Heroics Into Saint Devote

In 2017, Andrea Piccini, Deborah Mayer, Claudio Schiavoni and Sergio Pianezzola came together and founded Iron Lynx Motorsport Lab. It quickly rose to be a force of the racing world, having open-wheel titans Prema Racing as a sister team. But they went on to found the Iron Dames a year later. Mayer’s intention was to promote women in motorsport. That’s certainly what she achieved.

The project’s first drivers included a star-studded roster of Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting and Manuela Gostner. The team placed second-in-class on their debut at the 12 Hours of Dubai. Safe to say, the Iron Dames got people talking. Fast forward a year and the Dames make the European Le Mans Series debut under the Kessel Racing name. The car went on to finish 4th overall, standing on the podium a handful of times across the season. They also finished 9th in class at the crown jewel of the calendar, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Another year forward and the team continued to expand their stables, entering their team into the Ferrari Challenge Europe, as well as maintaining their entry into the European Le Mans Series and the World Endurance Championship. But the team only continued to grow, expanding their roster of drivers who have the Iron Dames backing in their arsenal. And today, the team continues to support a roster of over 20 drivers, as per wikipedia. And even run an equestrian team with somewhere around 12 riders

So Why?

Well I’m writing this after my weekend at the European Le Mans Series at Silverstone. Having never seen the Iron Dames race in the flesh before, it was almost overwhelming to see the support and the traction the team had generated. Not primarily through social media, but genuinely earning their position on racing grids around the world through good, solid performances that are expected of top quality teams. The Dames put themselves on LMGT3 pole with their excellent looking Porsche 911. Qualifying conditions weren’t easy. After a heavy downpour just before the session, it meant the track would only improve during the qualifying session. But the Dames prevailed and showed the record crowd at Silverstone why they were there, and that they were there to compete, not make up numbers. The race was a pretty disrupted and rain-soaked one, but they held their edge well and continued to put in a performance to be proud of. history. Vanina Ickx and Marta Garcia converted their pole into a lights-to-flag Victory in the Le Mans Cup, recording the team’s first win in the series. And it has to be said, the car looked excellent in doing so.

But it cannot be understated. The sheer amount of support for the team from such a varied demographic of fans was something else. I myself stood in the queue to get my Iron Dames hat signed for half an hour, before leaving empty handed (but that’s beside the point). Even on the gridwalk before the race, it was practically impossible to get near the Porsche 911 for a photo because of the sheer volume of people around it. And it’s just incredible to see. As in many walks of life, putting yourself in the spotlight can be a risky. Any role in the public light can lead to criticism. No doubt the Iron Dames have received more than their fair share in criticism since 2019, but they continued to strive, causing waves in the racing world. And AS THEY SHOULD.

I got plenty of photos of the car during the weekend. Lets have a look.