Iron Dames
Italian-Swiss auto racing team
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Iron Dames are an Italian-Swiss auto racing and equestrian team founded by French businesswoman Deborah Mayer.[1] They are based in Zug, Switzerland, and primarily participate in sports car racing. They are a subsidiary of the DC Racing Solutions parent company, which runs motorsport teams Prema Racing and Iron Lynx.[2][3]
 | |
| Founded | 2018 |
|---|---|
| Base | Zug, Switzerland |
| Team principal(s) | Deborah Mayer |
| Founder(s) | Deborah Mayer Iron Lynx |
| Former series | |
| Current drivers | Full list |
| Website | www |
Motorsport history
2018
Iron Dames was founded in 2018 by Deborah Mayer with the goal of supporting and promoting women in motorsport.[citation needed] Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, and Manuela Gostner became the projects' first drivers, competing in the 12 Hours of Dubai and placing second in the GT3 Pro-Am class (ninth overall).[4]
2019
The team made their debut in the European Le Mans Series, racing under the Kessel Racing name.[5]
In the European Le Mans Series, the #83 “Iron Dames” car placed 4th and the #60 "Iron Lynx" placed 6th, with both entries standing on the podium twice over the season. In the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the #83 placed 9th in class, and the #60 placed 13th in class.
2020
2020 marked the first year of the team competing under the Iron Lynx name. In the European Le Mans Series they fielded the trio of Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting, and Manuela Gostner for the #83 entry. Gatting and team owner Deborah Mayer teamed up for the Le Mans Cup, the first all-female pairing in the series, and were joined by reigning champions Giacomo Piccini and Rino Mastronardi.[6] The team entered the Ferrari Challenge Europe for two rounds, under the name Iron Lynx – Scuderia Niki Hasler. Michelle Gatting competed in the Pro class, while Claudio Schiavoni competed in the Pro-Am class.[7]
The team entered a car in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the all-female line-up of Frey, Gatting, and Gostner, who placed 9th in the LMGTE Am class.
2021
European Le Mans Series
Former W Series driver Esmee Hawkey was announced alongside Frey and Gatting to contest the 2021 European Le Mans Series in the LMGTE class, however the Briton was fired before the first round after her manager Mark Blundell was discovered to have provided the incorrect licence grading to the team.[8] Hawkey was initially replaced with Gostner before fellow W Series outcast Sarah Bovy finished the season after making her debut with the team in the Le Mans Cup. On November 20, 2021, Michelle Gatting became the first female champion of the Ferrari Challenge.[9][10][11]
Italian F4
The team and Iron Lynx signed Maya Weug to compete in the 2021 Italian F4 Championship.[12] Weug had a successful debut season with three podiums and finished the season 7th in the championship.
2022
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On January 12, 2022, the Iron Dames announced that they would enter in the GTE Am class of the World Endurance Championship for 2022. They ran the Ferrari 488 GTE Evo, with Rahel Frey in the #85 Iron Dames entry.[13] The Iron Dames began racing under their own license, fielding a team of Frey, Gatting, and Sarah Bovy in WEC, ELMS, and GTWC Europe Gold Cup.[14] The team began supporting drivers in F4 and karting, with Maya Weug representing the team and entering select ADAC F4 rounds, as well as a full season in Italian F4 alongside Ivan Domingues and Nicola Lacorte.[15]
They entered a car in the LMGTE category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with a best finish of 7th in class for the #85 Iron Dames car.[16] Sarah Bovy became the first woman to claim a pole position in WEC history, qualifying first at both Monza and Bahrain.[17][18] Three podiums in the series helped the Iron Dames clinch third place in the GTE Am category.[19] The Iron Dames finished the GTWS Europe season in second in the Gold Cup, with a class victory at the 24 Hours of Spa and a pole position at the final race in Barcelona.[20] In the European Le Mans Series, the #85 took a class victory, and eventually finished third in the LMGTE teams championship.[21] Doriane Pin took a dominant victory in the Ferrari Challenge, winning nine of fourteen races, with thirteen podiums, ten pole positions, and eleven fastest laps.[22]
