AWARDS PICKED UP AT GOODWOOD FOS HIGHLIGHTS FOR IRON DAMES

Nine Iron Dames were participating around the globe during a busy weekend of action, with a pair of well-earned awards for the French Rally Championship pair among the main achievements from the weekend.

Goodwood Festival of Speed

Four Iron Dames attended one of the most anticipated motoring events of the year, the Goodwood Festival of Speed, for the first time.
 
Sarah Rumeau and Julie Amblard made a very strong impression and left their mark on the famous forest rally stage. Celebrating all eras of rallying, the entrants ranged from the birth of World Championship rallying in the 1970s, through to Group B legends, right up to the very latest cars of today, including the 2024 pink Ford Fiesta Rally2; highlighting the growing presence of women in sport, spearheaded by the Iron Dames.
 
The 1.5-mile rally stage cuts its way through the dense woods, with numerous tight turns, switchbacks and s-bends, as well as a jump. Many famous rally drivers from across the years have been tearing it up with timed runs and demos over the course of the four-day event. Our young French duo were at the heart of this extremely engaging show in tricky conditions, finishing in the Top five in the four shoot-outs and even taking an admirable second place on Sunday’s final. Last but not least, they received the “Tornado Trophy”, rewarding the highest and longest jump. 

Another excellent mention goes to Celia Martin and Karen Gaillard who, in their first participation, achieved not only the feat of qualifying for the famous Sunday shout-out, during which world-famous drivers and cars take it in turns to set the fastest time at the top of the 1.16-mile hill but also won the prize for the fastest lady driver. Every year, this unassuming stretch of road is transformed into one of the most challenging courses in motor racing.
 
For iconic manufacturers, drivers and racing teams, it’s a chance to show off their superb machines and driving skills. Lamborghini and the Iron Dames were no exception, with spectacular runs taking place in the Huracán GT3 Evo 2 which they race in the Michelin Le Mans Cup. But when the clock starts ticking on Sunday, only a privileged few put everything on the line, and in slippery conditions, Karen did just that and was presented with the prize by the Duke of Richmond at the official ceremony. 
 
With two unexpected awards and being a huge hit with the British public, the Iron Dames have left their mark on this 2024 edition, the first for each of them, strengthening the links between the project and the festival. 

FIA World Endurance Championship

From the hard-earned pole position on Saturday, Sarah Bovy stormed off into the lead in the opening stages ahead of the #92 Porsche. She was able to open the gap to five seconds in the first stint, which then came down to around 2.5s after the first pitstop. As Sarah’s second stint progressed, the #92 got by but she kept in contention for the lead before handing over to Rahel Frey.

Around the twisty and flowing circuit, Rahel kept firmly in range of the #92, while also resisting car #27 which had closed up. That remained the order for Rahel’s two stints, before she pitted to hand over to Michelle Gatting with just over two hours to go. However, during the pitstop, the team encountered an issue with the water pump and had to return to the garage. The #85 eventually returned on track, albeit nine laps down and having dropped from second to 16th.
 
Michelle pressed on, but the team was unable to pick up a good result due to the issue earlier on and pulled back into the pits shortly afterwards to retire from the race – a heartbreaking result after another promising performance.

Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine

The Iron Dames made progress throughout the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine weekend at Mugello Circuit. Running in very challenging conditions due to torrid weather, Doriane Pin made solid progress and inched closer to the top 20 with a consistent run. Marta Garcia also increased her experience in difficult conditions and despite suffering from an early spin in Race 1, she rebounded to 27th in Race 2.