Cindy Gudet

Cindy Gudet is a championship-winning French hillclimber who has made the jump from speed events to sportscar racing.

Her background is predominantly hillclimbs, although not exclusively. She made guest appearances in rallies and in ice racing for several seasons before making the switch to sportscars on circuits in 2024.

She has been successful in hillclimbing since 2017, winning six national titles in production sportscars, most notably a Revolt 2P0 prototype. In 2023, she signed up for the ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup, a single-make rally championship based in Germany, running as an official FFSA Academy entry with Cecile Marie as co-driver. Sarah Rumeau, a future French champion and Iron Dames driver, was also selected. After a guest appearance in the Rallye Regional de Quercy, driving a Peugeot 106, she was tenth in the Opel class in her first event in the car, the Rally Sulingen. Her best result of the year was a sixth place in her home Opel event, the Rallye Vosges Grand-Est. Her final position on the e-Rally Cup leaderboard was eighth, after six to-ten finishes.

As well as the ADAC series, she did another French regional rally in a Peugeot 208 R2, finishing the Savoie-Chautagne National Rallye in 29th place, from 58 finishers.

Her circuit career began in 2022, although on ice rather than on asphalt. She was invited to contest the Andros Stars ice racing series, which used electric cars and was open to selected guest drivers only, from the worlds of motorsport, other sport and celebrity. This seems to have been her first experience of driving on a track with other cars around her. She must have impressed Yvan Muller's team, which took her on for the 2023-2024 season as a driver in the Elite class. This was the last running of the Andros Trophy.

In 2024, she raced on the circuits, entering the GT4 European Series in a Toyota GR Supra, sharing with Gabriela Jilkova. Their car was run by Matmut Evolution, Jerome Policand's team, which had been taking steps to support female talent in the past season or so.

They were seventh in their class, with two podium finishes, a third place in Round 1 at Paul Ricard and another third at the season finale in Jeddah.

Driving solo, Cindy was fifth in the Ligier European Series, with her best finish being second at Portimao. She did almost the full season, only missing the Spa races, driving for the M Racing team. She was their highest-placed finisher in the squad.

She and Gabriela were signed again to race in the Supra in the 2025 GT4 European Series. They were fifth in the Pro-Am championship, finishing on the podium five times: seconds at the Nurburgring and Misano, and thirds at Paul Ricard, the Nurburgring and Barcelona. 

As a single driver, she did another season in the Ligier European Series, driving for M Racing. She was fifth in this championship as well, with four fourth places as her best finishes in the JS2R class.

(Image copyright Cindy Gudet)

Clementine Lhoste

 

Clémentine Lhoste is a French driver who specialises in ice racing, having won against both women and men.

She first came to prominence in the Andros Trophy during the 2015-16 season, winning the “Ice Girls” ladies’ trophy. This was a one-make series for Sprint Car cross-buggies. After a slow start to the season, she became a dominant force, winning six Superfinals and finishing fifty points ahead of her nearest rival, Aurore Louison. This was her first full season of ice racing, although she had taken part in some Trophée Féminin races the previous year. At sixteen, she was the youngest driver to race in the Andros Trophy. 

She was supported in her early racing attempts by Dominique Dubourg, himself an Andros regular. 

Her second full Andros Trophy was contested in the Electric car class, with the Loxam team. The entire championship is now electrically-powered, but it was then a separate one-make class and relatively new. She was seventh, with a best finish of fifth at Alpe d'Huez. 

Another season in the Electric class followed at the end of 2017, as Loxam’s only electric entry. She was sixth overall after a consistent set of races. The following year, she earned her first podium, a third place in the qualifying race at Isola 2000.

Moving on after the entire championship went electric, she was seventh in the Elite class during the 2019-2020 season, with a best finish of second at Val Thorens. Although Ice Girls no longer ran as a separate category, Clementine regained her Andros Coupe des Dames this year. This was her first year as a member of Sylvain Pussier’s team, driving alongside Pussier himself.

The following year, she was fourth in Elite, driving for Sylvain Pussier Competition. She won three rounds outright at Lans en Vercours and Val Thorens, finishing ahead of multiple women’s champion, Margot Laffite and just three points behind third-placed Natan Bihel. Pussier himself won the class championship, despite having the same number of wins as Clementine.

The Pussier team used the Loxam electric Peugeot 208 for the 2021-22 season. Clementine had her share of troubles, not always qualifying well, but she won the Superfinal of the Isola 2000 round outright on her way to a fourth place in the championship. She was second in the Lans en Vercours round, but then had an indifferent Super-Besse weekend, meaning that she could not catch Bihel for third.

She remained part of the Pussier set-up for the 2022-23 season as one of their Elite drivers, sharing the car with Jimmy Clairet. It was a frustrating year for her as she often struggled for pace in the Peugeot and she lost her Ladies' crown to Margot Laffite. 

She did train with the French RX Academy for young rallycross hopefuls in 2019, but prefers to compete on the ice in winter rather than the mud in summer.

(Image copyright Le Progres/DR)

Estelle Hallyday

 

Estelle Hallyday, later known as Estelle Lefébure, is a French driver who competed in cross-country rallies and other events in the 1990s and 2000s.