2023
At the 2023 8 Hours of Bahrain, Iron Dames became the final LM GTE class race winning team in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Their drivers – Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey – became the first all-female lineup to win an FIA WEC race.[23]
2024
WEC
For 2024, Iron Lynx became the de facto Lamborghini factory team in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship – Iron Lynx campaigned a single Lamborghini SC63 in the Hypercar, whilst both programs fielded one Huracán GT3 Evo2 each in the LMGT3 class. Bovy and Gatting were retained, with Gatting promoted to Gold status, whilst Frey (demoted to Silver) was replaced with Pin – the Swiss saw her driving duties reduced as she took on a greater role within team management.[24]
Frey returned to the driving line-up after Pin suffered broken ribs in a cycling accident before Spa.[25]
Following a troublesome campaign for both entries in WEC, Iron Lynx and Lamborghini terminated their partnership at seasons' end.[26]
Formula Regional
For 2024, the team entered into the 2024 Formula Regional European Championship with drivers Doriane Pin and Marta García. The team finished eleventh in the teams' championship.
Rallying
For 2024, the Iron Dames expanded into rallying - Sarah Rumeau and Julie Amblard participated in the Rally4 class of the French Rally Championship with Sarrazin Motorsport.[27] The partnership scored one top-five finish in both tarmac and gravel disciplines and finished in the top-five of the Asphalt championship.
2025
For 2025, the Iron Dames supported sixteen drivers across endurance, single-seater, rally and karting competitions.[28]
WEC
Following Iron Lynx' manufacturer split at the end of 2024, the Iron Dames project aligned with Porsche for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship, partnering with Manthey Racing to campaign a 992-edition 911 GT3 R.[29] This coincided with Porsche hiring Gatting as a factory driver.[30][31]
Rally
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The team expanded their rally program for 2025, with Sarah Rumeau and Julie Amblard joining the WRC2 Championship and continuing in the French Rally Championship having upgraded to Rally2 machinery.[32]
Equestrian history
2024
In September 2023, Iron Dames announced an expansion into the world of equestrian sports, acquiring Global Champions Tour team Cannes Stars to compete in the show jumping discipline for the 2024 season.[33][34]
2025
For 2025, Iron Dames Equestrian doubled the size of their squad by acquiring the Monaco Comets outfit.[35]
List of Iron Dames members
Motorsport
Current
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Former
| Driver | Years active | Series participations | Titles as Iron Dames driver |
|---|---|---|---|
 Manuela Gostner |
2019–2021 | European Le Mans Series (2019–2021) FIA World Endurance Championship (2021) Le Mans Cup (2021) |
None |
 Maya Weug |
2021–2022 | Italian F4 Championship (2021–2022) ADAC Formula 4 (2021–2022) |
None |
 Katherine Legge |
2021 | FIA World Endurance Championship (2021) | None |
 Christina Nielsen |
2022 | FIA World Endurance Championship (2022) | None |
 Aurelia Nobels[48] |
2023 | Italian F4 Championship (2023) | None |
Equestrian
Current
| Rider | Years active | Sub-team |
|---|---|---|
 Angelica Augustsson-Zanotelli |
2025 | Monaco Comets |
 Natalie Dean |
2024–25 | Cannes Stars |
 Katrin Eckermann |
2024–25 | Cannes Stars |
| Janne Friederike Meyer-Zimmermann |
2024–25 | Cannes Stars |
| Sophie Hinners |
2024–25 | Cannes Stars |
 Inès Joly |
2025 | Monaco Comets |
 Ioli Mytilineou |
2025 | Monaco Comets |
