KAREN GAILLARD Makes Porsche 992 GT3 Cup Debut Ahead of Carrera Cup France

February 23, 2025

GRRL! SUMMARY:

KAREN GAILLARD tackled her first Porsche 992 GT3 Cup weekend at Valencia, treating it as essential prep work for her historic 2025 Carrera Cup France campaign. The 23-year-old Swiss driver, who made history last November as the first woman to win a Porsche Junior shootout, used the Spanish round to get familiar with the tricky Cup car’s different aero package and lack of ABS compared to her GT3 experience.
Racing on an unfamiliar track with a completely new car, GAILLARD showed steady improvement throughout practice and qualifying, eventually securing P24 overall and seventh among rookies with a 1:34.978 lap time. Her pace development was clear as she consistently closed the gap to the top 20 during test sessions, proving she could adapt quickly to the 27-car competitive field.
Both weekend races saw GAILLARD make strong starts and run competitive lap times in the 1:36s, but late-race incidents dropped her to P26 finishes in what were otherwise promising drives. Despite the results not matching her speed, she gained crucial sprint race experience that will serve her well when she becomes the first woman to compete in modern Carrera Cup France, following an impressive 2024 season that included her Daytona 24 Hours debut with Iron Dames.