The Iron Dames, the project founded by Deborah Mayer to promote and support women in motorsport, has announced that the team will continue to compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship and will work with Manthey, one of the world’s leading Porsche racing teams.
Manthey, with headquarters at Meuspath, close to the Nürburgring, was founded more than 25 years ago and is an expert in high-performance Porsche road vehicles and Porsche racing cars. Since its inception, the company, founded by brothers Nicholas and Martin Raeder, has competed in the VLN Endurance Championship, the FIA World Endurance Championship and has been responsible for running the GT works entries for Porsche Motorsport since 2013.
Returning to the Iron Dames driver line-up for 2025 will be Michelle Gatting from Denmark and Swiss pilot Rahel Frey. For the new season Gatting and Frey will be joined by French driver Celia Martin. In 2024 Martin competed in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with Iron Dames, driving alongside Karen Gaillard. The duo drove the #83 Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 to 6th in the GT3 Teams Championship following a season in the Martin and Gaillard finished on the class podium at Le Castellet.
“It’s an honour to once again compete in the FIA World Endurance Championship, which is the gold standard in global endurance racing,” said Deborah Mayer. “Returning to Porsche and collaborating with Mathey 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.
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.”
Celia Martin is delighted to be joining the WEC driver line-up for the forthcoming season.
“When I started my journey in motorsport, I always hoped that one day I could compete in top-level GT and endurance racing,” she said. “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.”
The 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship opens with the Qatar Airways Qatar 1812 KM on February 26th.
