A cruel penalty at the end of the race spoils the Iron Dames’ 8 Hours of Bahrain
So fighting for victory, the Iron Ladies were penalized with a drive through, which relegated them quite far down the hierarchy. Motivated, they climbed back into the points zone.
They had ambitions. A year after their first success in the World Endurance Championship, the Iron Dames wanted to shine on this track that had been so successful for them. But in Bahrain, plans are often thwarted. Over the course of the laps, they have slightly regressed in the hierarchy.
In the final third of the race, they benefited from a Full Course Yellow period to implement a bold strategy and move back to the front of their category. But on the restart, the stewards penalized Lamborghini #85 with a drive through.
To attack
This penalty relegated them to the back of the field. They were therefore condemned to an attacking strategy to get back into the points. Rahel Frey then handed the wheel to Michelle Gatting. The Dane, on a very high pace, managed to climb back to tenth place, synonymous with points for the last race of the year.
« Unfortunately, a small mistake under the Full Course Yellow cost car #85 a drive-through penalty. This prevented them from fighting for a podium, which was entirely possible », assessed Andrea Piccini, team manager of Iron Lynx.
Sarah Bovy is a silver driver
This race likely marked Rahel Frey’s final outing with the Iron Dames in the WEC. With Sarah Bovy now having silver status, the team will need a bronze-level driver. French driver Célia Martin has been promoted for this role.
Sarah’s silver classification is not only a personal success, but a new step for the project as a whole. Her journey within the program highlights its effectiveness as a supportive environment enabling talented female drivers to reach their full potential and pursue the career of their dreams, emphasizes the team.
« Célia showed great promise in the Michelin Le Mans Cup this year and will contribute to the success of the Iron Dames next season alongside Michelle Gatting, Rahel Frey, and Sarah Bovy.
The promotion of Célia Martin is not synonymous with Rahel Frey’s early retirement. The Swiss driver can still be engaged in ELMS or other categories where the Iron Dames are involved. The announcement of the trio for ALMS has not yet been made. She could bounce back here, even though it seems likely that Michelle Gatting will be accompanied by Célia Martin and Sarah Bovy.
