Rahel Frey: 2023 projects for the Iron Dames and REVIEW OF 2022 SEASON
Rahel Frey takes stock of the year 2022 for the Rahel Frey and tells us about the 2023 projects. This is an updated version of December 13th interview as we are now able to share all informations discussed with Rahel.
CRR: Your 2023 race program?
Rahel Frey: We have an outstanding program next year with GT Challenge Europe, IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup and World Endurance Championship driving two different cars:
Season will start with the Rolex 24 At Daytona where I’ll share #83 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 with Sarah Bovy, Michele Gattin and Doriane Pin. We are renewing the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps Gold class winning team. We’ll run the four races of the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup (IMEC).
We’ll be back in Florida for the 12 Hours of Sebring (second race of IMEC) with #83 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2 AND the 1.000 miles of Sebring with #85 Porsche 911 RSR-19 which will be our car in the LMGTE AM class for the 2023 FIA World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC). Iron Lynx will run the Porsche in collaboration with Proton Competition. I’ll share the wheel with with Sarah Bovy and Michelle Gatting.
Before Sebring we’ll participate to the GT World Challenge Europe Official Test Days at Paul Ricard as we’ll participate to the FANATEC GT WORLD CHALLENGE EUROPE POWERED BY AWS ENDURANCE CUP GOLD TEAMS.
CRR: It’s a shame you have to change of car after gaining lots of success with the Ferrari.
Rahel Frey: we have been able to test both cars and they are both fabulous to drive. It is going to be interesting at Daytona because, as we speak (December 13th, 2022), the Lamborghini and all spare parts and tools have already been shipped to Daytona. The workshop look rather empty after being extremely busy the last weeks to get everything packed for the first IMEC race.
CRR: What was the best sporting moment for you in 2022?
📷 © Luc Warnotte: The Iron Dames won Gold class at 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2022.
Rahel Frey: The best moment for me but also for the entire team behind us was our class win at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps. This was a milestone for our project. It was a very strong performance, very consistent, we were fast, and we worked very well together as a team. Everything we had done so far was rewarded at Spa and that is something I’m very proud of.
Achieving connection between us as we did in Spa, is not always easy. We are spending a lot of time together, both drivers and mechanics, engineers. Everyone needs their own space and it is normal to have tough discussions, it is a very healthy part of it. That weekend, it was just perfect! It was a strong moment. Emotional. The Iron Dames project exists for four years now, we definitively gained momentum this season but then a class win in a famous race, this is what we have been working for. I’m convinced it was just the beginning. To be part of it as a driver and project manager was a very high moment.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Rahel Frey takes his very last stint in the ELMS during the 4 hours of Monza.
CRR: The integration of Doriane Pin into the Iron Dames team was a real success for the 24 hours of Francorchamps and the last races in ELMS. New emotions for you as a coach?
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Doriane Pin before the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2022.
Rahel Frey: Absolutely! We had moments where it was not always easy to be on both sides but to see the youngsters grow together is exactly what we want and need for the success of the project. Having someone like Doriane Pin is something I’m very proud of. For her, speed is very natural, it is a natural talent. We had seen her potential in the Ferrari Challenge. It was time to give her more races to grow even quicker. Now we must keep a smart balance and be careful not to overload her or set too high expectations so that she can grow step by step.
Having her was a smart decision and is a win-win situation for all of us.
CRR: Doriane Pin got the “volant d’or” yesterday through FFSA and will run an LMP2 next year.
Rahel Frey: Indeed! She is the second female after Michèle Mouton to get this award. It is a huge honor. I’m very happy for her. She deserves it. At the age of 18, to be the performer of the year besides Jean Alesi shows the importance of this award. It is just the beginning for her as we believe she can go far. In the Iron Dames project, Dorianne has clearly unique possibilities.
She did a rookie test on an LMP2 car in Bahrein as well as in Portimao. She will drive Prema’s second LMP2 entry, the #63 Oreca..
CRR: Will there be a new driver for the Iron Dames squad in 2023?
📷 © Luc Warnotte: The Iron Dames, Sarah Bovy, Michelle Gatting and Rahel Frey at autograph session before the 6 Hours of Monza 2022.
Rahel Frey We have invited some new girls for a two days test in Le Castellet. We have realized we need to do more tests. We need to prepare new girls better to be immediately on racing level. This takes time.
Time is running and we’ll change manufacturer. We already announced that Iron Lynx has amazing new possibilities like running the official Lamborghini #63 in IMSA as well as all the development work for the 2024 Hypercar.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Rahel Frey, July 31st at 12:05, smiling, as the Iron Dames are 2 laps ahead in their class with 4 hours 40’ to go before checkered flag at the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps 2022.
We’ll enter the go-karting business in 2023. We’ll support very young female drivers in go-karting to educate them from a very young age, to build them up for single-seater cars for the ones who can make the step to single-seater. We do not speak about one or two years. It is obvious it will take more time. We’ve seen that the earlier we start supporting young girls, the better it is for them and for us.
In the frame of the FIA women's rising star program, we had two selections: one for girls between 14 and 16, and another for younger girls between 11 and 13. The girls in the middle generation have clearly potential but the ones with a very fighting spirit and a very clear mind about performance, nothing else, are the young ones. That is why we are focusing on them with go-karting. I’m sure we’ll see faster Iron Dames than us in the future. Go-karting brings us very interesting girls but younger than Doriane so it’ll take a bit of time.
In the meantime, we have two girls now in the Ferrari driver’s academy who we’ll support as Iron Dames / Iron Lynx in the Italian Formula 4.
We’ll also do more female selections in the future and build up an organization enabling Iron Dames to be the first contact for females in car racing. So, if there is a girl who wants to enter the business, not only as a driver, we’ll make sure they know who to contact.
I got contacted by many female racers who want to join the project, but I cannot offer them as many possibilities as I’d like. So, we’re looking at other versions of Iron Dames. One version could be that we have customer cars for girls who have a certain budget looking for a new home because Iron Lynx will not only do GT3, but also Super Tropheo which will open possibilities for female racers.
CRR: Will you drive an LMDh?
Rahel Frey: I don’t think I’ll ever drive an LMDh car due to age and management responsibilities. LMDh go very fast, and we haven’t been driving aero cars for a long time. To get used to aerodynamics you must do some tests, lots of mileage and we have a different focus. Our own program will keep us very busy, and we want to devote time to the younger generation. We need more females to secure the continuation of the project. For us, it is too late. I’m not sad about it because we can enjoy our time, and we can still win races, but we need to move on. There is a lot of work to be done besides the track to make it happen for the younger generation, and allow them to go further than us. I strongly believe they can go further than what we have done.
Related articles
📷 © Luc Warnotte: The Iron Dames won the Gold Class at TotalEnergies 24 Hours of Spa 2022. Read here.
📷 © Luc Warnotte: Despite misfortune, Rahel Frey brought the #83 Ferrari 488 GTE in P4 of the 4 Hours of Monza 2022 LMGTE class, her last race in ELMS as Rahel gave up her place to Doriane Pin from Barcelona onwards. Read here.
📷 © Courtesy of Iron Lynx: Iron Dames finished third in WEC LMGTE AM class at Bahrain. Read here.
