Racing for Women: Verza, Moiret and Villa claim podium on Ultimate GT Endurance first outing for all-female team with a mission
- RACERS
- 24 minutes ago
- 5 min read
At Magny-Cours, the Racing for Women initiative brought together an all-female line up in Ultimate Cup for a noble cause: Margaux Verza, Emilie Villa and Agathe Moiret teamed up at the wheel of a Ligier JS2R and secured second place in class, in an unforgettable awareness and charity campaign for breast cancer.
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours hosted a weekend of racing that went beyond sporting competition; from October 9 to 12, 2025, the Racing for Women initiative, created by driver and instructor Marc Bonnet and Alexia Ortega, founder of Ladies Who Rev Up, turned the Ultimate Cup European Series round into a celebration of inclusion and solidarity for Pink October, France’s national breast cancer awareness campaign.
What began as a fundraising and awareness effort soon evolved into something greater: a movement highlighting women’s place in motorsport. Through its name, Racing for Women, the project united both missions, supporting research and empowerment, under one shared purpose.
Throughout the month of October, Racing for Women launched a fundraising campaign benefitting two French organizations: Persévérance, the endowment fund of the Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest, which focuses on research into triple-negative breast cancer — one of the most aggressive forms of the disease — and Jeune & Rose, a collective supporting young women living with breast cancer, raising awareness among healthcare professionals and the general public.
But the highlight came at Magny-Cours, where the initiative came alive on track. Bonnet’s Nova NP02 prototype carried patients and caregivers from the Centre Hospitalier Jacques Cœur de Bourges for emotional passenger laps — a long-held dream for the driver, finally turned into reality.
Meanwhile, the Ligier JS2 R, prepared by Écurie Française, took to the grid for the Kennol GT Endurance Cup — this time in the hands of an all-female lineup: Margaux Verza, Emilie Villa, and Agathe Moiret.
The three drivers, selected in partnership with Ladies Who Rev Up, represented the initiative’s mission perfectly: determination, resilience and talent.
Margaux Verza, 28 year old automotive engineer at Alpine Cars, has significant experience in motorsport as she has competed full time in Alpine Europa Cup in 2022 and 2023, scoring overall top ten finishes. Verza then returned to Porsche machinery, and has been contesting the Porsche Sprint Challenge France in the Cayman GT4 car.
Emilie Villa, returning to competitions has also previously raced in Porsche Sprint Challenge France and has driven GT4 machinery as well as single seaters, where she won the 2022 Racing Pride scholarship at the wheel of the ERA Championship car electric car.
Agathe Moiret, 22, taking the leap from Mitjet 1300 to GT endurance, used the opportunity to prove her potential at the next level, and indeed delivered.
Supported by sponsors like Lemer Pax and Groupe SF, who covered the costs of participation, the #64 Ligier JS2 R became a symbol of opportunity and inclusion: a pink and white machine racing not only for points, but for a bigger purpose.
The team’s debut weekend in the Kennol GT Endurance Cup was nothing short of remarkable. Friday’s testing was used to familiarize the trio with the car and the track’s demanding layout, from the high-speed corner of Estoril to the technical Adelaide hairpin, under cool autumn skies. The crew worked closely with engineers from Écurie Française to perfect the car’s setup and optimize tyre management for the long-distance race.
On Saturday morning, Villa took over driving duties for Q1 and placed the car third in class. Moiret then shone in Q2, delivering a stellar lap of 1:50.643 to place the team on top of the class timesheets, before Margaux Verza took over for Q3, clocking a 1:53.030 — a performance that was again enough for third in class. The #64 Ligier would start third overall in class for Sunday’s four-hour race on average combined times.
Sunday dawned cold and foggy, delaying the start by nearly an hour. Once the green flag waved, Verza took the opening stint, showing calm maturity in the chaos of the early laps. She managed traffic expertly, keeping clear of early incidents and settling into a rhythm around the 1:52 mark in challenging conditions. By the first pit cycle, she had cycled through the lead and handed the car over in a strong position.
Next in was Moiret, whose double stint proved decisive. Once track conditions improved, she began to unleash the Ligier’s pace, consistently lapping in the low 1:51s and setting the team’s best lap at 1:50.694. Her focus and confidence impressed; for her first endurance race at this level, she delivered a professional, mistake-free run.
As the race entered its final hour, Villa took over to bring the car home. Her stint was perhaps the most challenging: the sun began to dip, the temperatures fell, and the track surface became increasingly unpredictable. Yet she managed the closing laps with precision, maintaining second in class despite mounting pressure from the cars behind. Several Full Course Yellows and strategy reshuffles in the final 45 minutes, but the pit crew’s clean work and communication ensured there were no mistakes.
After four hours of racing, the pink #64 Ligier JS2 R crossed the finish line second in class, earning a well-deserved podium finish on debut. The result felt like victory: the culmination of teamwork, and a shared belief in what the initiative stood for. For Verza, Villa, and Moiret, the race had indeed been more than a competition, it was something bigger than the sport itself and claimed a podium that belongs to every woman who’s fought, on or off the track.
None of this would have been possible without a network of committed partners. Lemer Pax, a leader in radiation protection technology, and Groupe SF, a socially responsible logistics company, both played key roles in funding the program. Additional support came from Ultimate Cup European Series, which waived entry fees for the cause; Gimber, providing beverages for drivers and guests; and Montignac, the French watchmaker that donated elegant timepieces to the drivers and key donors.
“When Marc told me about organizing the participation of a female crew in his second car, the idea immediately won me over", said Alexia Ortega, who managed the project’s communication and coordination. "I didn't hesitate for a second to link Ladies Who Rev Up to this initiative, since its objective aligns perfectly with my vision. As part of this partnership, at least one driver in the crew will be chosen from among members of the community. I am proud to be part of a powerful initiative, but also to jointly uphold the values that brought us together.”
The success of Racing for Women at Magny-Cours exceeded all expectations on track, in the paddock, and in the hearts of everyone involved. The initiative’s visibility spread across the racing community and beyond, raising awareness about inclusion, empowerment, and healthcare.
As Pink October continues, the fundraising campaign remains open until the 31st, with all proceeds going directly to Persévérance and Jeune & Rose.
