Latest news with #IronDames
The Australian
28-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Australian
Dua Lipa stuns with custom Porsche 911 GT3 RS at Goodwood Festival of Speed
Pop icon Dua Lipa arrived in style for the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed with a custom Porsche 911 GT3 RS worth more than $1 million. The bespoke supercar designed by Dua Lipa was the star of Porsche's display as she cruised up the fabled hill climb alongside racers from the all-female Iron Dames team. MORE: Why the Goodwood Festival of Speed is unforgettable Dua Lipa with Porsche's 911 GT3 RS. Picture: Supplied The 'one kiss' singer styled a special livery for Porsche's sports car, combining striking turquoise, red, gold and dark green elements. This one-off Porsche will go under the hammer, auctioned off by RM Sotheby's, with proceeds going to the Sunny Hill Foundation, a charity that supports Kosovan causes including giving young women access to STEM education. 'I wanted to create something that fuses the emotion of music, design, and driving,' Dua Lipa said. 'The Sunny Hill Foundation has always been close to my heart, and this project is a celebration of the culture and creativity it supports.' Dua Lipa with Porsche's 911 GT3 RS. Picture: Supplied Dua Lipa's design is a wrap applied to a car with much more subtle arctic grey paint, along with pyro red wheels and carbon ceramic brakes gripped by yellow-painted calipers. Under the skin, the special Porsche is equipped with an optional 'Weissach' package featuring a roll cage, roof, and suspension elements made from carbon fibre to save weight. MORE: Why the 911 GT3 RS is the wildest car on sale The 2022 Porsche 911 GT3 RS is an aerodynamic triumph. Powered by a 4.0-litre flat six engine, the 911 GT3 RS produces 380kW of power at a soaring 9000rpm. It's not the fastest car in a straight line – 0-100km/h is sorted in 3.2 seconds – but it is one of the quickest cars to lap circuits, thanks to enormous spoilers that generate huge amounts of downforce. Dua Lipa's car could appeal to collectors – as well as folks who missed out on the model, which is no longer available to order as the brand has introduced a newer, '992.2' series Porsche 911, which is not yet available in GT3 RS trim. MORE: Wild call to end tax breaks for utes Dua Lipa performs onstage during her Radical Optimism tour. Photo byThe model originally went on sale locally in 2023 for $500,200 plus on-road costs. But lightly used examples are listed on websites such as Carsales for around $850,000 drive-away, suggesting Dua Lipa's exclusive example should be worth a seven-figure sum. Danielle Collis Journalist and Reporter Danielle's background spans print, radio and television, she has contributed to outlets such as The Age, ABC, Channel Nine and many more. For more than four years, Danielle has worked as Liz Hayes' producer and investigative journalist on her show 'Under Investigation', covering everything from corporate scandals to Australia's most baffling crime cases. Danielle's covered a range of topics from breaking news, politics, lifestyle and now motoring. Danielle Collis
News.com.au
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- News.com.au
Dua Lipa stuns with custom Porsche at Goodwood
Pop icon Dua Lipa arrived in style for the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed with a custom Porsche 911 GT3 RS worth more than $1 million. The bespoke supercar designed by Dua Lipa was the star of Porsche's display as she cruised up the fabled hill climb alongside racers from the all-female Iron Dames team. The 'one kiss' singer styled a special livery for Porsche's sports car, combining striking turquoise, red, gold and dark green elements. This one-off Porsche will go under the hammer, auctioned off by RM Sotheby's, with proceeds going to the Sunny Hill Foundation, a charity that supports Kosovan causes including giving young women access to STEM education. 'I wanted to create something that fuses the emotion of music, design, and driving,' Dua Lipa said. 'The Sunny Hill Foundation has always been close to my heart, and this project is a celebration of the culture and creativity it supports.' Dua Lipa's design is a wrap applied to a car with much more subtle arctic grey paint, along with pyro red wheels and carbon ceramic brakes gripped by yellow-painted calipers. Under the skin, the special Porsche is equipped with an optional 'Weissach' package featuring a roll cage, roof, and suspension elements made from carbon fibre to save weight. Powered by a 4.0-litre flat six engine, the 911 GT3 RS produces 380kW of power at a soaring 9000rpm. It's not the fastest car in a straight line – 0-100km/h is sorted in 3.2 seconds – but it is one of the quickest cars to lap circuits, thanks to enormous spoilers that generate huge amounts of downforce. Dua Lipa's car could appeal to collectors – as well as folks who missed out on the model, which is no longer available to order as the brand has introduced a newer, '992.2' series Porsche 911, which is not yet available in GT3 RS trim. The model originally went on sale locally in 2023 for $500,200 plus on-road costs. But lightly used examples are listed on websites such as Carsales for around $850,000 drive-away, suggesting Dua Lipa's exclusive example should be worth a seven-figure sum.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Pupils 'inspired' by female motor racings stars