 Anastasia Nielsen |
2025 | Cannes Stars |
| Jeanne Sadran |
2025 | Monaco Comets |
| Jörne Sprehe |
2025 | Monaco Comets |
| Sanne Thijssen[49] |
2024–2025 | Cannes Stars |
 Edwina Tops-Alexander |
2025 | Monaco Comets |
Former
| Rider | Years active | Sub-team |
|---|---|---|
| Kim Emmen |
2024 | Cannes Stars |
Current motorsport results
24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Entrant | No. | Car | Drivers | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 |  Kessel Racing |
83 | Ferrari 488 GTE | Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting Manuela Gostner |
LMGTE Am | 330 | 39th | 9th |
| 2020 | Iron Dames |
85 | Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting Manuela Gostner |
LMGTE Am | 332 | 34th | 9th |
| 2021 | Iron Dames |
85 | Ferrari 488 GTE Evo |  Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting |
LMGTE Am | 332 | 36th | 9th |
| 2022 | Iron Dames |
85 | Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting |
LMGTE Am | 339 | 40th | 7th |
| 2023 | Iron Dames |
85 | Porsche 911 RSR-19 | Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting |
LMGTE Am | 312 | 30th | 4th |
| 2024 | Iron Dames |
85 | Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting |
LMGT3 | 279 | 32nd | 5th |
| 2025 | Iron Dames |
85 | Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey Célia Martin |
LMGT3 | 334 | 48th | 16th |
European Le Mans Series
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Drivers | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Kessel Racing |
Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting Manuela Gostner |
Ferrari 488 GTE (1–2) Ferrari 488 GTE Evo (3–6) |
LMGTE | LEC 2 |
MNZ 6 |
BAR 4 |
SIL 2 |
SPA 4 |
POR Ret |
4th | 68 |
| 2020 | Iron Lynx |
Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting Manuela Gostner |
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | LMGTE | RIC 3 |
SPA 8 |
LEC 3 |
MNZ 3 |
POR 6 |
4th | 61 | |
| 2021 | Iron Lynx |
Sarah Bovy (5–6) Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting Manuela Gostner (1–4) |
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | LMGTE | CAT 4 |
RBR NC |
LEC NC |
MNZ 6 |
SPA 3 |
POR 3 |
7th | 50 |
| 2022 | Iron Lynx |
Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey (1–3) Michelle Gatting Doriane Pin (4–6) |
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | LMGTE | LEC 4 |
IMO 8 |
MNZ 5 |
CAT Ret |
SPA 2 |
POR 1 |
3rd | 70 |
| 2024 | Iron Dames |
Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | LMGT3 | BAR Ret |
LEC 4 |
IMO 1 |
SPA Ret |
MUG 7 |
POR 2 |
4th | 65 |
| 2025 | Iron Dames |
Sarah Bovy Michelle Gatting Célia Martin |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | LMGT3 | BAR 1 |
LEC 7 |
IMO 12 |
SPA 4 |
SIL 10 |
POR 3 |
4th | 62 |
FIA World Endurance Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Drivers | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Iron Lynx |
Sarah Bovy (3–6) Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting (2–4) Manuela Gostner (1–2) Katherine Legge (1, 5–6) |
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | LMGTE Am |
SPA 8 |
POR 6 |
MNZ 8 |
LMS 6 |
BHR 1 8 |
BHR 2 8 |
10th | 46 | ||
| 2022 | Iron Dames |
Sarah Bovy (1, 3–6) Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting (1, 3–6) Christina Nielsen (2) Doriane Pin (2) |
Ferrari 488 GTE Evo | LMGTE Am |
SEB 5 |
SPA 10 |
LMS 6 |
MNZ 2 |
FUJ 2 |
BHR 3 |
3rd | 93 | ||
| 2023 | Iron Dames |
Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting |
Porsche 911 RSR-19 | LMGTE Am |
SEB 8 |
POR 3 |
SPA 5 |
LMS 4 |
MNZ 5 |
FUJ 4 |
BHR 1 |
2nd | 118 | |
| 2024 | Iron Dames |
Sarah Bovy Rahel Frey (3–8) Michelle Gatting Doriane Pin (1–2) |
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | LMGT3 | QAT 8 |
IMO Ret |
SPA 5 |
LMS 4 |
SÃO Ret |
COA 13 |
FUJ 5 |
BHR 10 |
8th | 54 |
| 2025 | Iron Dames |
Rahel Frey Michelle Gatting Célia Martin |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | LMGT3 | QAT 13 |
IMO 8 |
SPA 10 |
LMS 16 |
SÃO 4 |
COA Ret |
FUJ 16 |
BHR | 16th* | 19* |
* Season in progress.
