Michelle Gatting recalled her tearful Le Mans 24 Hours debut with the Iron Dames and described the growth of the all-female driver project.

The Iron Dames project is currently one of the leading and lasting motorsport organisations promoting female driver talent.

As of this year, they have the highest count of drivers in their roster – 16 – across various series and disciplines including the FIA World Endurance Championship, IMSA, European Le Mans Series, GT World Challenge Europe, to name a few in sportscar racing.

The project began their sportscar racing endeavours at the 2019 Le Mans 24 Hours, as Gatting told Motorsport Week about her emotive event debut along with the unforeseen growth of the project.

Gatting has been one of the key figures in the Iron Dames having taken on most of their pursuits in sportscar racing.

The 31-year-old joined fellow Iron Dame Rahel Frey in six consecutive starts at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“It was my first 24 Hours of Le Mans,” she said.

“A huge achievement back then, obviously the biggest achievement in my racing career, coming there with an all-female line-up with a new project in the motorsports environment.

“The attention on us was huge, enormous.

“I remember on the starting grid before the race started, we were sitting together, Rahel [Frey], me and Manuela [Gostner], our line-up.

“We were all wearing our sunglasses and the tears were falling down on our cheeks because it was such a proud moment and there was a lot to take in.

“I also got the tattoo on my arm two days before I left for the race with the 24 Hours of Le Mans logo and the quote saying, ‘If you can dream it, you can do it,’ because it was obviously just a huge achievement.”

Public reception of the Iron Dames initiative

The Iron Dames were not the first effort with ambitions to bring female talent to Le Mans, having contributed to the 66 female drivers who have starred in the historic race.

Gatting remembered a largely positive reception to Deborah Mayer, the founder of the Iron Dames initiative, though underlined by public skepticism due to the unsuccessful attempts of previous alike female driver projects.

“I don’t think there were so many expectations to begin with because you have seen female projects before that were there for one year and then you never saw them again.

“And this was also very important for me, personally, that it was not going to be a project like this.

“I quickly realised together with Deborah [Mayer] that it was not going to be a project just for one year.

“So the first year I remember being in the paddock, I knew a lot of the drivers already. But people were a bit skeptical.

“And if I go to now, we are very well-respected and very well-known in the paddock.

“We have drivers that are coming to shake our hands when they see us, the Hypercar drivers. You know, there’s a lot of respect amongst the other drivers towards us and the project.

“And this was something that had to be done over years.

“… The first year we finished P9 no mistakes from the team, from the drivers, and basically we’ve done that ever since… [and] so far never had a DNF.”

Mayer as a leader for the Iron Dames

Mayer founded the Iron Dames in 2018 before taking on motorsport with her female driver-focused project.

She served as President of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission from 2022 to 2024 having been fuelled by her passion for female representation in motorsport and has lead the Iron Dames drivers throughout the project’s seven-year existence.

“Deborah is a very strong, empowering woman and she’s a very kind person,” said Gatting.

“She is taking us in like we are her own. She’s protecting us really, like we are her own.

“And this is very special.

“Obviously I’ve been on the project since day-one, so I have shared a lot of moments together with Deborah.

“Good and bad, strong and let’s say weak moments. We have been through it all.

“We [Iron Dames] are all very similar because she’s very determined, she’s very strong-willed.

“When she has an idea, she goes for it. When she has a goal in her head, she will do everything she can to reach it.

“I think this is very important that the mentality is more or less the same between all the drivers and the riders.”

Seeing Iron Dames in different race cars

For the 2025 racing season, the Iron Dames announced their partnership with Porsche for all of their GT3 racing efforts.

Gatting became an official Porsche driver as part of the news, as she teased what this meant for her and the Iron Dames project.

“This is very important for me,” she said on the achievement.

“A huge personal goal that I’ve worked very hard for many years to achieve and I also don’t hide the fact that the goals are bigger than that.

