
Health update after F1 Academy champion's fireball crash
Former F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia crashed during a Le Mans Cup race in Barcelona after her Porsche was hit from behind, causing it to hit a tyre barrier and catch fire.
Garcia was briefly trapped in the smoke-filled car before marshals helped her escape through the passenger door.
She was taken to the hospital for precautionary checks due to smoke inhalation but was released on Tuesday.
The other driver, Elesio Donno, took responsibility for the incident.
Garcia's team, Iron Dames, confirmed she is recovering well and thanked the marshals and medical staff.

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The Sun
15 hours ago
- The Sun
Incredible list of ex-F1 drivers, celebs and nepo babies bidding to win one of sport's most iconic prizes
THE iconic 24 Hours of Le Mans race commences this weekend, with a stunning list of motorsport icons and famous faces taking part. One third of the iconic Triple Crown, alongside the Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500, winning the endurance event is one of the most sought after prizes in all of motorsport. 4 4 F1 stars have a strong recent history in the event, with Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg winning with Porsche in 2015 and two-time F1 champ Fernando Alonso winning in back-to-back years in 2018 and 2019 with Toyota. This years event sees 62 cars take to the grid, made up of 21 Hypercars, 17 LMP2 prototypes, and 24 LMGT3s and six teams making up the reserve list. Among them, as many as 19 former F1 drivers are gearing up to compete, including former world champions, ex-Sky Sports F1 pundits and the relatives of three F1 race winners. Jenson Button - who won the F1 title in 2009 - headlines the ex-F1 contingent on the grid as he teams up with Sebastien Bourdais, who raced for Toro Rosso in 2008/09, in the #38 Cadillac Hertz Team Jota. F1 cult heroes including Kevin Magnussen, Antonio Giovinazzi, Robert Kubica, Kamui Kobayashi and Stoffel Vandoorne make up the grid, with Magnussen making his second appearance at the event and first since he was axed by Haas last season. Paul di Resta is using his time wisely after being axed as a pundit by Sky Sports F1 in 2023 as he joins Jean-Eric Vergne in the 93 Peugeot Totalenergies. Mick Schumacher and Eduardo Barrichello, the nepo baby sons of ex-Ferrari team-mates Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, make up the list of former F1 stars' sons at the event. Meanwhile, Pietro Fittipaldi, the grandson of two-time F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi, is making his third appearance at the event. Stars who shone in F2 or F3 but struggled with the step up to F1 are also on the line-up. These include the likes of Jack Aitken, Nyck de Vries and Will Stevens. Ex-Red Bull mechanic claims Max Verstappen will quit F1 this year Former F1 star Felipe Nasr is teaming up with Pascal Wehrlein in the #4 Porsche Penske Motorsport, with the latter making his debut at the event. Three ex-F1 stars are returning once again having won Le Mans multiple times. Sebastien Buemi raced in F1 for two years but has gone on to win Le Mans a staggering four times to date, while both Brendon Hartley and Andre Lotterer have won the event three times. An honourable mention for the event is MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, who is making his second appearance at the event. UK petrolheads can watch the race on TNT Sports or the Discovery+ App. It starts at 4pm on Saturday. 4 4


Telegraph
19 hours ago
- Telegraph
Iron Dames: Why only all-female team racing at Le Mans have ‘advantage'
Once the sun has set at the Circuit de la Sarthe in the Pays de la Loire region, all that is visible are the slivers of light from headlight beams and the track LEDs. Driving around the 8.47-mile track, concentration cannot waver for a second and when news comes over the radio that rain is falling, Le Mans 24's greatest test begins. 'Everything about Le Mans is challenging,' Iron Dames GT3 racing driver Rahel Frey tells Telegraph Sport. 'The most difficult part is when it starts to rain during the night because you cannot see how much or where exactly [it is falling] in Le Mans. With such a long track in some corners it's already a lot of rain, some parts of the track is not raining yet at all. 'Then everybody gets stressed about communication, [it's] super important to make the right call, so rain during the night, that's the real challenge for me.' Endurance motorsport is like nothing else and Le Mans is the pinnacle. Formula One drivers and Moto GP riders might test themselves at the highest speeds, putting their nerves and bodies on the line, but racing for a team in a 24-hour event is different. Cars have been known to reach over 200mph in a battle to complete the most laps in the time limit on the circuit that has hosted the event since 1923. Drivers must pit themselves against each other without breaking the car and while sharing stints behind the wheel as part of a three-person team. The length of the race involves sleeping in bizarre stints and eating bowls of pasta at 3am. It is far from a sprint to the finish line. 