'Accelerate Change': How women teamed-up to transform motorsport

From Le Mans 1930 to Iron Dames: on International Women’s Day 2025, we celebrate the progress made in motorsport, highlighting the rise of all-female teams in sports car racing, and the broader impact of initiatives supporting female drivers in endurance competitions.

Photo credits: Bugatti / Iron Dames

On International Women’s Day 2025, "Accelerate Change" is not just a motto—it’s what we do every day, celebrating the achievements of talented women in motorsport throughout the year. While progress should be acknowledged beyond a single date on the calendar, these moments allow us to reflect on the strides made, particularly in the last five to six years, despite the remaining challenges in making the sport a fully inclusive environment.

Motorsport remains one of the few sports where men and women can compete on equal terms. However, funding disparities and other obstacles have led to the creation of female-only initiatives, a topic that continues to spark debate. While some argue this separation may counteract inclusivity, such initiatives should aim to expand the talent pool and ultimately lead to more female drivers progressing through the ranks.

However, rather than focusing on women-only competitions, today we want to celebrate the women who have joined forces to compete in some of the most prestigious sports car races in the world, proving their talent in mixed-gender environments.

These athletes embody the power of women coming together to pursue a shared goal, demonstrating team spirit and determination at the highest levels and proving their worth on the racetrack: they are inspiring future generations and reshaping perceptions.

Sports car racing has in fact witnessed more progress in female participation than single-seaters, with an increasing number of all-female teams now consistently making history in international endurance events.

Photo credits: Bugatti

Pioneering All-Female Teams

Odette Siko and Marguerite Mareuse made history at the 1930 24 Hours of Le Mans as the first all-female team to race in the event. At a time when women’s participation in motorsport was albeit rare, but not unheard of, their entry into such a demanding endurance competition was groundbreaking. Despite the challenges of the era, they secured a seventh-place finish overall - a result which stood as a record for female racers at Le Mans for decades, and paved the way for generations of women competing in endurance racing.

However, it wasn’t until the 1970s that all-female teams once again rose to prominence, competing at the top of their respective classes. During this era, some of the most iconic names in motorsport began to make their mark on the grid.

In 1974, Christine Beckers, Yvette Fontaine, and Marie Laurent competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a Chevron B23, representing Ecurie Seiko. Their performance was nothing short of remarkable, as they won the 2-liter class.

One year later, Michèle Mouton, Christine Dacremont, and Marianne Hoepfner entered Le Mans in the Société Esso Moynet LM75. Running a clean, flawless race, the trio achieved victory in the S2.0 class and secured a 21st overall finish.

Photo credits: ACO

Lella Lombardi, the only woman to score points in Formula 1, teamed up with Marie-Claude Charmasson in 1975, driving an Elf Switzerland-entered Renault Alpine A441. Unfortunately, mechanical issues led to their early retirement, but Lombardi’s presence continued to be a strong symbol of women breaking barriers in motorsport.

Also in 1975, Yvette Fontaine, Anne-Charlotte Vernay, and Corinne Tarnaud competed in a Vernay Porsche 911, delivering an impressive performance that saw them finish second in their class.

Lombardi returned to Le Mans in 1976, this time alongside Christine Dacremont in an Aseptogyl Lancia Stratos. The duo’s striking Lancia became an iconic sight, and they delivered a strong performance, securing a second-place finish in their class.

In 1977, Lombardi partnered with Christine Beckers in an Inaltera LM Ford. They would finish fourth in class.

Photo credits: Alpine

In 1982, Desiré Wilson, Janet Guthrie, and Bonnie Henn entered the 12 Hours of Sebring with the North American Racing Team, competing in a Ferrari. Wilson, one of the most accomplished female drivers of her time and with a British F1 Championship victory to her name, partnered with Guthrie, who had already broken barriers at the Indy 500 - marking another milestone for female representation in North America.

The decade also saw a groundbreaking achievement in rallying, with Michele Mouton making history as one of the most successful female rally drivers of all time. Partnered with co-driver Fabrizia Pons, Mouton secured her place in motorsport history with the Vice-World Championship title in 1982.

