CÉLIA MARTIN, MICHELLE GATTING & RAHEL FREY Battle Tough BoP in Qatar P13

March 1, 2025

by RACERS // from www.racers-behindthehelmet.com

• Iron Dames’ new all-female trio of CÉLIA MARTIN, MICHELLE GATTING, and RAHEL FREY faced an uphill battle at the Qatar WEC opener, finishing P13 despite a severely restrictive Balance of Performance that left their Porsche 911 GT3 R over three seconds per lap off the pace—a gap so massive it turned what should have been competitive racing into an endurance test of team spirit.
• MARTIN impressed in her FIA WEC debut after just one year of GT3 experience, qualifying 15th and showing steady improvement throughout her stints, while veterans GATTING and FREY delivered consistent lap times that matched their sister Manthey Porsche car, proving the talent was there even when the machinery wasn’t competitive enough to fight for points.
• The team faced additional challenges including a new FIA driver ballast rule that penalized them with an extra 20kg due to their drivers’ combined weight, plus a drive-through penalty and contact with a Hypercar that cost valuable time—yet they never gave up, using the race as valuable preparation for the upcoming 6 Hours of Imola on April 20.

fia wec, lmgt3, manthey racing, porsche