Natalia Granada to make car racing debut in Ligier European Series

Iron Dame Natalia Granada, 16, is set to make her step up from karting to sports cars, as she will drive the #85 Ligier JS2R in the Ligier European Series at Mugello.

Photo credits: Ligier European Series

After Marta Garcia, the Ligier European Series will see another Iron Dame making her first start in sports cars: 16 year old Natalia Granada, in fact, is set to debut behind the wheel of the #85 Ligier JS2 R in the one make series in support of the European Le Mans Series round at Mugello.

Born in 2008, Granada started karting at 11 and soon climbed the ranks of national karting competitions. She joined the Iron Dames project in 2023 and became the first driver in the karting programme of the all-female squad.

One of the youngest of the Iron Dames roster, Natalia tackled the Spanish Karting Championship as well as the Iame European Championship and Iame World Final representing the team founded by Deborah Mayer, that has now expanded its presence in karting, single seaters as well as some of the world's top sports car series.

She will now take on a new challenge, with her first ever race in a GT car, on a very demanding circuit like the 5.245 km Mugello track, which will host the fifth round of the season next week in Tuscany.

Inaugural F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia made headlines last time out at Spa Francorchamps, as she entered her first ever weekend in GT racing - and took victory in Race 2. With Garcia also contesting the full Formula Regional European Championship season, the pink #85 Ligier will now be driven by young Catalan Granada.

The on-track action kicks off on Friday 27th September with the first free practice session, followed by a second practice session in the afternoon. Two 15-minute qualifying sessions will then be held later in the same day. The two Mugello races will be contested on Saturday, 28th September.