'Not here just to be female in male-dominated sport' On Saturday, 62 cars and 186 drivers will line up to take to the start line across three disciplines – Hypercar, LMP2 and LMGT3. Of those 186 drivers, only five are women, including three from Iron Dames, the only all-female team at the event. There is no missing the Iron Dames on track, nor what they stand for. The bright pink rear wing and driver race suits make sure of that. Founded in 2018 by Deborah Mayer with the goal of supporting and promoting women in motorsport, the team have focused on endurance racing from the outset, competing in their first Le Mans in 2019. Frey, who first started karting in 1998, had never envisioned going into the endurance side of the sport before the opportunity presented itself and while she is a proud member of Iron Dames, first and foremost she is a racing driver. 'When we are in the car and we race, we don't feel that we are females. We are a driver and we want to go as fast as possible. We want to do our very best,' Frey says. 'We are here to compete, we are not here to be the Iron Dames, we are not here to just be female in a male-dominated sport, we are really here to be competitive.' Frey also thinks being an all-female team can also come with benefits, adding: 'I believe that we females who do endurance racing, we have an advantage. Because we communicate openly with each other but also with the team I would say – so far it has only helped me in endurance racing.' 'The biggest race of the year' Le Mans 24 is part of the 'Triple Crown of Motorsport', with the Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500 – and the Iron Dames will be racing against several drivers who are familiar with a Formula One car, including Jenson Button, Kevin Magnussen and Mick Schumacher. 'There is so much hype around the fact that it's Le Mans,' says Michelle Gatting, who has raced for six years with Iron Dames. 'I hype myself up because I know it's a little more. It's the biggest race of the year. Then I put a lot of expectations on myself, I want to prove, I want to deliver, but it's a lot of pressure to manage.' Gatting and Frey both have the drive and desire to continue to improve, eventually perhaps competing in the Hypercar discipline. Unfortunately for Gatting, she was forced to withdraw from this year's event after suffering a freak pit-lane injury and fracturing her foot during a test day. She has been replaced by Sarah Bovy but she is still well-placed to discuss the unique aspects of Le Mans. 'Endurance racing is special because it's really a team sport,' explains Gatting. 'Some people would say [we] drive around in circles. I would not really say it's driving around in circles, but we just really love what we do. 'We love our sport and it's so special going in those races, the 24-hour races, when you go into the night and it's such a special atmosphere. You see the sun set, you see the sun rise and it's quite unique. It's just the passion and the love for the sport and I think that's why we love endurance racing.' That message is echoed by the youngest driver on the team, 33-year-old Frenchwoman Celia Martin, who hopes to have the home crowd on her side at her first Le Mans. 'I'm just living the dream,' says Martin. 'I finally get the opportunity to race in a GT3, to race amazing championships and to race with super cool team-mates with a lot of experience, especially now for Le Mans – I could not have asked for more.'


Auto Blog
21 hours ago
- Auto Blog
The Roar, The Rush, The Reality: The Ultimate Porsche Test Drive
A Porsche fanatic's dream Most of my experience driving Porsches centers on my ownership of a 34-year-old air-cooled 911 and several trips to the Porsche Experience Center in Los Angeles. So, when Porsche Colorado Springs invited me to their Ultimate Test Drive Experience, I was pretty excited. The team brought eleven cars for us civilians to drive, plus a Boxster Spyder RS for one of the three instructors who flew in from Porsche's Track Experience School. Unfortunately, this wasn't going to be an open track day for us to hoon around in some of Porsche's newest and funnest rides. Rather, we'd be broken into groups and cycle through the cars to get a feel for each and to understand the Porsche DNA shared among the entire lineup. And the lineup was diverse. You wouldn't think that a 911 had anything in common with a Taycan EV, but it does. Besides similar design cues, the shared DNA is a focus on performance that's been part of every Porsche model since 1948. Sure, they're not all fire-breathing monsters like the GT3 RS, but the Porsche Club of America will allow you to bring any Porsche on track because they know the cars are made to handle the stresses that track cars must endure. Porsche cars are serious machines that can run hard all day on the Autobahn or on the race course. The experience was as thrilling as you'd expect Due to time constraints, we were only permitted two laps in each car, but there was plenty of seat time overall. Speeds were relatively high, too. We pushed 100 mph on the high banks at Pikes Peak International Raceway before dropping down into the twisty infield sections that allowed us to test the brakes and drift through tight turns at over 50 mph. I know that doesn't sound fast, but 50 mph while navigating a tight 180-degree turn? Trust me, it's fast. