The four women making their mark in Ferrari Challenge Europe
Two pole positions and two commanding victories - that’s a perfect and certainly impressive weekend in anyone’s books.
And that’s exactly what 18-year-old Doriane Pin achieved in her Ferrari Challenge Europe full-season debut at the world-renowned Portimao circuit in southern Portugal. The French racing driver looked rapid right from the off, topping the timesheets in the first practice session. Her stellar form only continued and the Iron Dames driver stole the show.
Doriane, however, isn’t the only woman in the field making her mark. A further three women competed in the season-opener and we thought we should introduce you to them.
Doriane Pin, France
Doriane made the headlines in 2021 after making the final four of the inaugural FIA Girls on Track - Rising Stars program. Won by Maya Weug, the judges - including Ferrari - were so impressed by Doriane that they invited her to participate in a sports car test.
Off the back of a successful outing, Dorinane landed a seat with the all-female outfit Iron Dames and took to the Michelin Le Mans Cup. Partnered with Sarah Bovy (and later Manuela Gostner), Doriane showed raw speed right from the start of her GT career, even featuring on the Road to Le Mans podium.
Doriane would then make her Ferrari Challenge debut at the end of the 2021 season, the same event that saw fellow Iron Dame, Michelle Gatting, become the first female champion of Ferrari Challenge Europe.
Two victories in the Trofeo Pirelli class, alongside an experienced field of competitors, marked a fantastic way to commence her second season of sports car racing, which is in fact only her second year of competition outside of karts.
Manuela Gostner, Italy
Manuela made her series debut in 2014, and has since been a frequent competitor in the championship with two ladies’ trophies to her name (2018 and 2019).
Since she began her Ferrari Challenge Europe career, Manuela has finished in the top-10 an impressive 50% of the time, with a podium rate of almost 10%.
Gostner has also competed outside the championship with 2021 appearances in the World Endurance Championship (WEC), European Le Mans Series (ELMS) and Michelin Le Mans Cup with the Iron Dames.
In 2022, Manuela will continue to be part of the Iron Dames family, whilst pursuing the Ferrari Challenge Coppa Shell crown.
Corinna Gostner, Italy
Another member of the Gostner racing family, Corinna, the sister of Manuela, has also chosen to compete in Ferrari Challenge Europe since 2014 and, like her sibling, has experienced notable success. With four ladies’ crowns to her name, Corinna has racked up a staggering 13,000 points over her 60 plus races in the championship.
Corinna has also seen success in the international 24H series, standing on the podium on multiple occasions in 2020. She is an all-rounder in sports cars and certainly someone to watch out for over the course of this season’s competition.
The championship is a true family affair and alongside her father, her brother and her sister, Corinna will be hoping to add more podiums to her Ferrari Challenge tally.
Lisa Clark, USA
Lisa was a late call-up to the European edition of the championship, having raced in the American version across six seasons.
A mum and star of a Netflix show called Fastest Car, Lisa had always aimed to compete in the North American equivalent of the all-Ferrari series.
2019 was a breakthrough year for her and in the Coppa Shell AM category, she bagged one victory and an additional four podiums to finish sixth in the class standings. 2020 continued on that high with another two wins to her name.
This year has got off to a solid start for the American, with a points score at Portimao and an additional three podiums in her US competition.
Remaining 2022 calendar
13-15 May, Paul Ricard, France
17-19 June, Budapest, Hungary
22-24 July, Hockenheim, Germany
16-18 September, Silverstone, UK
7-9 October, Mugello, Italy
26-30 October, Imola, Italy (Finali Mondiali)
Photos are thanks to Iron Dames, Ferrari and Lisa Clark.