However, the 1990s proved to be a more challenging decade for women in motorsport, with fewer successful attempts to break into the upper echelons of racing.

Lyn St. James, Desiré Wilson, and Cathy Muller however formed a formidable all-female team for the 1991 24 Hours of Le Mans, racing for Euro Racing AO Racing, in one of the last all-female teams to compete at Le Mans in the 20th century.

Photo: Alain Janssoone

The 2010s Resurgence & Beyond

The return of an all-female lineup to Le Mans after nearly two decades came in 2010 when Rahel Frey, Natacha Gachnang, and Cyndie Allemann competed in a Matech Ford GT. Their entry was highly anticipated, in a renewed push for female participation; unfortunately, their race ended prematurely due to an engine fire.

An equally legendary race, the Bathurst 1000 in Australia featured an all-female team in 2015 and 2016, with Simona De Silvestro and Renee Gracie competing with ProDrive Racing Australia. Despite an unfortunate first outing, they would finish P14 in 2016.

In 2017, Naomi Schiff, Caitlin Wood, Anna Rathe, and Marylin Niederhauser competed in the Dubai 24H with KTM Reiter Motorsport.

The real peak of female participation in racing however began in 2019, marking a pivotal moment for women in motorsport. This year saw a significant rise in female representation across various disciplines, from endurance to single-seaters, thanks to the launch of high-profile initiatives that provided more opportunities for women to compete at an international level.

A key catalyst for this transformation was the Iron Dames project, which was launched at the end of 2018 and embarked on its first international racing campaign in 2019. Initially competing in the European Le Mans Series, the Iron Dames quickly established themselves as a serious force in endurance racing, achieving podiums and proving that, with the right support, female drivers could compete for victories on equal footing with male superstars.

Photo: JEP

The team’s success quickly became one of the most significant milestones in the history of women in motorsport, shattering stereotypes and demonstrating that all-female teams were more than just a symbolic gesture—they were contenders.

2019 also saw the launch of W Series in single-seater racing, a championship designed exclusively for female drivers. Though the series was met with controversy, with critics arguing that it segregated female racers instead of integrating them into existing mixed-gender series, it nonetheless had in hindsight a positive impact: over the past five years, this plethora of projects contributed to a substantial increase in female participation in junior formula categories, with the number of women competing in F4 series rising by almost 500%. In Japan, the Kyojo Cup was established in 2017 with a similar concept.

At the same time, other major projects were starting to collect the first headlines.

The Richard Mille Racing Team launched an all-female effort in the LMP2 prototype category, fielding racing stars Sophia Floersch, Tatiana Calderon and Katherine Legge - the latter eventually being replaced by Beitske Visser following a testing accident.

The trio competed in ELMS, and collected their first top-ten in class at their rookie 24 Hours of Le Mans participation. The Richard Mille Racing Team graduated to WEC in 2021, but eventually halted its LMP2 operation.

Unlike most previous initiatives, the Girls Only by WS Racing went beyond the all-female drivers concept and involved an all-female team structure, incorporating female engineers, mechanics, and management - from the pit wall to the paddock. Since its debut, the Girls Only team has gone on to secure multiple podium finishes and a class victory at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, with Carrie Schreiner, Pippa Mann, Célia Martin and Christina Nielsen behind the wheel.

Photo: ZF

Also in 2019, the formation of an all-female line up under the banner of Heinricher Racing in IMSA brought together some of the best female talents in sports car racing: the team featured experienced drivers like Katherine Legge, Christina Nielsen, Bia Figueiredo, Simona De Silvestro, as well as a one-off for Alice Powell. The team finished 12th at the 2019 Daytona 24 Hours.

At the start of 2020, another major all-women’s effort took place at the Daytona 24 Hours, with GEAR Racing by GRT. This team included a powerful line up: Katherine Legge, Rahel Frey, Tatiana Calderon, and Christina Nielsen. GEAR Racing faced an unfortunate end to their race due to a technical failure, but the concept behind the squad was very exciting albeit short-lived.