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. This wasn't the type of event where you turn off all of the driver aids, so I never felt like there was any chance of crashing, but the Porsche instructors urged us to start in Sport mode and then shift into Sport Plus, which gives a little more throttle response, better steering feel, and track-focused suspension. I'll be honest. I was there to drive, and we only had a minute to acclimate to each car before hitting the track, so I can't tell you much about their interiors. All I know is that the AC blew cold in the 85-degree ambient temperatures, and the finish of each car was impeccable. So, what were my thoughts on each car's driving dynamics? 2025 Porsche Taycan 4s I'm a fan of the Taycan. The model was Porsche's first EV, and I've driven one all over LA, including the twisties of Angeles Crest, and even came close to buying a Cross Turismo wagon earlier this year. You just can't beat an EV's power delivery, and the Taycan doesn't disappoint. The 4S has 536 hp and will hit 60 in 3.5 seconds. That's fun, but Porsche nailed it with the Taycan's steering feel. It gives the car a solid, planted feel with good brakes to boot. I was just learning the track when I drove this car, but I wouldn't hesitate to drive one for the occasional track day. Actually, I'd get the Cross Turismo and drive it all over Colorado's gravel roads, which it's designed to do. It's got gravel mode! 2024 Porsche Macan 4 Another EV that rocks! Its 402 hp will propel the car to 60 mph in under 5 seconds with room for the whole family. On track, the Macan 4 is good, but it isn't quite as nimble as the Taycan, with a little more body roll. The brakes were great, but the steering felt less Porsche-like than I hoped. The Oak Green Metallic and Provence paint colors are stunning. Yeah, I'm fine with a purple Porsche. 2025 Porsche Panamera GTS This executive tourer is powered by a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo putting out 493 horsepower. It's a monster that makes a glorious noise when you step on the gas and feels lighter on track than its 4700 pounds would suggest. It's more muscle car than sports car, and while I'd need more laps to better understand how to drive this car at the limit, I noticed a little bit of understeer. The interior was as lovely as it should be for a car with a base price of $157,000. 2025 Porsche Cayenne E-Hybrid Coupe The E-Hybrid is powered by a 300-horsepower, 3-liter, 6-cylinder gasoline engine combined with a 174-horsepower electric motor, which will propel this 5,400-pound SUV to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds. It's a capable off-roader, too, but on track, I noticed lots of body roll. Even then, this thing can brake and corner as well as the other cars in our pack, and it easily kept up with the Panamera GTS, which is no small feat. Porsche sports cars are the ultimate cross between performance and usability We had four sports cars, too. However, three were base 911 Carreras, so I'll combine my thoughts on those into one summary. 2025 Porsche 911 Carrera There's almost nothing a 911 can't do, within its relatively small footprint. It's a sports car to make every day special, so it was no surprise that I loved the 911, even if it was a base Carrera. The steering had a good weight, and there was excellent feedback from the tires. I love how 911s offer gentle understeer into the corner, but then the rear rotates to help steer the car. It's such a fun chassis. That said, I'd opt for a higher-spec car, such as a GTS or even a T, for the type of driving I enjoy – canyons and light track work. I'd also opt for an upgrade on the interior so that it matched the quality of the car's mechanicals. 2025 Porsche 718 Boxster GTS 4.0 I've saved my favorite for last. The mid-engined Boxster is so much fun. The steering was telepathic, and the mid-engine format allowed me to play with the car's balance mid-corner. All I had to do was think where I wanted to place the car, and the little Boxster would go there. The one issue for me is that there's a bit of resonance from the engine sound at higher RPMs. I'd love it on track, but would prefer the greater sound insulation of a Cayman. After owning several British roadsters, I've realized that I like a steel roof overhead. Driving these two cars back-to-back was eye-opening and allowed me to feel the difference in handling between the Boxster and the 911. With its mid-mounted engine, the Boxster was more predictable and felt like it rotated around my hips. The rear-engined 911, on the other hand, has more of a pendulum effect and rotates around the car's nose. Final thoughts My verdict? I want them all. Horses for courses. The SUVs were impressive and will be on my list when it's time for a new ski car, as will the Taycan. I've driven EVs for years and no longer have any range anxiety, but that's not what I dream about. For me, it comes down to 911 vs. Boxster/Cayman, and I've already got one car with an engine in the rear. So, as much as I love the 911, I'll be ordering an electric Cayman when they become available. It'll be my daily driver, and if it's anything like the love child of a Boxster and a Taycan that I hope it'll be, it'll put a smile on my face every time I drive it. A huge thanks to Porsche Colorado Springs's John Dyste and Ted Hampson for hosting and including me in this event. About the Author Jason Meshnick View Profile