Sant’Agata Bolognese, March 6, 2023 – Women driven by dreams: These are the iron ladies behind the wheel of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EV02 with starting number 83, painted pink like the racing suits they wore during their mission distinguish in the paddock. Race for inspiration.
Launched in 2018 by Deborah Mayer – entrepreneur, racing driver and President of the FIA Commission on Women in Motorsport (WIM) – lron Dames is a project dedicated to supporting women in motorsport at all levels, from drivers to mechanics, engineers and managers. The impressive team consists of four riders with incredible determination: “We’ve proven that we can win against everyone,” they say in unison. “We are strong and we are fighters. And slowly but surely, we’re changing the mentality of this sport.”
From the youngest, Doriane Pin (19), to the oldest, Rahel Frey (36), they share one vision: “We wear a pink suit, it’s true. But when we put our helmets on, we’re drivers who want to win. And nothing more.”
lron Dames is a project led by lron Lynx, the Italian racing team selected by Lamborghini Squadra Corseas as the working team for the 2023 IMSA Endurance Cup, which will compete as the official team in the FIA WEC in the Lamborghini LMDh from 2024. GT3 and LMDh competitions in Europe and the US were announced last November: “Ever since we announced our intention to race in the LMDh category, it was clear to us that !ron Lynx was the right partner, “said Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “Over the years, !ron Lynx has provento be a fast, strong and successful entity, just like Lamborghini’s motorsport division.”
“The !ron Dames project is made up of motivated women with a strong passion and motivation, pushing the racing world beyond limits and gender barriers,” said Deborah Mayer, Chairwoman of DC Racing Solutions and Project Founder of the lron Dames. “We race to inspire women to follow their dreams and take the first step into motorsport, because we have proven that anything is truly possible”.
After making their debut at Daytona in January aboard a +1=83 Huracan GT3 EV02, lron Dames will go head-to-head with their male counterparts and compete in the second round of the IMSA Endurance Cup Championship at Sebring in March . to Daytona.
The four team members, Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, Sarah Bovy and Doriane Pin swap places in the cockpit of the car during the very long hours of endurance races. “We’re like sisters born to different mothers, 11 they say, emphasizing the clase harmony of the team.
Rachel Frey is 36 years old and was the first woman in Germany to win a Formula 3 race. A professional driver since 2011, she is considered one of the strongest in the field with 71 podiums, 19 wins, seven pole positions and 22 fastest lap records. She describes herself as a “quiet worker” who wants to use her 20 years of experience “to advance the role of women in motorsport”. In addition to being a driver, she is also the project manager for the iron ladies, overseeing their growth, physical and mental fitness and the testing program. “In the racing world, I don’t like to think in terms of ‘man-woman’ dualism. We get in the car and we want to be the fastest, just like the others,” Frey contends.
Born twenty-nine years ago in Denmark, Michelle Gatting already has a wealth of achievements in both karting and singles, with 14 race wins, 61 podiums and 8 pole positions in her career to date. She loves her homeland very much, where she returns whenever possible to hike with her dog Lasso. And she’s a “proud and stubborn” (her words) flash on the track. “Since my beginnings, things have changed. Now I walk in the paddock, greet my mate opponents, and feel their respect. We’ve proven that we know how to win”.
Born thirty-three years ago in Belgium, Sara Bovy loves food so much that she describes herself as a ‘foodie’ and takes inspiration from great racers on the track. ” When I was 13, I was already on a go-kart and I told my father on the way home, someday l’m going to become a race driver.” Hers is a visceral, all-encompassing passion for racing. “I love everything about this environment: the smell, the noise, the strategy. And most of all, I love the battle.” As the Touring Car champion in 2013 and the first woman on a World Series podium, she’s in her third season with the lron.
Dames ” A downside of being a woman on the track? the fact that certain colleagues, when they’re in the process of overtaking, go hard on us with maneuvers. I think for some, being beaten by a women is still seen as a bruise to the ego”
Doriane Ping shows exciting promise for the future: French, 19 years old, and many times on the podium of the GT3 Michelin Le Mans cup. Out of 30 races in her career she’s achieved six wins, 12 podiums, and four pole positions. ” I started when I was nine years old, thanks to my dad. In 2019, I was already a champion in France ” She says. She loves to spent her free time playing the piano and enjoying cycling and tennis ” The important values in my life? Believing in myself, always learning, and enjoying every moment”.
Four women. Four Stories. One voice: ” Men and Women can compete face to face in the same competitions”.