Iron Dames project expands its horizons to rallying

Launched in 2018 with the vision of empowering women in traditionally male-dominated fields, the project initially established in endurance racing and quickly garnered success and recognition, contributing significantly to changing perceptions of women in motorsports. The Iron Dames as an all-woman team has already left an indelible mark in motorsports with standout performances at the highest level that included a FIA World Endurance Championship victory in the last race of the season in Bahrain. A new generation of pink drivers is also on the rise aiming to reach the pinnacle of the sport, notably Doriane Pin who emerges has one of the brightest talent of her generation.   

Iron Dames is proud to open this new chapter in rallying as a natural progression of the project. Sarah Rumeau, alongside her familiar co-driver, Julie Amblard, will lead the charge as the first representatives of Iron Dames in the discipline. Their journey is set to commence in the 2024 season, in the famous French Rally Championship and French Gravel Rally Championship. Their development will be supported by the proven expertise of the Sarrazin Motorsport team. 

Sarah Rumeau's journey into sports began at a young age in handball, where she reached a national level before shifting her focus to rallying in 2021 in the French Championship. In her debut season, she clinched the title of French Women's Champion alongside co-driver Julie Amblard. The duo continued their success in 2022, finishing as runners-up in the Two-Wheel Drive French Championship and securing the Michelin Trophy for cars outside of the Rally2 and Alpine RGT categories. In 2023, Sarah and Julie engaged in a dual programme featuring the ADAC Opel e-Rally Cup in Europe and select races in the French Dirt Championship.

Their achievements included a fourth-place finish in the Europe-based all-electric cup, claiming the top spot among female competitors, and winning the final rally in the French Gravel Championship in the Two-Wheel Drive category. For Julie Amblard, motorsport has been a familial passion since she started alongside her father in 2010. After gaining experience in regional and national rallies, she won the FFSA Junior Rally Co-Driver selection in 2018. Following this, she participated in multiple editions of the French Rally Championship before joining forces with Sarah Rumeau in 2021. In parallel, Julie served as route note car co-driver for Sébastien Ogier within Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team in 2023. 

This new venture follows previous expansions into karting and, most recently, a significant entry into equestrian sports. Cannes Stars powered by Iron Dames will be the only all-female line-up to take on the challenge of the top-level FEI show jumping competitions worldwide, notably the prestigious Longines Global Champions Tour and Global Champions League starting from the 2024 season. 

What began as a pioneering force in endurance racing continues to expand in the world of mixed sports, underscoring the project's commitment to pushing boundaries and adding new dimensions to the Iron Dames legacy. 

DEBORAH MAYER, IRON DAMES PROJECT FOUNDER I am extremely pleased to open this new chapter in the exciting world of rallying and to welcome Sarah and Julie to the Iron Dames family. After endurance, Formula 4, karting and equestrian sports, the Iron Dames project is continuing its development by giving more and more women the chance to evolve and shine in sports whose beauty is that they compete on equal terms with men. With their passion and determination to reach the highest level in their discipline, Sarah and Julie embrace the spirit and values of the project. We are delighted to benefit from the expertise and know-how of Stéphane Sarrazin and his teams. This guarantees that our drivers will be racing in the best possible conditions. We are all committed to helping them realise their dreams.

SARAH RUMEAU I am so happy to be able to join the Iron Dames project; it is a very important moment in my career. It is an honour and an incredible opportunity to be the first representatives in rallying. Now I can't wait to start preparing and getting to know the whole family. Finally, I would like to thank Deborah Mayer for her confidence and support.

JULIE AMBLARD I am thrilled to start this new adventure within the Iron Dames family. They have proved women belong in motorsport with amazing successes in endurance racing. It is therefore a great honour to represent Iron Dames in rallying and to be a part of this journey. 2024 will be a year of discovery with our new Ford Fiesta Rally2. This is a big challenge, but we are determined to make the Iron Dames shine in our field. This is a big challenge, but we are determined to make the Iron Dames shine in our field.

STÉPHANE SARRAZIN: "I am delighted to be joining this project and very proud to have Deborah Mayer's trust. I'm also excited to welcome Sarah and Julie, whose development I have watched and whose potential I am well aware of. We will give them all the support they need to reach the highest level."