“My dream is to continuously be an Iron Dame, but hopefully within the next year to get the chance to share a car together with male drivers, with male factory drivers, as an Iron Dame continuously.

“This is the next goal. This is the next step that the Iron Dames will also be expanded and you will see more Iron Dames maybe in different cars, still having an Iron Dames-branded suit or Iron Dames logos, but you will see us more as individuals with male drivers and so on.”

Earlier this week, the ‘Supported by Iron Dames’ initiative was launched to bring three female drivers – Emma Chalvin, Laura van den Hengel and Ava Lawrence – to be nurtured by the Iron Dames across the GT racing, rallying and karting disciplines the trio represent.

Aiming towards a main championship title

The Iron Dames won their first European Le Mans Series race at the end of the 2022 season, followed by their maiden victory in the 2024 FIA World Endurance Championship – also at the season finale.

“I think for the project, the next goal that would be for all of us to win a championship,” Gatting said, “We have shown that in WEC, we’ve shown it in Le Mans that we can withstand the pressure.

“… Now it’s about consistency and to prove to the environment that we can also win the championships because that’s the hard part in the end, is to be consistent enough over a year to gain enough points to win championships.

“… They [Manthey Racing ] won the championship, they [also] finished P2, they won Le Mans.

“I know it’s not just a goal for me, but it’s also a goal for my teammates that we win a championship.”

The recent Qatar 1812 km marking a difficult start to the season for the Iron Dames having taken 13th place in the LMGT3 category as Gatting anticipated beforehand their #85 Porsche 911 LMGT3.R was “probably not going to be standing on top of the podium.”

This was due to address Manthey’s dominant form last year during what was the first season of the LMGT3 category.

Sixty-two hours of racing remains in the WEC schedule whilst Proton Racing will assist in the remainder of IMSA’s Endurance rounds and the upcoming the ELMS season.

The Le Mans 24 Hours on 14-15 June will mark another chance to better their fifth-placed finish last year and their best-ever of P4 in 2023.

READ MORE: Five key storylines from the WEC Qatar 1812 km

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Iron Dames driver Celia Martin described her newfound excitement for her FIA World Endurance Championship debut at the Qatar season-opener.

“It’s my first time here in Qatar, in FIA WEC and with Manthey so there are a lot of firsts for me,” she said having contested the Le Mans Cup last year for the Iron Dames.

“I’m so impressed with everything. It feels like the first day at school.

“It’s a good feeling to be around all of these experienced people.

“I made good progress in understanding the car as the Prologue continued.

“There are many things which are new for me, which I am trying to get used to.

“I am also getting more confident in the car, which is the most important thing for the race.

“The girls are also doing a good job to keep improving and working on the car.”

The #85 Porsche 911 LMGT3.R will be driven by team regulars Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting – who both drove at the Iron Dames’ Le Mans event debut in 2019 – along with Martin for the upcoming eight-round campaign.

Gatting’s honest expectations for the Qatar 1812km

Speaking to Motorsport Week after the official pre-season test, Gatting said:

“It’s nice to be here this year in a Porsche. Last year we were here with the Lambo and I definitely prefer to be here in a Porsche, I have to admit.

“… For sure we’re running behind the other cars quite a lot. This is no secret, we knew from last year what Porsche showed that they could not arrive with the same kind of pace for the first race.

“So we are running a little bit behind the others, which is okay.

“We will try to find another strategy to try and manage it.

“But we know that the first race of the season is probably not going to be us standing on top of the podium.”

The Qatar 1812 km on 28 February will continue the action at the Lusail International Circuit.

Most notably, the Iron Dames already begun their partnership with Porsche not only in last year’s European Le Mans Series season with Proton Racing, but also during the 2024/25 Asian Le Mans Series.

Track action for the WEC opener for the 10-hour race will commence with a 90-minute Free Practice 1 session on Wednesday 26 February from 11.30am local time/8.30am UTC.