Le Mans Cup
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Drivers | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Iron Lynx |
Sarah Bovy (1–3) Manuela Gostner (4–6) Doriane Pin |
Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo 2020 | GT3 | BAR DNS |
LEC 2 |
MNZ 2 |
LMS 1 2 |
LMS 2 3 |
SPA 3 |
POR Ret |
3rd | 67 |
| 2024 | Iron Dames |
Karen Gaillard Célia Martin |
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | GT3 | BAR 7 |
LEC 2 |
LMS 1 7 |
LMS 2 16 |
SPA 11 |
MUG 5 |
ALG 7 |
6th | 43 |
| 2025 | Iron Dames[50] |
 Marta García Vanina Ickx |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | GT3 | BAR Ret |
LEC 4 |
LMS R1 WD |
LMS R2 WD |
SPA 3 |
SIL 1 |
ALG 5 |
5th | 63 |
IMSA SportsCar Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Drivers | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Iron Lynx |
Sarah Bovy (1–2) Rahel Frey (1–2, 5, 11) Michelle Gatting (1–2, 5, 11) Doriane Pin (1, 5, 11) |
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | GTD | DAY 18 |
SEB 11 |
LBH | LGA | WGL 16 |
MOS | LIM | ELK | VIR | IMS | ATL 12 |
19th | 770 |
| 2024 | Iron Lynx |
Sarah Bovy (1–2, 6, 10–11) Rahel Frey (1–2, 6, 10–11) Michelle Gatting (1–2, 6, 10–11) Doriane Pin (1) |
Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 | GTD | DAY 6 |
SEB 20 |
LBH | LGA | WGL 15 |
MOS | ELK | VIR | IMS 18 |
ATL 13 |
21st | 918 | |
| 2025 | Iron Dames |
Sarah Bovy (1–2) Rahel Frey (1–2) Michelle Gatting (1–2) Karen Gaillard (1) |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | GTD | DAY 8 |
SEB 11 |
LBH WD |
LGA | WGL | MOS | ELK | VIR | IMS | ATL | 20th | 471 |
French Rally Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Crew | Car | Discipline | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Pos. | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Sarrazin Motorsport – Iron Lynx |
Sarah Rumeau Julie Amblard |
Ford Fiesta Rally4 | Asphalt | TOU 18 |
CHA 12 |
ANT 8 |
VOS 8 |
ROU 5 |
MBL 24 |
CDF 6 |
CÉV 6 |
VAR 8 |
5th | 53 |
| Gravel | CAU 7 |
CDO 7 |
ALE 9 |
LOZ 5 |
CRD Ret |
VAU 9 |
6th | 38 | |||||||
| 2025 | Sarrazin Motorsport – Iron Lynx |
Sarah Rumeau Julie Amblard |
Citroën C3 Rally2 | Asphalt | TOU Ret |
CHA Ret |
ANT | VOS | ROU | MBL 15 |
CDF | CÉV | VAR | 94th* | 3* |
| Gravel | CAU 4 |
CDO 5 |
ALE 4 |
DÉC 4 |
LOZ 5 |
CRD | VAU | 5th* | 50.5* | ||||||
* Season in progress.
Asian Le Mans Series
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Drivers | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | Iron Dames |
Sarah Bovy Michelle Gatting Célia Martin |
Porsche 911 GT3 R (992) | GT | SEP 1 13 |
SEP 2 6 |
DUB 1 15 |
DUB 2 23 |
ABU 1 7 |
ABU 2 13 |
13th | 15 |
WRC2 Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
* Season in progress.
