WOMEN MAKE HISTORY

The World Endurance Championship, commonly abbreviated as WEC, is a global motorsport competition organized by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), which tests the endurance capabilities of both cars and drivers through a series of races at iconic locations. What sets the WEC apart, however, is the simultaneous competition of various types of vehicles: the main category, LMP1 (Le Mans Prototype 1), features high-tech prototypes, including hybrid cars, racing on legendary circuits such as Le Mans, Spa-Francorchamps, and Silverstone. It is, therefore, a championship that promotes technological innovation and encourages the development of sustainable and cutting-edge solutions in motorsport. With world-class participants, the WEC attracts the attention of motorsport fans worldwide, including drivers from other categories, offering a spectacle and unique thrills in the world of endurance racing. After all, the WEC season is a mix of long-distance races, including the famous Le Mans track, which tests the speed, reliability, and strategy of the teams: racing for six to 24 hours, with the drivers alternating in each car (three per vehicle), is certainly not for everyone.

Like other motorsport categories, the WEC is also experiencing a growing female participation, with talented female drivers emerging and making a difference in international motorsport competitions. And it was the Iron Dames, an all-female team formed in 2018, with drivers Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting, and Rahel Frey, who made history at the beginning of November. With their Porsche 911 RSR, the team reached the top of the podium in the LMGTE AM class after an exhausting eight-hour race in Bahrain, writing a page in motorsport history. This was the first-ever victory for an all-female crew in the World Championship, a race that came after a three-year journey in which the three drivers pursued their dream. The victory was hard-fought until the final moments of the race, despite starting from pole position: the three women crossed the finish line just seconds ahead of the Aston #777 D’Station. Their skill also stemmed from their ability to capitalize on others’ complications, in addition to perfect tire management and maintaining a consistent pace on the difficult, abrasive Sakhir asphalt.

Thus, with the final race in the history of the GTE class, came the first historic victory for the all-female team: a journey that began with Ferrari, then transitioned to Porsche, and will see Lamborghini’s involvement starting next year. This ongoing commitment means that the all-female team is not just a race winner, but also secured second place in the championship, behind the official Corvette team of the Catsburg-Varrone-Keating trio.

An important milestone in the history of a sport still, unfortunately, considered typically male-dominated. But one thing is clear: women behind the wheel have not yet stopped making history.