READ MORE: Celia Martin on her ’emotional’ first season with the Iron Dames

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The Iron Dames has retained Michelle Gatting, Rahel Frey and Sarah Bovy for the remaining four IMSA Endurance Cup races of the 2025 season.

As having competed in the 2024 IMSA SportsCar Championship, the famed trio will continue their work for the rest of the 2025 endurance campaign.

The first of five rounds took place recently with the 24 Hours of Daytona, where the trio were joined by former Le Mans Cup driver now-Porsche Carrera Cup France driver Karen Gaillard.

Iron Dames receive technical support from Proton Competition with the use of the Porsche 911 GT3.R package in their third IMSA Endurance Cup season, along with the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series campaigns in the LMGT3 classes.

Both the second round of the entire IMSA schedule and the Endurance Cup calendar will be the 73rd running of the 12 Hours of Sebring on 15 March.

Thirdly will be the Six Hours of the Glen on 22 June, over three months afterwards as usual.

The Battle on the Bricks will take place for the third time since the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course returned to the IMSA calendar and for the second time, it will be a six-hour endurance race.

Finally, the 28th running of Petit Le Mans will close the season in Road Atlanta with a 10-hour endurance challenge.

Gatting qualified 10th in the GTD category for the Daytona 24 Hours and the team finished in eighth place which did not beat last year’s finish of sixth.

The Porsche replaced the Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 used in the previous two seasons thus promises higher results with a maiden podium appearance still to aim for.

READ MORE:

• Vanina Ickx joins Iron Dames GT programme
• Celia Martin on her ’emotional’ first season with the Iron Dames

The post Iron Dames retain outgoing trio for IMSA Endurance Cup races appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Long-time GT racer Vanina Ickx has joined the Iron Dames, alongside two young talents, bolstering the female-only motorsport project to 16 drivers across a range of disciplines.

Fourty-nine year old Ickx last raced at Le Mans in 2011, finishing seventh overall in a Lola-Aston Martin B09/60, run by Kronos Racing and Marc VDS Racing Team, alongside fellow Belgians Bas Leinders and Maxime Martin. This, her seventh entry in the French endurance classic, was her best result yet in the race.

Vanina Ickx is the daughter of six-time Le Mans winner Jacky, and is currently rated as a bronze driver by the FIA. Her full GT programme for 2025 will be announced at a later date.

“I like to go where I don’t expect, to reach my unreachable and to find out what I’m made of,” said the Belgian.

“This year, I’ll be made of iron! This new challenge made real by Deborah Mayer, is a gift from heaven, even if it won’t be easy to put on the helmet again at almost 50 years of age. 

“I’m very curious to discover racing from this new angle, and enthusiastic about sharing my experience with younger Dames. With passion and determination, ladies, anything is possible! Don’t give up!” she concluded.

Dames looking to the future

Alongside Ickx, Iron Dames have also signed two young talents to the project. France’s Lisa Billiard and Spanish karter Angelina Simons, both 15 years old, will join the team’s ranks. Billiard impressed in karting and has moved up to F4, and will race under the Iron Dames banner in single seaters this year.

Simmons, meanwhile, will join the project’s karting roster, alongside Luna Fluxà, Vicky Farfus, and Mia Oger.

“I’m so happy and excited to be part of this big family!” said Billiard.

“I can’t wait to create memories and share unforgettable moments with all these amazing women. 

“I’m delighted to be joining the Iron Dames and to be able to continue my career, which I started at the age of 7 with karting, to become a professional driver and to show that women are capable of great things in the world of motorsport.”

Meanwhile, Simons said: “I am very happy to join the Iron Dames and grateful for this opportunity. It’s been a long-awaited dream and now it’s coming true. 

“I think there comes a time when you meet a project like Iron Dames and you just want to be strong, follow the path of the more experienced drivers and make them smile.”

