MARTA GARCÍA & VANINA ICKX Dominate Portimão Finale Despite Late Penalty

October 22, 2025

• MARTA GARCÍA and VANINA ICKX closed their rookie Michelin Le Mans Cup season with a masterclass in what should have been — they dominated the Portimão finale from start to finish, with ICKX launching a brilliant opening stint that saw her pass both front-row Astons and even four LMP3 cars in the opening corners. The Belgian veteran then held the lead through multiple safety cars before handing over to GARCÍA, who proceeded to set the fastest lap of the race twice while building a commanding advantage.
• A split-second pit-exit violation turned triumph into heartbreak when GARCÍA crossed the red light line at exactly the wrong moment — a penalty that dropped them from a dominant victory to fifth place. But here’s the thing: they still finished on the lead lap and showed they belonged at the front of one of Europe’s most competitive GT3 fields. GARCÍA’s recovery drive was pure determination, gaining a second per lap and mounting a final-corner attack on the Ferrari ahead that came up just half a second short.
• The result capped a remarkable debut season that saw this all-female pairing overcome a fiery crash at Barcelona, ICKX’s illness-forced withdrawal at Le Mans, and various early setbacks to finish fifth in the championship despite missing a round. Their breakthrough came at Spa with GARCÍA’s first GT3 podium, followed by a historic maiden victory at Silverstone where they converted pole to Iron Dames’ first win at every level of ACO racing — proving that GARCÍA’s transition from single-seaters was perfectly timed.
• What we witnessed at Portimão wasn’t just fast driving — it was a statement about where women’s endurance racing is headed. ICKX’s return to competitive racing after more than a decade demonstrated that experience never truly fades, while GARCÍA’s adaptability and race-winning pace established her as one of the series’ standout talents. As ICKX said through tears, they “virtually won” in their hearts, and honestly? We saw enough evidence to know that 2025 can’t come soon enough for this partnership.

911 gt3 r, iron dames, michelin le mans cup, portimão