Marta García and Vanina Ickx take victory in Michelin Le Mans Cup at Silverstone
- RACERS
- Sep 13
- 5 min read
Marta García and Vanina Ickx claimed Iron Dames’ first Michelin Le Mans Cup win at Silverstone, converting pole into a commanding victory after a strong opening stint for the Belgian and a recovery drive by the Spaniard to win by over 40 seconds, marking a historic achievement for the all-female team.
Iron Dames’ Marta García and Vanina Ickx converted pole position into their first Michelin Le Mans Cup victory at Silverstone, improving on their third place at Spa-Francorchamps to claim a historic win for the all-female team. After a strong opening stint by Ickx, García recovered from more than 30 seconds down after being hit and spun, ultimately crossing the line with a winning margin of over 40 seconds.
The weekend marked a milestone for the all-female team; after securing Michelin Le Mans Cup pole position with Vanina Ickx, Iron Dames also celebrated their first European Le Mans Series pole of the season with Célia Martin. By Saturday afternoon, they had also clinched their first Le Mans Cup victory with Ickx and García, thus becoming winners at every level of ACO competition.
Iron Dames entered the 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup with a brand-new GT3 pairing: inaugural F1 Academy champion Marta García, stepping up to sportscars, and Vanina Ickx, returning to competitive racing after more than a decade away. García had already shown promise with the team in 2024, when she contested the final rounds of the Ligier European Series, claiming two victories in just two rounds.
Promoted to the Le Mans Cup line-up for 2025, she partnered with the vastly experienced Ickx in the #83 Porsche, aiming to translate the Iron Dames’ mission of developing female talent into results in the biggest stepping stone to ELMS and on her GT3 debut.
The season began with flashes of speed but was plagued by misfortune: at Barcelona, García was leading the GT3 class on her debut when she was struck by a rival and sent into the barriers at high speed, the Porsche catching fire in a dramatic incident that fortunately left her unharmed. Paul Ricard saw Ickx star in qualifying with a front-row start, only for early contact to drop the duo back, although García recovered to a respectable fourth place.
Their toughest blow came at Le Mans, where Ickx was sidelined by a health issue that saw the team ulltimately withdraw from the prestigious round. Returning for Spa-Francorchamps, however, the pair finally converted their pace into a result, battling at the front for two hours and securing the Iron Dames’ first podium of the season, and García’s first in GT3 machinery.
Silverstone marked the first appearance of the Michelin Le Mans Cup at the iconic British track, which returned to the ELMS calendar for the first time since 2019. Both Iron Dames drivers had some prior experience at Silverstone in different machinery, and they were quickly on the pace in the #83 Porsche.
Despite a disrupted opening session due to multiple red flags, which limited García’s track time, she still placed fourth fastest. Ickx impressed in the Bronze Test, going second quickest among bronze-rated drivers in tricky changeable weather. García then had the chance to return to the car in FP2, setting a 2:01.605 to go second fastest overall, in a very positive sign for the race.
Qualifying duties went to bronze-rated Vanina Ickx for the 15-minute session. After waiting in the pits for a few minutes, her first representative lap of 2:03.691 put the Iron Dames Porsche third fastest. She improved to a 2:03.140 but had her next effort deleted for track limits despite setting the fastest first sector. Ickx immediately responded with another superb lap, setting the fastest overall second sector and ultimately posting a 2:02.680 — the first time under the 2:03 barrier. The effort earned her maiden Le Mans Cup pole position.
Starting from pole for the first time — and the second time on the front row — Ickx lined up alongside Fabrizio Broggi in the Ebimotors Porsche. At the green flag, heavy LMP3 traffic created chaos, and Ickx was forced to avoid spinning cars ahead. This allowed Eliseo Donno in the #51 AF Corse Ferrari and Valentin Hasse-Clot in the #11 Code Racing Aston Martin — two teams not starting their bronze drivers after being disqualified from qualifying — to move past. The Iron Dames Porsche slotted into third overall, still the leading bronze entry.
Ickx quickly settled into her rhythm, lapping in the 2:03.7 range, significantly quicker than the other bronze competitors. By lap 7, the Ebimotors Porsche suffered a puncture and was forced to pit, leaving the Iron Dames Porsche with a big margin over Cuhadaroglu’s Ferrari. However, race control handed Ickx a 10-second penalty for a starting infringement, to be served at the next pit stop.
On lap 11, the #98 Motorsport98 Ligier LMP3 of De Doncker spun and became stranded in the gravel, bringing out the first Full Course Yellow. Under caution, Hasse-Clot pitted but remained in the car, dropping to third in GT3 and promoting Ickx to second place.
The race went green again with 1h 24m to go, but was immediately back under safety car after a major crash at Copse. The Ebimotors Porsche was involved in a three-wide incident with the #62 Bretton Racing prototype, colliding heavily with the barriers in a high-speed impact. Thankfully, the drivers were unhurt. The safety car procedure left only two GT3 cars on the lead lap: Vanina Ickx in second and Eliseo Donno’s AF Corse Ferrari in the lead.
At the restart with just over an hour to go, Ickx had light contact with the #27 P4 Racing Ligier at Copse but both cars continued without damage. With the pit window approaching, Ickx pitted on lap 19 from second in GT3. The team served the penalty before handing the car over to Marta García.
García rejoined in third, with the AF Corse Ferrari still to pit and the #11 Aston Martin — now with bronze-rated Philipp Sager — in second. Soon after, however, Pierre Kaffer’s M Racing LMP3 made contact with García, spinning her off track. The Spaniard was able to rejoin and retained third.
Undeterred, García immediately settled into a strong pace, consistently running in the 2:02s and rapidly closing the gap to Sager. When Donno pitted and handed the Ferrari to Cozzi, García remained third. A Full Course Yellow was called on lap 26 when Doppelmayr’s Ligier became stranded at pit exit.
As the race resumed, Sager eventually pitted again, and García moved into second place — now 30 seconds behind Cozzi in the Ferrari, but lapping more than five seconds per lap quicker. On lap 30 alone, García gained almost eight seconds, and the battle for victory was on.
Cozzi was then also hit by an LMP3 car and spun at Luffield, allowing García to sweep into the lead of the GT3 class with 25 minutes to go. Another FCY was deployed soon after when Rabin’s CD Sport prototype went off into the gravel, but at the restart with 17 minutes to go, García was in command.
She pulled away at a rate of around four seconds per lap, comfortably extending her margin to the #23 Biogas Motorsport Ferrari in second. With ten minutes left, García’s advantage had grown to over 30 seconds, and by the chequered flag, she crossed the line with more than 40 seconds in hand.
It was Marta García’s first ever victory in GT3, achieved on only her fourth start, and a breakthrough triumph for the Iron Dames. The team in fact became the first ever to win at every level of ACO competitions: the Ligier European Series, Michelin Le Mans Cup, European Le Mans Series, and FIA WEC.
Although not in championship contention due to the missed rounds earlier in the year, García and Ickx climbed to fifth in the standings with one round to go, the season finale at Portimão on 18 October.