The post Vanina Ickx joins Iron Dames GT programme appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Celia Martin recalled an ’emotional’ ending to her first season as an Iron Dame with anticipation for her FIA World Endurance Championship debut.

The French driver spoke at length with Motorsport Week after her 2025 WEC debut was publicly confirmed in the provisional entry list.

Martin looked back on her first year in pink and shared her excitement on her step up to the WEC amidst her new upcoming campaigns.

She joined the Iron Dames project for 2024, looking towards a more formal commitment to racing and doing so with the all-female driver project.

Her first undergoing as an Iron Dame was in the Michelin Le Mans Cup, one of the feeder championships to the WEC.

“It was my first ever GT3 season and only the second racing season on normal tracks,” she referenced her primary VLN experience at the Nurburgring Nordschleife.

“And to do this with the Iron Dames project, to do this as an Iron Dame, was just really amazing.

“I was just very emotional when I did the last race of the [Le Mans Cup] season because it was a dream that came true.

“And when you are into it, sometimes you can forget to enjoy it and it was the case at some point in the season, but then I managed to really turn that another way.

“So that’s why I’ve learnt not just driving-wise, also on the approach, mental side and to really live the dream to the end.

“This was, for me, an almost perfect way to start the development in the GT3 car season and to learn about endurance racing with the faster, the multi-class racing.”

Learning the ropes of GT3

She co-drove the #83 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 with fellow Iron Dame Karen Gaillard. Martin qualified third at the Barcelona season-opener, though the pair were not able to turn that into a strong race result.

Fortunately, Martin took her first pole next time out at Circuit Paul Ricard and they finished in P2 after the race.

Martin quickly credited her co-driver’s efforts as they competed in GT3 class of 11.

“… With Karen [Galliard], she helped me a lot in Le Castellet.

“We always have a little bit of competition between drivers, but I don’t feel that much, maybe at the moment.

“I felt a lot more help to progress as a team and this is very important in the Iron Dames.

“I recognise my value in this as well.

“There are so few women in this sport, so I would rather try to help each other and just make it big, [rather than] try to take it for one person only.”

Comparing Le Mans Cup to Nurburgring

The nature of multi-class racing involves different car categories racing on the same circuit as one another.

She took on four consecutive starts at the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring in addition to competing in the VLN, which was a multi-class series based at the 14-mile and 176-corner circuit.

Meanwhile in the LMC season, she raced in a GT3 class of 11 but simultaneously with 28 LMP3s and so recalled the thrills this ensued.

“This is what I like actually. It’s really like pure racing, you never know what’s going on in turn one.

“And it’s kind of funny because I like to prepare with different scenarios. Obviously you will maybe never meet the right one, so it’s a bit of a surprise somehow.

“Sometimes it can be very crazy,” referring to the 40 LMP3s and 18 GT3s which participated in the Road to Le Mans supporter event.

“It’s quite similar [to the Nurburgring Nordschleife], even though now, after this year, I would say it’s still different because the Nordschleife is so narrow.

“You will never have so many cars in the same place [on track].

“If you have three cars, it’s the maximum you can have. So here [in the LMC] you can have way more and you still have to find a way to go through.

“On the Nordschleife, if someone is overtaking you, generally they are gone quickly because you have so many straight lines or fast corners so you don’t follow so much [compared to other tracks].”

A testing prelude to Porsche machinery

After the conclusion of her first LMC season, she participated in the European Le Mans Series Rookie Test on the next day.

She also participated in the WEC Rookie Test in Bahrain one month later after the eight-hour finale.

Both of these outings were undertaken in a Manthey-run Porsche 911 LMGT3.R as the Iron Dames will fully switch from using the Lamborghini in the LMC, IMSA and WEC.

“When I did the test in the ELMS, I was racing the Lamborghini just a day before for one hour and also on different tyres.

“It’s just a different driving style for sure and this is what was the most challenging basically.