The all-female initiatives in IMSA continued in the following years, with Katherine Legge, Bia Figueiredo, and Christina Nielsen returning together for the 2021 Daytona 24 Hours as part of the Team Hardpoint EBM effort. In 2023, Katherine Legge teamed up with Sheena Monk for Gradient Racing for a full campaign, collecting two top-5 finishes.

Another notable project aiming to nurture female talent is the Matmut Volant 100% Féminin, a unique driver selection program that identifies and supports talented female racers by awarding them a seat in GT4 competitions. In 2023, Gabriela Jílková and Lucile Cypriano became part of the Matmut program and competed in the FFSA GT4 series, with Jílková then partnering Cindy Gudet in the 2024 GT4 European series, where they are set to continue their racing efforts in 2025.

Photo credits: Bryan Cleary/SRO

In 2023, The Heart of Racing made headlines with its all-female team in the GT4 America series, also selected via a driver shootout. The team featured Hannah Grisham and Rianna O'Meara Hunt and made an immediate impact by winning races at Indianapolis, making them the first all-female duo to win in the Aston Martin Vantage GT4. The team continued to build on that momentum with more podium finishes and class victories in 2024, this time with Hannah Grisham and Hannah Greenemeier behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, in ADAC GT4 Germany, PROsport Racing saw encouraging performances from Fabienne Wohlwend and Célia Martin, both in their series debut in 2023.

Team Driverse was also a standout initiative in ADAC GT4 Germany in 2021, actively promoting diversity within the sport: focused not only on gender equality but also on supporting LGBTQ+ drivers, the team’s mission was to provide opportunities to a larger number of talented drivers.

In the World Racing League in the US, Sarah Montgomery, Loni Unser, and Erin Vogel represented Round 3 Racing in 2023, racing in an all-female lineup. Erin Vogel then took her passion a step further by founding AE Victory Racing, a team that provides opportunities for women to start in endurance racing. The team grew in 2024, offering more chances for drivers associated with the Shift Up Now organization - with a driver shootout also held to select one of the 2025 drivers.

Photo credits: Shift Up Now

Aurora Straus and Christina Nielsen teamed up for Richard Mille Murillo Racing in the 2021 GT4 America series; while they had a limited campaign, Straus is now set to return to the series in 2025, partnering with Zoe Barry.

The all-female team G&A Motors JDK Motorsport Team, featuring Beitske Visser, Sandra Van Der Sloot, Julie Kenis, and Juna-Jane De Keersmaecker made a strong run at the 2024 24H Zolder.

In 2024, a Mobil 1-sponsored effort saw Antonella Bassani, Leticia Bufoni and Cecilia Rabelo teaming up for the Porsche Endurance Challenge Brazil. This team also included female mechanics and engineers. Laura van den Hengel and Alba Vazquez teamed up in 2024 for Mertel Motorsport in the GT Cup Open Europe.

In 2025, RAFA Racing in the US will run a new female driver duo, Lindsay Brewer and Jem Hepworth, in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. The team has fielded multiple female drivers in various racing series, continuing their mission to support women in motorsports.

Meanwhile, the iconic Iron Dames project continues to inspire the next generation of women in motorsport, with more initiatives and support programmes from karting to rallying and GT series. Among them, Marta Garcia and Vanina Ickx - representing two different generations of racers - are teaming up for the 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup.

Photo credits: Iron Dames

These developments highlight the importance of building momentum in motorsport: one initiative can spark another, and as more teams and organizations invest in female participation, progress accelerates.

The impact of these programs in fact extends beyond just the drivers—younger audiences are watching these teams compete at the highest levels and now see a future for themselves in the sport, whether as racers, engineers, mechanics or media personnel.

While challenges remain, the strides made over the last few years demonstrate that change is happening.

Female participation has increased significantly at grassroots level in single seater competitions however still remains limited in the third and second tier; on the other hand sports car racing has proven to be a more accessible and sustainable platform. The trend suggests that these teams are not just symbolic gestures but serious competitors, capable of winning races and championships.

As more manufacturers and sponsors recognize the value of diversity in motorsport, more opportunities will arise, participation will grow, and change will accelerate—just like the women we celebrate on racetracks every weekend.