Iron Dames withdraw from the 2026 FIA WEC grid

Text & Images: Rick Kiewiet

The Iron Dames project will not return to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2026, ending a five-season run as the only all-female entry on the world stage. The announcement, issued on Thursday afternoon, confirms the closure of the team’s LMGT3 programme after months of uncertainty surrounding its future.

First podium, Monza 2022

The Dames’ WEC story began in 2021, following two seasons in the European Le Mans Series. What started as an ambitious initiative quickly grew into one of the most recognizable programs in the paddock — both for its all-female driver roster and for its results. A first podium arrived at Monza in 2022, followed by a landmark win in Bahrain the following year, when Sarah Bovy, Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting delivered the final GTE-Am victory before the category’s retirement.

First victory, Bahrain 2023

But the transition to LMGT3 has been harsh. Across two seasons and 16 races with Lamborghini and subsequently Porsche machinery, the team never returned to the podium. As results flattened, financial headwinds around parent company DC Racing Solutions intensified. With Iron Lynx’s 2026 future clarified earlier this month but the Dames’ own program still under scrutiny, today’s announcement brings an end to their world championship chapter.

The team confirmed that its Porsche 911 GT3 R will not appear on the 2026 WEC entry list, mirroring its absence from next year’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship roster. The organisation framed the withdrawal as part of a strategic refocus, signalling a broader shift away from operating full-season factory-aligned GT3 entries.

With the Lamborghini at Le Mans 2024

Across their tenure, the Dames fielded Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche machinery while building one of the most stable line-ups in the paddock. Bovy, Frey, Gatting and Celia Martin formed the core group, with Doriane Pin, Christina Nielsen, Manuela Gostner and Katherine Legge contributing across seasons and one-offs. Their performances — and their visibility — cemented the team as a rare constant in a category defined by churn.

Their absence leaves a noticeable gap on the 2026 grid. Few programs have been as culturally resonant as the Iron Dames, who combined competitive credibility with a pioneering identity that reached well beyond motorsport. What comes next remains to be fully defined: the team says it will remain active across multiple championships in 2026, including continued European Le Mans Series and Michelin Le Mans Cup efforts, though those programmes have yet to be confirmed.

Last time at Le Mans, 2025

What is certain is that their WEC stint concludes as one of the most distinctive chapters in recent GT racing. From Monza to Bahrain, from GTE-Am to LMGT3, the Iron Dames helped reshape the conversation around who belongs at the top of endurance racing — and leave the championship having made that point unmistakably clear.