Racing drivers Vanina Ickx (left) and Marta Garcia (second from right) were pictured with members of Oxford Brookes University's racing team [BBC] School pupils have described meeting female motor racing stars as "motivating" and "inspiring". The group of girls attended a talk by Vanina Ickx and Marta Garcia at Oxford Brookes University as part of a celebration of International Women in Engineering Day. Advertisement Garcia, who became the inaugural Formula 1 Academy champion in 2023, said it was vital to encourage the next generation of women working in the industry. "It's good to tell them our stories because then they get to know motorsport, how we started, and how to overcome obstacles," she said. Garcia and Ickx represent the Iron Dames, an Italian-Swiss auto racing and equestrian team. Garcia said she thought the industry was doing "much more" to attract girls to the sport. She cited the creation of the Formula 1 Academy, which is a female-only racing championship, and the development of school programmes to introduce girls to go-karts. Student Karma said the Iron Dames were "really inspiring" [BBC] The girls at the talk said they found the women inspiring and motivating. Advertisement Student Karma said she had been learning more about engineering. "[When watching Formula 1], you see all the races and the cars... but you never see what makes it, everyone always looks at the service but not the things behind it," she said. She said the Iron Dames were "really inspiring" and their efforts to "make male and female equal" was "really, really cool". Student Clara liked how "dedicated" the Oxford Brookes Racing team is [BBC] The pupils also met the award-winning Oxford Brookes Racing team and learned about the electric racing vehicle they develop each year to compete in the International Formula Student competition. Student Clara said she liked how "dedicated" the team was. Advertisement "It's cool how all of them have their area and want to do that well, instead of all wanting to drive - because that's not the most important part." International Women in Engineering Day is marked every June and aims to raise the profile of women in engineering, celebrate their achievements, and highlight some of the career opportunities available to them around the world. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram. Related Links
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Pupils 'inspired' by female motor racings stars at Oxford Brookes talk
School pupils have described meeting female motor racing stars as "motivating" and "inspiring".The group of girls attended a talk by Vanina Ickx and Marta Garcia at Oxford Brookes University as part of a celebration of International Women in Engineering Day. Garcia, who became the inaugural Formula 1 Academy champion in 2023, said it was vital to encourage the next generation of women working in the industry."It's good to tell them our stories because then they get to know motorsport, how we started, and how to overcome obstacles," she said. Garcia and Ickx represent the Iron Dames, an Italian-Swiss auto racing and equestrian team. Garcia said she thought the industry was doing "much more" to attract girls to the sport. She cited the creation of the Formula 1 Academy, which is a female-only racing championship, and the development of school programmes to introduce girls to go-karts. The girls at the talk said they found the women inspiring and motivating. Student Karma said she had been learning more about engineering."[When watching Formula 1], you see all the races and the cars... but you never see what makes it, everyone always looks at the service but not the things behind it," she said. She said the Iron Dames were "really inspiring" and their efforts to "make male and female equal" was "really, really cool". The pupils also met the award-winning Oxford Brookes Racing team and learned about the electric racing vehicle they develop each year to compete in the International Formula Student Clara said she liked how "dedicated" the team was."It's cool how all of them have their area and want to do that well, instead of all wanting to drive - because that's not the most important part."International Women in Engineering Day is marked every June and aims to raise the profile of women in engineering, celebrate their achievements, and highlight some of the career opportunities available to them around the world. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
Telegraph
13-06-2025
- Automotive
- 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.'