French F4 Championship
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Former series results
Ferrari Challenge Europe
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Drivers | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Pos. | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | Iron Lynx – Scuderia Niki Hasler |
Michelle Gatting |
TP Pro | IMO 1 2 |
IMO 2 4 |
BAR 1 |
BAR 2 |
POR 1 |
POR 2 |
MUG 1 |
MUG 2 |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
MIS1 1 1 |
MIS1 2 2 |
MIS2 1 |
MIS2 2 |
6th | 51 |
| 2021 | Scuderia Niki Hasler – Iron Lynx |
Michelle Gatting |
TP Pro | MNZ 1 1 |
MNZ 2 2 |
RBR 1 1 |
RBR 2 1 |
BRN 1 2 |
BRN 2 3 |
VAL 1 3 |
VAL 2 2 |
NÜR 1 3 |
NÜR 2 2 |
SPA 1 3 |
SPA 2 6 |
MUG 1 4 |
MUG 2 3 |
1st | 171 |
| Doriane Pin |
TP Pro | MNZ 1 |
MNZ 2 |
RBR 1 |
RBR 2 |
BRN 1 |
BRN 2 |
VAL R1 |
VAL R2 |
NÜR 1 |
NÜR 2 |
SPA 1 |
SPA 2 |
MUG 1 6 |
MUG 2 6 |
9th | 9 | ||
| 2022 | Scuderia Niki Hasler – Iron Lynx |
Doriane Pin |
TP Pro | POR 1 1 |
POR 2 1 |
LEC 1 4 |
LEC 2 3 |
BUD 1 1 |
BUD 2 1 |
HOC 1 1 |
HOC 2 1 |
SIL 1 1 |
SIL 2 1 |
MUG 1 3 |
MUG 2 3 |
IMO 1 1 |
IMO 2 2 |
1st | 213 |
Italian F4 Championship
| Year | Car | Drivers | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | D.C. | T.C. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tatuus F4-T421 | Maya Weug |
20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 14th | 5th[b] |
† Shared results with other team
In detail
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
† Did not finish the race, but was classified.
ADAC Formula 4 Championship
| Year | Car | Drivers | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | D.C. | T.C. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Tatuus F4-T421 | Maya Weug |
6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NC† | N/A† |
† Ineligible to score points.
In detail
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Formula Regional European Championship
| Year | Car | Drivers | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | D.C. | T.C. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Tatuus F3 T-318 | Doriane Pin |
15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27th | 11th |
| Marta García |
20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28th |
In detail
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Drivers | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | DC | Pts | TC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Iron Dames |
Doriane Pin |
HOC 1 23 |
HOC 2 23 |
SPA 1 22 |
SPA 2 WD |
ZAN 1 |
ZAN 2 |
BUD 1 |
BUD 2 |
MUG 1 26 |
MUG 2 24 |
LEC 1 Ret |
LEC 2 13 |
IMO 1 25 |
IMO 2 Ret |
SPI 1 17 |
SPI 2 17 |
BAR 1 24 |
BAR 2 20 |
MNZ 1 21 |
MNZ 2 25 |
27th | 0 | 11th | 0 |
| Marta García |
HOC 1 24 |
HOC 2 25 |
SPA 1 21 |
SPA 2 15 |
ZAN 1 24 |
ZAN 2 22 |
BUD 1 21 |
BUD 2 Ret |
MUG 1 31 |
MUG 2 27 |
LEC 1 18 |
LEC 2 20 |
IMO 1 23 |
IMO 2 17 |
RBR 1 23 |
RBR 2 14 |
BAR 1 29 |
BAR 2 24 |
MNZ 1 20 |
MNZ 2 24 |
28th | 0 |
Ligier European Series
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
Notes
- Supported by F1 Academy.
- Entered as Iron Dames
- Ineligible for championship points as a guest driver.
