How Rahel Frey Is Leading the Way for Women in Motorsports
If you’re a fan of professional race car driving, then you’re well aware that it’s a sport overwhelmingly dominated by men, from the drivers to the engineers to track personnel. When it comes to drivers, specifically, the most well-known woman in motorsports has been Danica Patrick, who retired from racing back in 2017.
But in more recent years, a new crop of women drivers has emerged — and they’re poised to break even more barriers. For example, the Iron Dames is the first all-female lineup in history to compete in endurance racing — and they’ve been incredibly successful since they were founded in 2018. In addition to having won multiple races and championships, both as a team and as individuals, the Iron Dames are committed to supporting women across career tracks to help close the gender gap at all levels of motorsports.
In just a few days, the Iron Dames will be competing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a legendary endurance race taking place from June 10-11 in the picturesque city of Le Mans in the northwest of France. For this race, drivers compete in teams and take turns racing in hours-long shifts— for 24 continuous hours. Teams compete in different classes, and the Iron Dames are one of the frontrunners to win their class.
Ahead of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, we had the opportunity to chat with one of the Iron Dames, Rahel Frey, a driver and project manager for the team. Hailing from Switzerland, 37-year-old Frey has been involved in motorsports since she was a child and clinched her first professional contract in 2011. Below, learn more about her hopes for the future of women in motorsports, how she’s preparing for the biggest race of her career, and more.

How did you first get interested in motorsports?
I got into motorsports thanks to my family. We have a car dealership back home — a family business — so my siblings and I grew up around cars. Then our pop-pop brought us to the go-kart track. I started go-karting with my brother, and that’s how we got involved in motorsports.
What has your experience been as a woman in motorsports?
It’s only been a positive experience. I was always accepted because I was clearly always focused on myself and always wanted to be the fastest driver. I just wanted to win races. It didn’t matter to me if I competed against men or women.
I grew up in the Swiss countryside, and we have very small school classes. We mainly had boys — there were only two girls in class. So I was used to competing against boys. For me, it was kind of natural. And like I said, I always knew what I wanted — I wanted to be fast. I wanted to win races.

What’s your hope for the future of women in motorsports?
I hope that we’ll see more females competing at a high level in motorsports, if not the highest level. That’s what I really wish for the upcoming female generation. I hope this is something we can achieve. This is something we’re working hard for — there are several initiatives in place working toward this goal.
It’s on us, the older drivers who already have experience, to support young females. We can make life for the younger drivers easier. If we can manage everything off the track, then the younger ones can fully focus on driving fast. With everything in life, more time is needed — a little bit more time for a better understanding that females are capable of competing at the highest level.
How are you preparing for the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans?
Physical preparation is very important. To increase our endurance, our training needs a lot of running and cycling. At the moment, I prefer cycling over running. We don’t do a ton of strength training because we don’t need to gain weight. Being a little lighter is actually an advantage for us race drivers because it helps with speed. Our focus is endurance training because when you stay two or three hours in the car, you can’t get tired.
Mental preparation is also important. We try to get to know the track very well under different conditions during simulated sessions. Visualization also helps. We try to imagine several scenarios mentally, just to get ready in case that happens during the race. What also helps is when you have a lot of races before the big races because then you get to spend a lot of time in the car.

How does the bond with your teammates impact how you compete?
It’s very important. We spend so much time together — during the year, we have nearly 20 race weekends, so you can imagine how much time we spend together. It’s very much our second family. And what I appreciate with our project with the Iron Dames is consistency.
I have done so many races with Sarah [Bovy] and Michelle [Gatting] already, so we know each other very well. We know each other’s strengths but also our weak points. So sometimes when any of us feels a little down, we know exactly what’s needed to push us up again.
What does your routine look like before a big race?
It depends on the race, but Le Mans is very intense for us. We have a lot of autograph sessions, a lot of interviews. It’s a very special edition since it’s the 100th anniversary of the race. We expect a lot of spectators, which is amazing — but it also means it’s more intense for us.
So it’s important to learn to say no and to take little breaks in between. I love to have a little nap before I start racing. Not long, maybe 20 minutes just to calm down and be in your own little world. Then, you open the door from the driver changing room and basically you can let the show begin.
The second important part is you have to have a certain routine with nutrition, like pasta and salad. And then I always have a special drink or a small espresso before I jump into the car.
But we’re all a little different. Sarah, for example, loves the attention. She needs to teach us a little bit before she jumps in the car. Michelle needs the quietness, but then also a little bit more attention. So that’s very personal. And once again, that’s a positive point that we know each other so well. We know exactly what’s needed for each other.

How do you stay looking refreshed after a race?
I can tell you the secret is to drink enough water so you don’t run into the risk of dehydration. That’s a key factor for race preparation. But also during the race, it’s important to have short naps and always get a massage.
Basically, whenever we jump out of the car, the three of us try to have a quick peek backwards with our engineer, then we immediately go and get changed, have a massage, eat a toast, drink a lot of water, and get some rest.
If you jump out of the car at two or three in the morning, it’s very difficult to eat something or to fall asleep immediately. But we have to force ourselves to do so. So that’s key.
My other secret to looking refreshed after a race is that I have some permanent makeup. This helps a lot. That’s my secret to actually looking refreshed when I jump out of the car.
Is there anything else you’d like to mention about women in motorsports?
As Iron Dames, we have the slogan “women driven by dreams.” And I think that says everything. All of the women around the world, we should have dreams, we should dream big, and we should chase our dreams. It doesn’t matter what it is you do, just that you never give up and that you’re following your dream.
Photos courtesy of Iron Lynx