The 2024 FRECA season is set to begin on 10th May at Hockenheim, Germany. Unlike previous years, FRECA will greet Hockenheim with the World Endurance Championship winning team, Iron Dames. As they join the grid, the drivers are seeing a promotion in levels, going from the formula four level of the Academy to somewhere reflecting formula three in FRECA.
The line up for the team as they step into FRECA consists of Formula One Academy's ex driver, Marta Garcia along side current Formula One Academy driver, Doriane Pin. Statistically, the team picked a high quality line-up to take them to FRECA victory. In the academy's birth in 2023, Garcia stormed the track and drove herself to victory and championship for the first time in the all female championships history.
Garcia's story is not too unfamiliar, a championship at a formula four level moving to FRECA, is reflective of its 2023 champion, Kimi Antonelli. However, Garcia's original intentions were never to race in FRECA with the Dames, with expectations of performing with Prema. Though, the Dames announcement turned Garcia's red into pink. Carrying the experience of one championship and seven race wins, makes Garcia a perfect candidate. Garcia is no stranger to on track conflict, facing a safety car and fierce on track competition from Abi Pulling, preparing her with a belt of skills to take her to the top of FRECA.
While Garcia no longer dominates the Academy, performing a Rosberg 'one and done' the Dames continued to dominate as Mercedes junior-driver, Doriane Pin entered the category. Although the 2024 Academy season has only just begun, Pin is a sure fire contender for the championship, storming to victory in the first weekend at Jeddah. After being stripped of her second victory, Pin proved she can keep it cool under the pressure of motorsport. Pin also has the experience of a busy schedule, winning victories over in the World Endurance Championship.
While Pin has the characteristics of a FRECA champion just like Garcia, it is likely that Pin will be sitting out of the opening weekend of the 2024 season in order to race in Barcelona for the Formula One Academy. Similarly to to Antonelli, Pin also saw victory in Formula Four UAE among some of formula four's top prospects. Part of what holds back women in motorsport is the comment that 'women don't possess the skill to race'. Nobody has the experience like Pin and Garcia.
With the Iron Dames being a all-female team, the introduction of them in FRECA is a monumental step forward for women in motorsport. Deborah Mayer, the project founder of Iron Dames described "stepping into a new single-seater championship is another step in our drive to promote and develop the brightest female talent in motor racing."
The Dames in FRECA achieves one of the biggest things the Formula One Academy falls short of (by no fault of their own), viewership. FRECA reached an audience of over 80 million viewers in 2023. This is only going to promote the participation of women in motorsport, inspiring an audience not reached previously by the academy.
While the Iron Dames project is bigger than just motorsports, their message is clear. Passion and resilience, women driving women. Whether the team has victories on track, they have won plenty by stepping into the light to promote change.
