The 30-year-old Dane Michelle Gatting has secured a factory contract with Porsche as the car brand joins the Iron Dames team.
Danish racing driver Michelle Gatting has secured a factory contract with Porsche Motorsport, as she is part of a new collaboration between Porsche Motorsport and the Iron Dames motorsport team, which focuses on promoting women in motorsport.
The Dane is among four selected drivers who in 2025 will compete in several major championships behind the wheel of the latest version of the Porsche 911 GT3 R.
Michelle Gatting, who is 30 and a former runner-up in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), will be the only one of the choir to compete in all four championships: FIA WEC, IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, European Le Mans Series and Asian Le Mans Series.
This also secures her a place on the start list for next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. She thus becomes a central figure in the comprehensive project to strengthen women in a sport that has traditionally been dominated by men.
Gatting is not new to working with Porsche and the Iron Dames. She was part of the team that in 2023 made history as the first female drivers to win a class victory in the FIA WEC with a Porsche 911 RSR.
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– I am extremely happy and proud, both to be part of a new step in a fantastic journey for the Iron Dames project.
– And at the same time for the recognition that lies in becoming part of the official team of Porsche contract drivers. It is also an important step in my own career, where in 2025 I can look forward to my busiest season ever, says Gatting about his new contract.
Iron Dames' founder, Deborah Meyer, emphasizes that the collaboration with Porsche is a natural development for the project:
– The Iron Dames project has always been rooted in the power that women have to overcome challenges and break barriers. Our journey is not only about competing at the highest level, but also about proving that the opportunities in motorsport are open to anyone with passion and drive.
Porsche Motorsport, represented by Vice President Thomas Laudenbach, sees the collaboration as an opportunity to both achieve results and promote diversity:
– Porsche stands for a culture of equal opportunities and diversity. Inspiring and supporting women to get involved and succeed in motorsport is therefore something we give high priority to. In this context, we find the Iron Dames project enormously well structured and successful.