History was made at the FIA World Endurance Championship this past weekend when Team Iron Dames’ Michelle Gatting, Sarah Bovy and Rahel Frey, became the first-ever all-female team to win the championship, in Bahrain on Sunday, 5 November, 2023.
They make history as the first all-women team to do so since the event began back in 2012.
Driving the no. 85 Porsche 911 RSR-19, Gatting was able to keep Casper Stevenson’s No. 777 D’station Racing Aston Martin Vantage GTE at bay to seal the big win for her team in the eight-hour race.
“The last two hours were tough, but I suddenly felt the pressure from the D’Station Aston behind but the support from the whole team was amazing. Today we got what we have been fighting for, for the whole year,” said Gatting after the race on the FIA WEC’s page on X.
By the look of it, the team aren’t resting on their laurels, as they are hoping that the season-ending finish can buoy them to even greater success in the coming year.
“It’s very much the descend of the car, what the car deserves, what we deserve. We will take the moment for 2024, to come back even stronger,” a very excited Frey said of their historic win.
The win was made sweeter for the drivers as they were not able to finish in a podium spot at Le Mans, despite dominating in that race.
on Saturday 4 November, 2023. Photo: Supplied (c) 2023 FIA WEC / FocusPackMedia – Marcel Wulf
The event take place over seven rounds after the 2-day season-commencing Prologue at Sebring in the USA, and it takes place across the globe with stops in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Japan and Bahrain. The race durations range from 6 hours to 24 hours, which will also mean varying distances.
No doubt that their win will certainly be a big boost for female racers to join the motorsport world.
With this history added to the race, The FIA World Endurance Championship has established itself as the world’s premier international sports car championship and is now in its 11th season.
Main Photo Caption: The hot pink Porsche 911 RSR-19 car no. #85 and their crew elevated the skilful driving of Team Iron Dames to the top of the podium at the WEC Bapco Energies 8h at the Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain, on Saturday, 4 November, 2023. Photo: Supplied (c) 2023 FIA WEC / FocusPackMedia – Marcel Wulf
Photo 2 Caption: The Iron Ladies celebrate after their historic win in the FIA World Endurance Championship. Photo: FIAWEC on X
Photo 3 Caption: Team Iron Dames celebrate at the top of the FIA WEC’s Bapco Energies 8h of Bahrain Podium, in Sakhir, Bahrain, on Saturday 4 November, 2023. Photo: Supplied (c) 2023 FIA WEC / FocusPackMedia – Marcel Wulf
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