Vanina Ickx and Marta García to miss Road To Le Mans

The Iron Dames pairing of Vanina Ickx and Marta García will unfortunately not take part in next week’s Road to Le Mans, the third round of the 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup, following a health-related issue for the Belgian racer.

Photo credits: FocusPackMedia - Marius Hecker

The Iron Dames pairing of Vanina Ickx and Marta García will unfortunately not take part in next week’s Road to Le Mans, the third round of the 2025 Michelin Le Mans Cup, following a health-related issue for the Belgian racer.

“We regret to announce that the 2025 Iron Dames Michelin Le Mans Cup line-up of Vanina Ickx and Marta García will not take part in next week's Road to Le Mans,” confirmed the team in a statement. “This difficult decision, which saddens the entire team, follows a recent health issue for Vanina. On medical advice, she will not be competing at Le Mans."

"We’re pleased to share that she is doing well and is expected to return to racing very soon.”

Ickx, 50, returned to international competitions this season after more than a decade away, bringing with her a wealth of experience that includes seven appearances at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The Belgian remains the last woman to have raced in the event’s top class, finishing seventh overall in 2011. A former Audi DTM factory driver, Ickx enjoyed success in GT and endurance racing in the early 2000s, including podiums in the Le Mans Series and victory in the 2008 Spa 12 Hours.

Her teammate Marta García, 24, is making her full-season debut in GT3 competition after a breakthrough stint in single-seaters: the inaugural F1 Academy champion stepped up to the Formula Regional European Championship in 2024 and made her sports car debut with Iron Dames in the Ligier European Series. García impressed immediately, taking victory on her second start at Spa-Francorchamps before returning to the top step in Portimão.

Her standout performances earned her a promotion to the Michelin Le Mans Cup for 2025, where she shares a Porsche 911 GT3 R run by Proton Huber Competition under the Iron Dames banner.

The duo’s campaign began with drama at the season opener in Barcelona. While running in the lead, García was hit by another competitor, sending the #83 Porsche into the barriers in a 22G impact that caused a fire. García was extracted by marshals and later cleared of serious injury after precautionary hospital checks.

Despite the setback, García and Ickx returned to action at Circuit Paul Ricard with a fully rebuilt car. Ickx qualified on the front row and fought for the lead on the opening lap, but early contact resulted in a drive-through penalty. García brought the car home in fourth, scoring her first finish in a GT3 race and showing strong pace despite battling a damaged car.

However, with Ickx sidelined by her health issue ahead of the Road to Le Mans—the flagship round of the Michelin Le Mans Cup, held as part of the 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend—the team has opted not to field a replacement bronze-rated driver and will instead withdraw the entry altogether.

The next round of the championship is scheduled at Spa-Francorchamps at the end of August.

The Racers team wishes Ickx a prompt recovery.