In the dimly lit garages of the World Endurance Championship (WEC), amidst the sea of grey, black, and red liveries, one car screams for attention. It’s neon pink. It’s loud. And for a long time, rivals made the mistake of thinking it was just a marketing gimmick.
They aren’t thinking that anymore.
The Iron Dames—the all-female racing project founded by Deborah Mayer—has transformed from a bold experiment into a championship-winning juggernaut. Led by the core trio of Michelle Gatting (Denmark), Rahel Frey (Switzerland), and Sarah Bovy (Belgium), the team has systematically dismantled the “gentlemen’s club” of endurance racing, proving that the only thing “soft” about their pink Porsche (or sometimes Lamborghini) is the color of the paint.
The Architect and the Mission
The story begins with Deborah Mayer, a French entrepreneur and Ferrari ambassador who saw a gaping hole in the motorsport ladder. Female drivers were stalling out, not due to a lack of talent, but a lack of funded opportunities. In 2018, she launched the Iron Dames project under the Iron Lynx umbrella with a simple manifesto: “Women Driven by Dreams.”
But dreams don’t win races; lap times do. Mayer assembled a lineup that blended youth, experience, and raw speed.
The Trio of Terror
The chemistry between Gatting, Frey, and Bovy is the team’s secret weapon.
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Sarah Bovy (The Qualifier): The Belgian driver is the ultimate “Bronze” rated driver (a classification in endurance racing), though her pace is anything but amateur. Bovy has earned a reputation as a qualifying specialist, frequently putting the car on pole position against male counterparts.
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Rahel Frey (The Veteran): The Swiss ace brings decades of factory-level experience. A former DTM driver and Audi factory pilot, she is the calm in the storm, guiding the team strategy and managing the car during the chaotic middle stints.
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Michelle Gatting (The Closer): The Dane is the hammer. Often tasked with the final stints of the race, she possesses the ice-cold nerves required to hold off charging rivals in the dying minutes of a 24-hour marathon.
History in Bahrain
The team knocked on the door of victory for years, securing podiums and pole positions, but the top step remained elusive. That changed on November 4, 2023, under the floodlights of the 8 Hours of Bahrain.
Driving the No. 85 Porsche 911 RSR-19, the trio delivered a flawless performance. Bovy secured the pole, Frey managed the tires, and Gatting brought it home. Crossing the line, they became the first all-female lineup to win a World Endurance Championship (WEC) race.
It was more than a win; it was a watershed moment. The sight of three women standing on the top step of a world championship podium, spraying rose water, sent a shockwave through the paddock.
“We have been fighting for this for so long… It’s quite emotional for all of us.” — Michelle Gatting after the Bahrain win
Conquering Spa
If Bahrain was the breakthrough, the 24 Hours of Spa was the confirmation. In 2022, competing in one of the most dangerous and difficult GT races on the planet, the Dames (then in a Ferrari 488 GT3) became the first all-female team to win the Gold Cup class at the legendary Belgian endurance race.
They didn’t just survive the grueling 24 hours; they dominated their category, finishing laps ahead of their nearest rivals.
The Pink Legacy
Today, the Iron Dames are fan favorites at every circuit they visit. Young girls arrive at tracks clutching pink flags, wearing pink hats, and watching three women do exactly what they were told was impossible.
But the Dames aren’t racing to be role models; they are racing to be champions. With their historic wins in the rearview mirror, Gatting, Frey, and Bovy have proven that the race car doesn’t know the gender of the driver—it only knows the pressure of the foot on the pedal. And the Iron Dames have a very heavy foot.
Fast Facts: The Iron Dames
| Milestone | Detail |
| WEC History | First all-female lineup to win a World Endurance Championship race (8 Hours of Bahrain, 2023) |
| Spa 24 Hours | First all-female team to win the Gold Cup class (2022) |
| ELMS History | First all-female team to win a European Le Mans Series race (4 Hours of Portimão, 2022) |
| Founder | Deborah Mayer (Former President of FIA Women in Motorsport Commission) |
| Key Car | Porsche 911 RSR / Lamborghini Huracán GT3 Evo 2 |
Learn more: https://www.irondames.ch/