Iron Dames get "closer to perfection" with move to WEC’s Manthey Racing

The all-female team won the final LMGTE race in Bahrain for Porsche in 2023, but this will be the Iron Dames team's first experience competing with Manthey Racing, one of the WEC grid's most seasoned competitors with more than 25 years of motorsport experience. 

Manthey's trophy cabinet includes seven overall victories at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, multiple Le Mans 24 Hours class victories and seven FIA WEC titles, so this collaboration should leave the Iron Dames well set for future silverware. 

Ahead of its fifth season in the WEC, the Iron Dames’ line-up of Frenchwomen Celia Martin, Michelle Gatting from Denmark, and Swiss Rahel Frey represents " both experience and innovation," a project has already borne fruit. Victory in Bahrain marked the first time an all-female team took a FIA WEC victory, having also been the first to finish as a runner-up (also in 2023).

Deborah Mayer, founder of Iron Dames’ parent company, founder of Iron Lynx (which has also announced a partnership with Mercedes-AMG for the German marque’s 2025 WEC debut), said: "It's an honour to once again compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship, which is the gold standard in global endurance racing."

“Returning to Porsche and collaborating with Manthey represents a new milestone for the Iron Dames. I have full confidence in their expertise and dedication to excellence, which perfectly match our ambition to shine at the highest level. 

"I am proud of what we have accomplished so far and confident in what lies ahead. We are committed to writing a new chapter in Iron Dames' endurance racing history, demonstrating that women have their rightful place at the top of the sport, inspiring generations to come."

Nicolas Raeder, Managing Director of 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."

Race image courtesy of Motorsport Images.