Iron Dames maximise package at Misano as van den Hengel and Bovy score season-best GT2 European Series result
- RACERS
- 5 hours ago
- 7 min read
Laura van den Hengel and Sarah Bovy produced one of their strongest performances of their GT2 European Series season at Misano, maximising the potential of the #85 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup to secure a season-best fourth-place ProAm finish in the second race and collect their highest points haul of the campaign to date.
Laura van den Hengel and Sarah Bovy produced one of their strongest performances of their GT2 European Series season at Misano, maximising the potential of the #85 Porsche 992 GT3 Cup to secure a season-best fourth-place ProAm finish in the second race and collect their highest points haul of the campaign to date.
Despite competing against significantly more powerful GT2-specification machinery, the Iron Dames pairing executed a weekend of good pace, consistency and solid racecraft to score 22 points and climb to sixth in the ProAm drivers' championship standings.
The third round of the season marked the halfway point of the 2026 championship and saw the Iron Dames return to the Porsche 992 GT3 Cup run by SP Racing in partnership with Dinamic Motorsport. Having temporarily switched to a Maserati GT2 at Spa-Francorchamps, where they had demonstrated genuine podium pace while adapting to unfamiliar machinery, van den Hengel and Bovy were back in the car they had used at the season opener at Monza.
The return to the Porsche, however, also meant returning to the significant performance challenge faced by the Cup machinery against the much more powerful GT2 cars. Although Cup cars have been eligible in the series from 2026, the lack of sufficient measures to equalise the different concepts meant that the #85 Porsche was effectively unable to challenge the GT2-specification cars on equal terms, particularly on circuits where outright power and top speed play a significant role.
Misano's technical layout therefore presented a difficult challenge. The Italian circuit features a mixture of twisty sections where the Porsche could exploit its strengths, but also a long back straight where the additional power of the GT2 cars could make a significant difference.
The team used Thursday's test day to build up speed, with van den Hengel gaining valuable experience despite completing her running on older tyres. Friday's opening practice session was then interrupted by multiple red flags, limiting the amount of uninterrupted running available to the field. Bovy began the session and posted a 1:39.258 on old tyres before handing the car to van den Hengel with 20 minutes remaining.
Van den Hengel immediately progressed from a 1:40.3 to a 1:39.8 before another red flag halted the session. Although the session briefly resumed, a further stoppage brought the running to an early conclusion, leaving the Iron Dames eighth in class.
The duo made further progress in the second practice session later that afternoon, despite extreme heat at the circuit. Bovy again started the session and immediately moved into the overall top five with a 1:37.8 lap, placing third among the ProAm runners. After a mid-session pit stop for adjustments, van den Hengel took over for the final 25 minutes and steadily lowered her personal times.
The Dutch driver improved to 1:39.133 and eventually a 1:38.862, showcasing encouraging gaps to her pro teammate. The #85 Porsche ended the session seventh in class.
Qualifying took place on Saturday morning in similarly intense heat, with van den Hengel taking the wheel for the opening session.
She immediately set a competitive 1:38.6 before improving to 1:38.259, placing third in ProAm when the session was interrupted by a red flag following contact between the #119 KTM and #111 Mercedes.
Van den Hengel was fourth in ProAm when the session resumed with six minutes remaining. As the times continued to fall, she delivered another strong final run, posting a 1:38.147 and producing an excellent final sector.
She was preparing to improve again when another red flag brought the session to a premature conclusion, leaving the Iron Dames Porsche 13th overall and fourth in ProAm.
Bovy then took over for the second qualifying session and immediately demonstrated the pace that had been evident throughout practice.
Her first representative lap of 1:37.139 placed her provisionally on top of the ProAm standings and fifth overall. She then broke into the 1:36s with a 1:36.955 before improving again to 1:36.895.
Another red flag with four minutes remaining interrupted the session, and although Bovy returned to the track when running resumed, she was unable to improve further. She ultimately qualified 11th overall and fourth in ProAm.
The qualifying performances of both Iron Dames drivers were very positive despite the outright results. Van den Hengel's ideal best lap was again not far off Bovy's, demonstrating that both had extracted almost everything available from the Porsche package.
Laura van den Hengel took the start of the opening race from fourth in ProAm and 13th overall.
Known for her excellent launches off the line, the Dutchwomen had more of a tricky start and slotted into 12th overall through the opening corners. However, the lack of straight-line speed soon became apparent as van den Hengel slipped back to sixth in class after the opening lap.
She could still respond by overtaking Thilenius for fifth in ProAm on lap two. The Mercedes soon reclaimed the position thanks to its superior speed, but van den Hengel remained close behind and continued pushing.
