Iron Dames is a project under the Italian auto racing team Iron Lynx, focused on supporting and promoting women in motorsport. For 2024, Iron Dames are competing in 13 competitions, with the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) being added to their roster for the first time. This is history in the making, as it will be FRECA’s first-ever all-female line-up.
Representing Iron Dames in this year’s FRECA, are two rising stars in the motorsports world. F1 Academy’s inaugural champion Marta García who was already confirmed to be competing in the championship late last year is the latest high-profile addition to the Iron Dames project. Mercedes Junior driver and F1 Academy’s rookie and dominant force Doriane Pin will drive for Iron Dames alongside García.
Marta García
Marta García was crowned F1 Academy’s inaugural Champion in 2023. García put on strong performances every race weekend, winning 7 races with 5 further podium finishes and claiming 5 pole positions.
After the 2023 season concluded, F1 Academy announced that the Spanish driver would receive a fully funded seat with PREMA Racing for the 2024 FRECA. It was also announced that financial contributions would come from F1 Academy, PREMA Racing, Tatuus and Pirelli.
The recent news that Iron Dames will represent her has changed García’s 2024 plans. García had originally been expected to race with Prema. However, her new contract with Iron Dames will see her race in magenta instead. Whether her seat is still fully funded has not been confirmed. Regardless, it is still without a doubt a great achievement for the Spaniard to be signed by Iron Dames.
Doriane Pin
Doriane Pin has been a part of the Iron Dames since 2021. For 2024, she is competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and now FRECA for Iron Dames.
The French driver has already shown her impressive talent in single-seater racing in this year’s F1 Academy. In what is her rookie season, she dominated the entire weekend during the first round of the season which was held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Pin commanded the whole weekend, setting the pace and leaving a gap behind her. Racing for Prema, it was P1 for Pin in Free Practice, Qualifying 1, Qualifying 2 and Race 1. As for Race 2, she crossed the chequered line in P1. However, because she crossed the line twice after miscommunication with the team, was penalised and lost her win. She was dropped to P9 as a result.
Earlier this year, she made her single-seater debut by competing in the first four rounds of the 2024 Formula 4 UAE Championship. She was incredible in each round, constantly finishing in the points. In one race, after starting on pole, she went on to win the race and earn the fastest lap.
Calendar clashes
It is without a doubt, that Doriane Pin will be a force to reckon with in FRECA. With Pin alongside Marta García, Iron Dames has a stellar line-up. García has no commitments outside of FRECA that would interfere with the compeition’s calendar. Pin on the other hand had been scheduled to compete in the full 2024 WEC season. However, she will be turning her focus to FRECA. As for F1 Academy, there will only be one clash with FRECA as both are scheduled to race on 21st-23rd June. A decision on driver arrangements is yet to be confirmed.
The first round of the 2024 FRECA season will be in Germany, at the Hockenheimring in Hockenheim in May.
