Important points in Le Castellet

The Iron Dames Porsche 911 GT3 R run by Proton Huber Competition scored important points at the second race weekend of the Michelin Le Mans Cup at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet.

After the Michelin Le Mans Cup season opener in Barcelona, Proton Huber Competition worked hard to ensure that the Iron Dames Porsche 911 GT3 R was able to take part in the second round of the season at the Circuit Paul Ricard in Le Castellet. After Marta Garcia was innocently involved in a serious accident, the team from Hofkirchen had to set up a new Porsche 911 GT3 R. However, the team led by Christoph Huber succeeded in doing so. However, Christoph Huber's team managed to do this, so that Garcia and Belgian Vanina Ickx were able to compete in the south of France.

Former DTM driver Ickx, who is the daughter of six-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Jacky Ickx, proved the car's speed as early as qualifying. The experienced driver drove to a strong second place on the grid in the GT3 class.

On the opening lap of the two-hour race, the Belgian was involved in a collision for which she received a drive-through penalty. An LMP3 car hit the Porsche on the side and Ickx lost some parts. But Ickx did not let this stop her and continued to fight.

With fast lap times and a flawless job, the team drove into a promising position to finish the race in a podium position. Marta Garcia, who became the first F1 Academy champion in 2023, was involved in the exciting battle for the podium at the end of the race, but she had to let her rival go shortly before the end and finished the race in fourth place in class.

‘After the collision on the opening lap and the subsequent penalty, it was a difficult race for us,’ said Proton Huber Competition team boss Christoph Huber. ‘A big compliment to Marta, Vanina and the entire team for fighting their way back into a promising position. Unfortunately, we just missed out on the podium, but we were able to secure important points. After the accident in Barcelona, we were once again able to prove our performance.’

The Michelin Le Mans Cup will continue from 11 to 14 June as part of the supporting programme of the legendary 24-hour race at the Sarthe. The racing series will run a special race format on the world-famous circuit, as instead of a two-hour race, there will be two one-hour races. Many guest entrants will also strengthen the field for the event.