The Le Mans Cup GT3 cars use Michelin tyres whereas ELMS and WEC LMGT3s run on Goodyear rubber.

Le Mans Cup races are 1-hour and 50-minutes – excluding the two 55-minute ones at Le Mans – whereas the ELMS runs much longer races at four hours, and the WEC ranges between six and 24 hours.

“The Lamborghini, for me, is more challenging to drive than the Porsche.

“But it still gives you a very good feeling. It’s a bit more alive from the rear axle for sure.

“The Porsche, it’s a perfect endurance car. Somehow you see better inside, so you’re more comfortable.

“We’ve been driving on Michelins in Le Mans Cup and they’re a bit softer than the Goodyear, so you have a different approach with this as well.

“So a lot of learning, especially after the Rookie Test in the ELMS.

“And for the WEC, it was in Bahrain and it was crazy. I never had a track with such low grip.”

Anticipating new territory with the WEC

Martin will race on new circuits in next year’s 2025 WEC and schedule.

She explained how participating in the Road to Le Mans supporter races helps in preparation for her Le Mans 24 Hours debut next June.

“Actually it was good because I saw the atmosphere. I saw how huge it is and next year, all this pressure would be even more on me because now I’m in the WEC, I’m not just in Road to Le Mans.

“So it’s another step and to see how big that is, this was actually a good thing and to feel it already because I know what to expect on this aspect.

“In Le Mans, it was a bit chaotic this year so I’m still looking forward to that one [the 24-hour race], even though I believe it will be also tight in terms of driving time.

“So I think I will have to spend a lot of time in the sim. But regarding the rest of the calendar – Fuji – I’ve been told it’s a quite interesting track to drive.

“And the US. I know this track from Formula 1, and the first sector is super fast and quite nice with the downforce. But if you take the middle and last sector, it’s quite technical as well.

“Each track has its own specificity, I believe.

“For sure, I’m looking forward to Bahrain… I was struggling so much [on grip] during the test so I want to see where I am after a year.

“That’s why actually Le Mans – being French – this is something I still cannot believe.

“It feels still unreal. It’s just a super amazing opportunity with the Iron Dames.”

An expansive multi-series effort

Her immediate steps with the Iron Dames will also see her debut in the Asian Le Mans Series starting on 7-8 December in Sepang.

Next year, she is confirmed for her European Le Mans Series and WEC debut.

Throughout 20 endurance races combined across these series, Martin will be in Porsche machinery as an FIA Bronze-graded driver.

“The professional level is, for sure, way higher than in Michelin Le Cup.

“I have a race-to-race approach… because I believe if you start to think about the big picture, you can get stressed so easily.

“And this is the good thing now, staying also with Porsche; you only have one car, one brand, so what you learn from Asian [LMS] or from ELMS, I can transport into WEC, so it’s very good.

“So many things to work on, to be based on, to improve and also the different line-up.

“I mean, Michi [Michelle Gatting – now an official Porsche driver], she’s very well-experienced.

“And then I get the opportunity also to race with Rahel [Frey], also a very long member in the Iron Dames.

“And Sarah [Bovy – in the AsLMS and ELMS] because she’s been in my place, so she knows exactly what it’s like to be the bronze driver.

“She already helped me with so many things this year.

“I think I have a good panel of learning possibilities so I have to make the best out of it.”

READ MORE: WEC releases 2025 provisional entry list featuring newcomers

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The Iron Dames has announced their switch from Iron Lynx to Manthey for the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship with a Porsche 911 LMGT3.R.

After a life-time partnership with Iron Lynx since 2018, the Dames will work with Manthey in the next WEC season.

An existing relationship took place in the European Le Mans Series this year with a Manthey-run Porsche 911 LMGT3.R.

One season of running the Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 EVO2 package has given two pole positions.

Unfortunately for them, it has not reciprocated positive race results due to reliability woes.

