Tue 21 Jan 2025

Iron Dames set for WRC debut

Rallye Monte-Carlo will be notable as more than just the start of the 2025 WRC season. For Sarah Rumeau and Julie Amblard it will be a watershed moment as the pair embark on a seven round WRC2 season with Iron Dames. The run at a WRC2 Championship title for an all-female pairing represents an important step in the ongoing efforts to further enhance pathways for women into the top echelons of the rallying.

Rumeau and Amblard impressed in the French Gravel and Tarmac championships last year in the first year of the Iron Dames rally programme, by taking fifth on asphalt and sixth on gravel. Moving to the WRC will undoubtedly be a big leap for the duo, but both are ready for the challenge.


For Rumeau, this transition to the WRC is deeply significant, especially following a successful year competing in France. “As we look towards 2025 with Citroën Racing, we’re embarking on an important international journey. It feels like a continuing dream with the team, and I am immensely proud,” she said.


Amblard concurred, remarking on the pride that comes with being among the first representatives of the Iron Dames in the world of rallying.


For Deborah Mayer, the visionary behind the Iron Dames Project, it is important to facilitate the the resurgence of female talent in the WRC and moving to the WRC is a critical advancement.

“We are so proud of what Sarah and Julie have achieved in just one year. Through their determination and talent, they embody the spirit of the Iron Dames and deserve this extraordinary 2025 programme. To see them follow in the footsteps of such a Grande Dame as Michèle Mouton is particularly moving,” said Mayer.


The duo is ready to commence their ambitious campaign this weekend in Monte Carlo, which spans seven rounds of the WRC2 Championship across both gravel and Tarmac terrains. This pioneering project enjoys the support of significant stakeholders, including Citroën Racing, the FFSA, and Sarrazin Motorsport.


The participation of women at the highest levels of the WRC isn’t a novel phenomenon, with Michèle Mouton one of the most formiddable forces in rallying throughout the late seventies and early eighties. More recently co-driver Isabelle Galmiche achieved victory on the Monte as co-driver for WRC legend Sébastien Loeb in 2022 whilst recent seasons have also seen Reeta Hämäläinen crowned WRC2 Co-Driver champion with fellow Finn Enni Malkonen achieving the same feat in WRC3.  Additionally starting in WRC2 this weekend is Italian driver Rachele Somaachini, co-piloted by Nicola Arena, who is making her step up from the FIA European Rally Championship, further enriching the landscape of women in the sport.

This initiative complements the Beyond Rally Women’s Driver Development Programme, which saw Lyssia Baudet and Claire Schönborn excel among 13 competitors to earn their places in the FIA Junior WRC for the coming year, showcasing the promising future for women in rallying. The exclusive Ford Fiesta Rally3 junior championship begins on the snowy roads of Sweden in February.

Iron Dames WRC calendar

• 23 – 26 January: Rallye Monte-Carlo     
• 15 – 18 May: Vodafone Rally de Portugal
• 05 – 08 June: Rally Italia Sardegna
• 26 – 29 June: EKO Acropolis Rally Greece
• 31 July – 03 August: Secto Rally Finland
• 16 – 19 October: Central European Rally
• 27 – 30 November: Saudi Arabia

Sweden
Starts: Thursday, February 13, 2025 at 8:00:00 AM
Spain
Starts: Thursday, April 3, 2025 at 7:00:00 AM
Turkey
Starts: Sunday, November 10, 2024 at 8:30:00 AM