The Iron Dames, participating under the guidance of the Iron Lynx team, made history at the 24 Hours of Spa after becoming the first all-female line up to claim the top step of the podium in their class for the greuling endurance race.
With a driver lineup consisting of Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, Rahel Frey and Doriane Pin, the Iron Dames not only claimed a dominant victory, but now lead their championship class too. Starting in eleventh place in the Gold Cup Class and driving the bright pink #83 Ferrari 488 GT3, the drivers worked their way through the pack and dominated the second half of the race eventually seeing the chequered flag three-laps ahead of their next competitor.
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The TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa is one of the most competetive races on the endurance calendar, with 235 drivers and 66 cars navigating around the 7 km circuit nestled in the Ardennes forest. The Iron Dames gained 32 positions on their way to victory and held the lead for the final 11 hours in a masterclass of driving prowess and pit-wall strategy and team contribution. Most notably, Doriane Pin, at 18 years of age, navigated the abstract coloured Ferrari 488 through her first ever night stint and in the process, amassed an even greater lead for the all-female driven team.
It was an emotional end to the momentous race as can be seen in the embedded Twitter video below.
This is what it means to us #Motorsport #Spa24h pic.twitter.com/eD2QoAGpMQ
— Iron Dames (@IronDames_) July 31, 2022
Iron Dames Project Founder, Deborah Mayer, said: “This is an historic moment for the Iron Dames. They have achieved yet another milestone for women in motorsport and this is something I am very happy about.” Mayer further added: “This unprecedented victory shows the evolution and development of the project. We race to inspire and demonstrate further that hard work allows you to achieve your dreams.”
The GT World Challenge Endurance Cup continues at the 3 Hours of Hockenheim on 4th September 2022.