Rising star Celia Martin will step up with teammates Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey.

She drove for the Iron Dames in her debut Michelin Le Mans Cup season earlier this year.

Martin said: “When I started my journey in motorsport, I always hoped that one day I could compete in top-level GT and endurance racing.

“If you had asked me for the ultimate dream, it would be this – FIA WEC, Iron Dames and to top it off with Manthey as well.

“It really is a dream come true.

“I can’t thank Iron Dames enough for this opportunity and can’t wait for the season to start.”

Looking for more with Manthey

Nicolas Raeder, managing director at Manthey Racing GmbH, added:

“We are proud to join forces with the Iron Dames in the WEC next year.

“We have always admired the project and have had many exciting but fair on-track duels with them in the past.

“We are confident that this is a great opportunity to develop together and to reach a new level with our experience in endurance racing and the tireless efforts of the Iron Dames.

“We are looking forward to the 2025 season and to being able to bring a Porsche in pink to the starting grid.”

She and her two teammates drove a Manthey Porsche in the end-of-season Rookie Test after the 8 Hours of Bahrain.

Iron Dames have run Porsche machinery in the previous LMGTE era which marked their sole WEC win thus far.

Manthey were able to assert a dominant charge to the 2024 LMGT3 Drivers’ and Teams’ championships.

They also claimed the first ever LMGT3 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Iron Lynx themselves recently announced a new effort to bring Mercedes-AMG into the WEC with Lamborghini set to depart altogether.

READ MORE: Changes coming for Iron Dames in 2025

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Celia Martin will be promoted to the main Iron Dames squad next year, prompting a driver reshuffle for the FIA World Endurance Championship team. More changes could follow, including a potential switch in team and manufacturer.

The team’s current driver lineup of Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting has been stable for a few seasons now. However, changes in Bovy’s driver rating for 2025 means the team have needed to find a new bronze-rated driver.

Bovy has successfully appealed an upgrade to silver for the past two seasons. However, with some superb performances this year, another year at bronze wasn’t possible.

Next year, Sarah Bovy will hold a silver rating alongside gold-rated Michelle Gatting, with Celia Martin joining the team as the new bronze-rated driver. To race in LMGT3, each team must field at least one bronze-rated driver, with no platinum-rated drivers allowed.

Frey, meanwhile, will complete in select events. The Dames will race in at least three series — the IMSA Sportscar Championship, WEC, and the European Le Mans Series, racing in 20+ events over the year.

More changes for Iron Dames on the horizon

Another likely change for 2025 is the switch to Porsche machinery, run by the Manthey team, next year. Switch their debut the Iron Dames squad has been run by Iron Lynx, owned by DC Racing Solutions, but 2025 is likely to see a switch to Manthey and Porsche, in WEC and ELMS. Reports say Proton will run the Iron Dames squad in IMSA.

The team have struggled with Lamborghini machinery this year, facing numerous challenges including reliability issues and pit stop problems compounding to a miserable year in FIA WEC. Although Bovy took two poles, the team recorded no podiums during the year across the eight races.

Statement from the team on Martin’s promotion

A statement supplied from the team as seen by Sportscar365 read: 

“The FIA’s recent announcement of driver classifications for the forthcoming endurance season brought exciting news for the Iron Dames project, not least the Silver status achieved by Sarah Bovy.

“This progression highlights Sarah’s impressive growth and achievements throughout the 2024 season, reflecting the experience gained and hard work she has put in both on and off the track.

“Sarah will continue to contribute at the highest level of endurance racing in the iconic Iron Dames colors.

“Sarah’s Silver classification is not only a personal achievement, but another milestone for the project as a whole.

“Her journey with the program underlines its effectiveness as a supportive environment for talented female drivers to reach their full potential and pursue the career of their dreams.”

“As the Iron Dames continue to evolve, this move opens the door for other promising drivers within the Iron Dames family and so, French driver Celia Martin will step into the position of Bronze driver for the team.

