CÉLIA MARTIN & Iron Dames Face Uphill Battle After Difficult Bahrain Qualifying

July 11, 2025

• CÉLIA MARTIN and the Iron Dames team had a rough go of it in LMGT3 qualifying at Bahrain, with their Porsche 911 GT3 R landing in 18th place. Martin was candid about the struggle, noting how the cooler qualifying temperatures threw off their setup compared to the midday practice sessions. It’s been a season-long challenge for the team to nail their qualifying pace, but Martin’s keeping her chin up with the strong Manthey crew backing them.
• The championship-leading Porsche of Ryan Hardwick didn’t fare much better, qualifying 17th and leaving both factory-supported Porsche entries behind their main rivals heading into the crucial eight-hour finale. With temperatures dropping to 29°C air and 40°C track during qualifying, the grip just wasn’t there for the German machines when it mattered most.
• While Martin acknowledged the disappointing result, she’s banking on race day to tell a different story. The data dive with Manthey should reveal what went sideways, and with eight hours ahead, there’s plenty of time for the Iron Dames to claw their way back up the order. Sometimes qualifying is just about surviving to fight another day, and that’s exactly the mindset this team needs heading into the WEC season finale.

fia world endurance championship, iron dames, lmgt3, porsche 911 gt3 r