Iron Dames – the team that is taking by storm the world of GT racing and breaking barriers for women in motorsport – announced a further expansion into the Italian GT Championship for the upcoming 3H of Mugello, with a new team member.
Started in 2019 by Ferrari brand ambassador and women in motorsport's advocate Deborah Mayer, the Iron Dames project made history in its very inaugural season by bringing a fully female crew to the 24H of Le Mans, finishing in the top-10.
With its original line up - a perfect mix of an experienced GT racer such as Rahel Frey, a young talent such as Michelle Gatting and an ever-growing bronze-rated driver such as Manuela Gostner - the Iron Dames paved the way for a new concept of all-female teams, proving that provided with top-quality equipment, these drivers could aim to the top in the upper echelons of endurance racing.
Operated by Italian-based Iron Lynx Motorsport, the young team has quickly become a real benchmark in GT racing and among Ferrari customers. Having stepped up to the World Endurance Championship in 2021, both the male and female crews lined up by Iron Lynx are making waves and taking the GT world by storm, as they expanded their operations to some of the most prestigious continental and global series.
New talented women have been added to the Iron Dames rostrum this year, with racing star Katherine Legge famously joining the squad for the WEC campaign. Former W Series reserve driver Sarah Bovy was also a new addition, together with 17-year old French driver Doriane Pin who had been a finalist in the FIA Women In Motorsport's 'Girls on Track: Rising Star' program. Pin and Bovy teamed up for the Michelin Le Mans Cup, and claimed a class podium at Le Castellet.
Bovy and Pin made history last month when, alongside team leader Katherine Legge, were the first entirely-female crew to enter a race in the GT World Challenge Europe. At the 1000km of Paul Ricard, the trio finished 6th in Pro-Am class.
Also making her debut from karting to single seater under the banner of Iron Dames is the first winner of the above mentioned Rising Star program, Maya Weug, who was awarded with a prestigious Ferrari Driver Academy contract and became the first female driver contracted by the Italian F1 team. Weug is competing in the Italian F4 championship and in selected rounds of the ADAC F4 Germany.
At the same time, the original line-up of Frey-Gatting-Gostner continued their adventure in ELMS, with Gatting also entering her first full-time rookie season in the Ferrari Challenge Europe Trofeo Pirelli. After four rounds, the Danish driver currently leads the point standings, having scored 3 victories, 8 podiums, 4 pole positions and 3 fastest laps.
One week ahead of the second round of the Italian GT Championship endurance series - held at Mugello - Iron Lynx announced that it will line up 3 Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo, including the all-female Iron Dames car.
Thus, at the upcoming 3H of Mugello, a new Iron Dame will make her debut: British racer Flick Haigh.
35-year-old Haigh made history in 2018 when she became the first ever woman to win the top-class in the British GT championship. Having started her racing career at 22, Flick progressed through a variety of categories and race cars, including Ginetta, Britcar, Michelin Le Mans Cup - before her breakthrough performance in an Aston Martin GT3 in the premier class of British GT. She has also represented the UK at the first edition of the Motorsport Games at Vallelunga in 2019, finishing 5th in the GT Cup category.
Flick Haigh, who has her eyes set on the 24H of Le Mans dream, joins Rahel Frey and Sarah Bovy for her first race with the Iron Dames team.
It is not yet clear if the team will continue in Italian GT after the Mugello round.
The race is set to get underway on Sunday 4th July at 14:00 local time, with live streaming available on the series Youtube and Facebook channels.