“Celia has shown great promise in Michelin Le Mans Cup this year and will contribute to the Iron Dames’ successes next season alongside Michelle Gatting, Rahel Frey and Sarah Bovy.”

The post Changes coming for Iron Dames in 2025 appeared first on Motorsport Week.

Sarah Bovy claimed LMGT3 pole position for the Iron Dames during qualifying for the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of Sao Paulo.

Excitement anticipated the first WEC qualifying session at Interlagos since 2014 as both current Hypercar and LMGT3 machinery drastically differ to the LMP1 and LMGTE cars competing then.

After the #78 Akkodis ASP Lexus RC F was withdrawn due to an accident suffered in the first free practice session, this meant 17 LMGT3 cars took to the track in the Q1 session before the top-10 fought for the outright pole position.

Even before Hyperpole, the gaps were close between the cars as drivers were fuelled by the objective to simply reach the top-10 threshold.

United Autosports (McLaren), AF Corse (Ferrari) and joint-points leaders Manthey (Porsche) looked strong with all of their cars during the early stages of Q1 as just one second covered the top-14 cars.

The Iron Dames were fighting for their spot in the threshold with Sarah Bovy at the wheel of their #85 Lamborghini Huracan LMGT3 EVO2, before she asserted front-end pace in the final minutes to safely reach the threshold.

A red flag was declared after just two minutes into Hyperpole when Thomas Flohr stopped at Turn 5 having endured a spin heading into the corner, and scraped the left-side wall slightly with the front of his #54 AF Corse Ferrari 296.

This automatically resided the #54 into 10th position having caused the session stoppage therefore not being allowed to rejoin.

Once again, both United Autosports McLaren 720S entries looked strong as they set near-matched qualifying pace, before Bovy bettered them as a clear contender for pole position.

Soon enough, she secured her second pole of this season with a commanding 1:34.413 lap time.

At 0.391 seconds behind in P2 was the #92 Manthey PureRxing Porsche 911 of Alex Malykhin (1:34.804), as Josh Caygill put the #95 McLaren 720S into third place (1:34.860).

Fourth was taken by the other United Autosports McLaren with James Cottingham driving the #59 machine.

The reigning British GT vice-champion set a fastest time of 1:34.911 ahead of fifth-placed Yasser Shahin in the #91 Manthey EMA Porsche 911 and his 1:35.471 lap time.

Meanwhile the reigning British GT champion, Darren Leung, took sixth for Team WRT’s #31 BMW M4 owing to a fastest time of 1:35.562.

Seventh position was claimed by Francois Heriau in the #55 AF Corse Ferrari 296 (1:35.656), ahead of eighth-placed Tom van Rompuy’s #81 TF Sport Corvette Z06 which set a 1:35.931.

Ian James, team principal at Heart of Racing, finished in ninth for the #27 Aston Martin Vantage AMR with a 1:36.211 as Flohr resided in 10th.

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Iron Dames’ Michelle Gatting has questioned the driving standards of some Hypercar drivers, saying the driving and the moves some of the Hypercars were making in qualifying on Wednesday, for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, was “shocking”,

She added that Hypercar drivers need to give more respect to the GT3s during the race at Le Mans, which takes place this weekend.

“Also, during qualifying yesterday was a little bit shocking, to see some of the moves from the hypercars, and you cannot do much in a GT car,” Gatting told select media including Motorsport Week.

“Respect between the drivers is something that I still believe is missing from some of the Hypercar drivers,”

“There are three different races going on between LMP2, LMGT3 and Hypercars.

“I do believe that more respect from the Hypercar drivers could be needed towards us.”

This year’s FIA World Endurance Championship has seen multiple incidents occur between Hypercars and LMGT3 machines as the faster prototypes seek to navigate traffic.

