Iron Lynx (& Iron Dames) Test At Portimao

The Lamborghini effort at the two-day Portimao Goodyear LM GT3 test this week was fielded by Iron Lynx, with two green-liveried Huracan Evo2 cars running on both days for a variety of drivers.

Franck Perera joined Claudio Schiavoni and Matteo Cressoni (below) on both days, with Sarah Bovy also on driving duties. Rahel Frey and Michelle Gatting were both on-site for both days and drove on Wednesday.

One new face, possibly as a potential replacement for Sarah Bovy as the Iron Dames’ required Bronze driver, was spotted suited and booted.

Margot Lafitte (below) tested on Tuesday at least whilst the team awaited the decision of the appeals that had been registered to the FIA regarding of all three of its 2023 FIA WEC drivers. Bovy was provisionally moving from Bronze to Silver, Gatting from Silver to Gold as Frey heads in the opposite direction from Gold to Silver. Bovy’s appeal though was confirmed as being successful on Wednesday morning, she returns to Bronze ranking for 2024.

42-year-old Lafitte, daughter of F1 legend Jacques Lafitte, has a racing background in a variety of disciplines and formed part of the original Asian Le Mans Series Richard Mille-backed programme in 2019. There she drove in an LMP3 Ligier entry at Sepang alongside Katherine Legge and Michelle Gatting.

It should be noted that the very same thing happened last year with Christina Nielsen, who tested with the team at Portimao as it awaited for what proved to be a successful challenge to Bovy’s upgrading for 2023 as well. The double IMSA championship-winning Dane was not called up for the ‘Dames’ as a result. It is very possible that Lafitte too may well not now race.

Also present and observing the test was the current youngest Iron Dame, 15-year-old Natalia Granada, who is currently contesting the Karting World Finals at the adjacent Karting Circuit.

The confirmed 2024 FIA WEC programmes for Iron Lynx and Dames will be announced in due course.

Image courtesy of Tim Creswick