Academy race this year. On my livery, we've featured the logo of a local women-owned small business at each race, and in Montréal, I was so excited that my livery featured the logo for MTLPilates, a Pilates studio in the city. Throughout the season, I've been able to meet all of the small business owners I've partnered with. It's so rewarding. It's important for me and my team to support women both on and off the track.

With your career, you obviously travel a lot. How often do you travel, and what sorts of places are you traveling to on the F1 Academy schedule and beyond?

Yes, I've traveled a lot this season with F1 Academy. So far this year, I've flown to China, Saudi Arabia, America, Canada, Europe, and the UK so far just for the F1 Academy schedule. Almost every two weeks, I'm somewhere else!

Have you picked up any packing or traveling tips that you swear by?

I have found specific clothing [brands] that I bring every time, [like Lululemon and On] and make sure I'm only bringing a certain amount of clothing so I don't overpack at each race. For going through TSA, I always have just my helmet bag and backpack, so it's quick and super simple. Since I travel so much and am cautious about my health, I try not to go through the airport scanners and always get patted down when available.

Havrda's International Packing List

Beauty

Given that Charlotte Tilbury is an official partner of F1 Academy—the beauty brand's first-ever global sports sponsorship—it should come as no surprise that Havrda's entire travel beauty routine is from the brand, with viral products like the Beautiful Skin Foundation and Hollywood Contour Wand making the cut. She also uses the brand's mascara, blush, setting powder, and, of course, setting spray. Lastly, she says her hair straightener by Dyson is always by her side.

Fashion

Havrda's role as an athlete and frequent flyer means she's almost always wearing leggings and other activewear pieces, which she pretty much exclusively buys from Lululemon and On. More specifically, she buys leggings and shorts from On and sports bras, skirts, and leggings from Lululemon. Apart from those, she never leaves for a trip without her Prada sunglasses and sneakers. "For track walks, I always wear my On Clouds, and on race day, it's always my blue Nike Air Jordans," she says. "For a nice event, I will typically wear heels. I have a bunch of different options, so I just go with whatever best fits the occasion."

Other Essentials

Now, for the very essential but less glamorous items. "Oh my goodness, I would never go anywhere without my portable charger," Havrda says. She uses the Apple charger and also brings her MacBook Pro with her everywhere for work. "This is very necessary but boring: I always have allergy pills and vitamins," she says. "Since we travel so much, I want to do what I can to prevent sickness." Specifically, she always has Claritin allergy pills, creatine, electrolytes, vitamin D3, probiotics, and vitamin B12 with her.

What are your long-term goals in motorsport?

Definitely to make it to the pinnacle of racing, whether that's F1, Indycar, or sports cars.