Kevin Estre in the #6 Porsche 963 fired the #87 Akkodis ASP Team Lexus RC F LMGT3 of Takeshi Kimura off the circuit during the season-opener at Qatar – albeit in an incident the stewards surprisingly blamed Kimura for.

As well as this, Earl Bamber in the #2 Cadillac V-Series.R triggered a red flag in the penultimate hour of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. Whilst attempting an overtaking manoeuvre on Neel Jani, in the #99 Proton Competition Porsche, he collected Sean Gelael’s #31 WRT BMW M4 GT3, causing the Caddy and BMW to retire in a huge impact.

Managing traffic and avoiding issues will be of paramount importance at Le Mans this weekend, with the Hypercar field having grown to 23 entries and 16 LMP2 machines joining the 23-strong LMGT3 field.

After observing Hypercars during the Le Mans test session and practice, Gatting argues that some drivers in the premier class need to be more careful.

“Because they can be extremely aggressive and sometimes some of the moves they make, I don’t know what they think, but they believe that we can disappear in the middle of nowhere.

“Which we basically cannot, even though we really try not to be in their way.”

Gatting argued that “the beauty of the endurance sport is that we are all on track together and we should all be able to be on track together without trying to crash too much into each other and disrespect each other too much.”

The Iron Dames driver continued by saying manoeuvres by some Hypercar drivers in qualifying were “shocking,” and reiterated the need for respect.

“You cannot do much in a GT car except going on the radio shouting to get the anger out,” the Iron Dames driver said.

“A bit more respect I think could be needed for some specific Hypercars.”

Gatting’s Iron Dames team-mate Rahel Frey noted that the issue comes when Hypercars come back onto the racing line too quickly in braking zones, but added that several tools are in place to help the LMGT3 drivers manage traffic.

“Every team has a brilliant camera system,” Frey said. “Every team has an extra spotter. 

“A driver is not only supported for visualisation, but we also get traffic information in the audio where we chat a lot so we can really focus on driving.

“I would say in Le Mans luckily you have a lot of straight lines, you still have a lot of room to [pass traffic] well, and when you respect each other then it shouldn’t be a big issue.”

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Triple 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Kazuki Nakajima has been named Grand Marshal for this year’s edition on 15-16 June as Iron Dames founder Deborah Mayer has been awarded The Spirit of Le Mans Trophy.

The current vice-chairman of Toyota GAZOO Racing claimed three consecutive Le Mans victories (2018-20) with the make, having driven for them since they returned to top level sportscar racing with the TS030 Hybrid LMP1 in 2012.

His first Le Mans triumph in 2018 also marked the first of five consecutive victories for Toyota, and his role as Grand Marshal will give him the merit to guide the 62 cars through the formation lap.

Meanwhile, Iron Dames founder Deborah Mayer has been honoured at the upcoming 92nd running of Le Mans for her prominent role in establishing and leading the organisation which promotes female talent not only within sportscar racing, but now in the FRECA single-seater championship.

Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, said: “I am extremely honoured to welcome Deborah Mayer and Kazuki Nakajima.

“I would like to express my sincere thanks to these two people who have contributed so much to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to motorsport.

“Together they exemplify perseverance, achievement and a passion for endurance.

“Kazuki Nakajima stands out as one of the rare drivers to have claimed three consecutive victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Meanwhile, Deborah Mayer has been at the forefront of a unique project with Iron Dames, sparking inspiration across the paddock and achieving remarkable success, culminating in Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting’s FIA World Endurance Championship win at the 8 Hours of Bahrain at the end of 2023.”

Speaking to Motorsport Week at the end of the 6 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, Frey added her thoughts on the growing support of the Iron Dames project:

“We see more and more pink caps around the track – we really feel supported by the fans.

“It also shows that we can really empower females for the sport.

“So yeah, the feedback is amazing and the more successful we can be, the better the results, I think it’s better for everyone [and] better for the fans.

“So [to] all the fans who are supporting us already, thank you very much.”

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