Italian racing team Iron Lynx will propel a young racer on her first step towards single-seater glory this weekend, as she competes in her first ever car race.
Dutch-Spanish driver Maya Weug is 16 years old and having triumphed in last year’s “FIA Girls on Track – Rising Stars” programme, has become the first girl to join the prestigious Ferrari Driver Academy.
Having previously raced in karts, Maya joins the Iron Lynx squad in Italian Formula 4 with teammates Leonardo Fornaroli, who has been setting fastest times in pre-season testing, and Pietro Armanni, another promising Iron Lynx debutant. The opening three races take place at the Paul Ricard circuit in the south of France across Saturday and Sunday.
Maya also joins the Iron Dames, an initiative led by Deborah Mayer, which supports women in motorsport, and is the perfect environment to nurture new talents. As well as Formula 4, the Iron Dames race Ferrari GT cars in the World Endurance Championship (FIA WEC), European Le Mans Series (ELMS), 24 Hours of Le Mans, Michelin Le Mans Cup and Ferrari Challenge Europe.
Also this weekend, Iron Dames Rahel Frey, Michelle Gatting and Manuela Gostner are competing a Ferrari 488 GTE Evo in the four-hour second round of the ELMS at Red Bull Ring in Austria, where team-mates Claudio Schiavoni, Giorgio Sernagiotto, Paolo Ruberti, Miguel Molina, Matteo Cressoni and Rino Mastronardi will also be hoping to build on Iron Lynx’s impressive showing last time out in Barcelona, where the #80 car took the LMGTE class win.
Speaking about the weekend ahead, Iron Dames founder and accomplished racer Deborah Mayer said, “Maya’s first race this weekend is a very significant step for the Iron Dames, for the Ferrari Driver Academy and for the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission. We welcome her to the team and wish her every success, meanwhile we thank all our followers for their support as we take six Iron Lynx racing cars into the weekend”.
Both racing series offer viewers the opportunity to watch live online, while both Iron Lynx and Iron Dames can be followed on Facebook and Instagram. Racing with Ferrari at iconic circuits all around Europe, Iron Lynx’s season continues to inspire and engage as the team looks ahead to further success in the weeks and months ahead.
Race Report – 17th May 2021
Iron Lynx Battles through the Storm to Hold Championship Lead
The Iron Lynx squad raced across France and Austria at the weekend, fielding six cars across the European Le Mans Series at the Red Bull Ring and Italian Formula 4 at the Paul Ricard circuit.
The ultra-competitive Italian F4 series was the car racing debut for Dutch-Spanish teenager Maya Weug, the first girl to join the Ferrari Driving Academy. In her Iron Dames-liveried machine, she gained places in both races one and two, before achieving a Rookie-category second place in the final race of the day. Her teammates also impressed – Pietro Armanni charging in race two and making up 11 places, while Leonardo Fornaroli sharpened his skills across the weekend, finishing fourth in race three.
Commenting on the hugely challenging race, Andrea Piccini, Team Principal European Le Mans Series, said:
“I think we made the right calls today, but the weather was just too unpredictable. I’m happy with how the team reacted, and we would do the same again. The whole team did a great job in such difficult conditions. We’re disappointed with the contact on the last lap that took away a solid 4th place for the Iron Dames. We’ll come back even stronger in Paul Ricard.”
Turning to Formula 4, he continued,
“While Paul Ricard isn’t our optimal track, Leonardo bringing home important points is good, Pietro is clearly a competitive racer and Maya got her first rookie podium – at the end of the day it’s a strong start”.
Andrea Piccini, Team Principal European Le Mans Series
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