When Yu Lee spun the #8 Maserati, another ProAm entry, van den Hengel gained a position and moved into sixth in class and 14th overall. She set a 1:39.2 lap and kapt the #85 Porsche at a close distance to the group of cars ahead.
The race was then neutralised after overall leader Antoine Potty suffered a huge accident that appeared to be caused by a brake failure. The Maserati hit the barriers heavily, prompting a red flag, luckily with the driver able to exit the car safely.
The race was stopped for almost an hour while the barriers were repaired before the field eventually restarted behind the safety car.
Van den Hengel remained sixth in ProAm and 12th overall, with the pit window approaching. The opening of the pit window was delayed by three minutes, allowing van den Hengel to resume her attack on De Martin's #115 Mercedes. She stayed close to the Mercedes and was visibly quicker through the twisty sections, but couldn't make a move.
Van den Hengel eventually pitted on lap 13, handing the car over to Bovy. The Belgian immediately continued the fight, chasing the #888 KTM and setting a 1:38.4 on her way to recovering positions. She initially rejoined seventh in ProAm and 14th overall, but soon found herself held up behind Russel in an Am-class entry.
Once she found a way past, Bovy began to pull away while continuing to lap consistently in the 1:38s.
Further incidents ahead offered a few more opportunities; Ferrer's issue in the pits promoted Bovy to 11th overall, although she was later passed by a faster Mercedes on the straight and dropped to eighth in ProAm.
With five minutes remaining, a problem for Calamia promoted her back to seventh in class. A penalty for Hartling's #111 Mercedes then moved Bovy up to sixth in ProAm and 10th overall.
The Iron Dames driver continued to defend strongly in the closing stages, with the #898 KTM closing in behind.
When Montserrat went off on the final lap, Bovy was promoted to ninth overall and fifth in ProAm. She then produced a superb final-lap defence to hold off Hartling, crossing the finish line in fifth place in class.
The result equalled the duo's best finish of the season, but represented an outstanding achievement given the circumstances. Through clean driving and excellent race management from both drivers, the Iron Dames had maximised their available package.
Sarah Bovy took the start of Sunday's second and final race from 10th overall and fourth in ProAm.
She again made a strong launch, passing Pirri at the start, but the straight-line speed of the GT2 cars soon came into play. Calamia's Maserati passed on the straight before Bovy became embroiled in a battle with Marcucci's Audi.
Bovy defended superbly, but was eventually passed by both Pirri and Kofler's KTM on the second lap.
Despite losing positions, she continued to push relentlessly, lowering her best lap to 1:37.9 before Simpson's Ginetta also found a way past for seventh in ProAm.
When the #110 Mercedes of Wiskirchen encountered problems, Bovy regained sixth in class. She continued to lap consistently in the low 1:38s and maintained a gap of approximately one second to the KTM behind.
Bovy then improved further, setting a 1:37.7 and gradually pulling away from Petr Lisa.
As the pit window opened, she continued to produce competitive sector times and once again broke into the 1:37s before making her stop on lap 16.
Van den Hengel took over and rejoined 13th overall and sixth in ProAm. The Dutch driver immediately demonstrated greta pace, setting a 1:39.8 on her first flying lap before quickly improving to a 1:38.8. With approximately three seconds separating her from the #898 KTM ahead, van den Hengel began closing the gap.
Van den Hengel continued her charge and moved into fifth in ProAm and 13th overall. She then set a 1:38.3, almost matching her qualifying pace and producing an especially strong middle sector.
The Iron Dames driver opened a safe nine-second gap to the group behind and continued to climb the overall order.
As the race entered its closing stages, van den Hengel moved into 11th overall while maintaining fifth in ProAm. A 50-second penalty for Aigner following contact with Prette then dropped the Mercedes out of the top ten, promoting the Porsche to fourth in ProAm.
Van den Hengel held the position to the chequered flag, securing the duo's best result of the season to date.
For the Iron Dames, the result represented a good reward for a weekend in which both drivers had extracted the maximum from the Porsche.
“I think we maximised all we got with the less power we have in this series” - van den Hengel summarized. “Both me and Sarah, I think we were almost our strongest and really on the edge of our performance. So, I think, despite the lack of power, we had a mega result. And coming home with a P4, I think we should be really happy with it.”
The fourth-place finish, combined with their fifth-place result in Race 1, gave van den Hengel and Bovy their highest points haul of the season so far, with 22 points collected over the weekend. The result lifted both drivers to sixth in the ProAm championship standings at the halfway point of the season.
After a summer break, the GT2 European Series will return to action at Zandvoort in the Netherlands from 18-20 September, where van den Hengel will contest her home round and the Iron Dames will once again aim to challenge for the podium.