Iron Dames – Rahel Frey, Sarah Bovy, and Michelle Gatting secured historical P4 in 2023 Le Mans 24H race in LM GTE AM class. Marking the Team’s finest performance in the iconic race, the Iron Dames driver’s sustained pressure to endure all challenges presented on track, including safety cars, rain, long night stints, and last lap pit-stop, to complete the centenary race in 4th.
Such phenomenal achievement remains carved in Motorsport history, among the small handful of women who have competed at 24 Heures du Mans which was founded in 1923. A total of 66 females have competed at the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) track at Circuit de la Sarthe in France, with only 8 all-female Team’s finishing in top 5 from 1930 to 2023.
French Rally/Endurance driver Michelle Mouton claimed exceptional victory in 1975 Le Mans 24H, winning her class with all female Team driver’s – Christine Dacremont and Marianne Hoepfner, continuing a legacy set by the first female driver’s of Marguerite Mareuse and Odette Siko who finished Le Mans 24H in 1930, in P4 in class.
Certainly, racing Le Mans 24H remains the pinnacle of achievements for Motorsport legends – regardless of gender, Team, or car. As explained by one of Iron Dames founders, and now President in FIA Women in Motorsport – Deborah Meyers – ‘Le Mans is the most mythical race and it is important to be there, because it is the lighthouse of endurance racing. As a Team, it is pivotal to be there, to show our potential, and the will to excel’.
Most certainly, the Iron Dames driver’s all aspired to achieve best possible performance over 24 hours, racing the Team’s Porsche 911 RSR – 19 car. Stats post racing confirm, Rahel, Sarah, and Michelle edged out competition to stay within top 3 through-out the entire race, completing 312 laps in 24.01.51.789 with Best Lap of 3.53.573 in Lap 221. Reaching top speed of 210.0, the final pit-stop in 24th hour was the deciding factor to finish overall in class in P4.
Taken in context, the result signifies upward trajectory of Iron Dames Team whose entry in Le Mans 24H was in 2020 under Iron Lynx finishing P9 in Ferrari 488 GTE Evo car. The trio of Sarah Bovy (Belgium), Rahel Frey (Switzerland), and Michelle Gatting (Denmark) completed 2021 and 2022 Le Mans 24H in P9 and P7 respectively, making 2022 P4 even sweeter to savior.
The elation of knowing how far the Iron Dames Team has come over relatively short period of time, only deepens understanding on what lies ahead. With Round 4 of FIA World Endurance Championship completed, Monza on July 9, Fuji on September 10, and Final Round in Bahrain on November 4 will certainly provide enough anticipation on whether the Iron Dames can lift the Team’s standings from P3 in the Championship to higher. Wait and see.
Header photo: Iron Dames competing in 2023 Le Mans 24H Image: Iron Dames.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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