She drove in rally raids in 1999 and 2000, as part of a Mitsubishi-based private team run by Luc Alphand. Among her events in this debut year was the 1999 Rally Optic 2000, co-driven by Bernadette Sacy. She competed for the team in the 2000 Tunisian Rally, and also in the Dakar, driving a Pajero. She was paired with the experienced Eric Vigouroux for the Tunisia and Dakar rallies. In an interview with Le Parisien, he praised her driving ability. Luc Alphand also admitted to being surprised by her talent in his own autobiography.

Later, she was associated with an Italian team running a Nissan Pathfinder, but she does not appear to have actually competed. 

Rally raids were not her first forays into motorsport. In 1993, she raced a Venturi prototype in the Andros Trophy. This was when she first teamed up with Bernadette Sacy. They both competed alongside Julien Beltoise in 1994. In 1996, Estelle and Bernadette shared an Opel Astra for the Chamonix 24 Hours, another major ice race. They were 29th overall.

Estelle is better known as a model and actress. She modelled throughout the 1980s and 1990s, working for many designers and appearing on the covers of fashion magazines. 

She was married to singer-songwriter David Hallyday at the time she was competing. They separated in 2001.

(Image copyright BestImage)

Caty Caly

 

Caty Caly (sometimes Cathy Caly) is the winner of five French Ladies’ Rallycross titles. 

Her first car was a Simca Rallye 2 which she started racing as a teenager in 1983, having been a fan of rallycross for some time. 

Her first women’s title came at the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf in 1985. 

After her first success in rallycross, she tried her hand at stage rallying in 1986, driving a Citroen Visa Mille Pistes. These Group B cars were popular in French rallying at the time and there were several female exponents of the brands after the 1984 Citroen Visa Total Trophy. 

It proved a short diversion. Caty had an accident on the Mille Pistes Rally itself and injured her neck after just a few events, bringing an end to her rally career. Her best finish had been a 28th place in the Terre de Charente Rally. This had followed another scare at the beginning of the year, when Caty attempted her first Paris-Dakar. She was driving a six-wheel-drive Mercedes 190GE with Christian de Leotard when they crashed on a night section in Niger midway through the rally. Caty was rescued by French pop singer and Dakar enthusiast Daniel Balavoine in his own aircraft and taken to hospital. Two days later, he crashed the aeroplane and died.

Later, she drove for Audi, after their redundant Group B rally cars were put into rallycross service in 1987. Her trademark on-track was a bright pink colour scheme, with black trim, carried through into her racewear. She raced an A2 in Division 2 of the French championship, earning a best result of third at Pau.

This was her last full season in the Audi for a few years. She still raced it in French rallycross occasionally, as well as a Peugeot 205 T16 and another Citroen Visa. Towards the end of the 1980s she combined part-time competition and work, developing business interests in automotive paintwork and an agency supplying promotional staff.

She won another Ladies’ championship in an Audi Quattro in 1993, following her return to regular competition. With the same car, she retained her title in 1994 and finished 15th in the overall championship.  

In 1995 and 1996 she racked up her final two ladies’ championships in a Citroen ZX. She was driving for the Dupuis team, which was supported by Citroen itself. She was ninth in the 1995 championship and fourth in Division 1, with two outright podium positions, a second and a third.

Her second Coupe des Dames as an official Citroen driver included four third places from seven rounds.

She was fourth in the Tourism class, as the ZX had been reclassified during the 1995-96 off-season.

At this time, the ladies’ championship was relatively competitive. Carolyn Boniface was Caty’s principal rival. 

Citroen ended its rallycross programme in 1997. Rather than trying to compete with the factory rallycross teams, she moved into sportscar racing. She started with the Ferrari 355 Challenge in 1997 and raced in this one-make series across Europe in 1998. Having got to grips with the car, she was second at Oschersleben and third at Spa. She raced the 355 in the Magny-Cours round of the 1999 French GT championship, sharing the car with Florence Duez. They were 31st in both races, seventh in GT4.

Driving solo, Caty also raced in the Porsche Supercup and picked up a couple of podiums, including a second place at the Hungaroring. The car suited her and a 996 became her preferred car for French GTs. She used two different models in 2000, one her own and one run by Perspective Racing. 

She continued to race a Porsche in French GTs in 2001, but as part of Team Kalliste. She normally partnered Jean-Claude Andruet, although her best result was at Pau, where Franck Legorce deputised. They were ninth overall. She planned one more race with Kalliste in 2002, sharing the 996 with Philippe Brocard, but did not actually start.

Her final French GT season was in 2003, back in a Ferrari. She drove a 360 Modena for the Auto Palace team, sharing with Steeve Hiesse. They were normally midfield finishers, although they were fairly strong in the GT class and earned two podium places. One of these was a class second that came along with a ninth place overall.

Throughout her career, Caty was a regular in ice races, like many rallycross drivers. She competed in the Andros Trophy every year between 1992 and 1999, in several different cars, including a Mini, Citroen, Lancia and Mercedes. She also raced on the ice at Chamonix at least once. 

Her last full season of competition was in 2004, when she raced in the French Supertouring Championship in an Opel Astra. She was 18th in the final standings. After that, she made occasional appearances for the next two years alongside TV work for the championship.

She made a comeback in 2013, driving in two rounds of the Euro NASCAR stock car championship in France. Her car was a Chevrolet Camaro and her best finish was tenth at Nogaro.

A recent article in La Nouvelle Republic described her as a “former racing driver”.

(Image copyright Sun Star)

Margot (Marguerite) Laffite

Marguerite (usually known as Margot) Laffite was the winner of the Andros Trophée Féminin in 2005, on her first attempt. It was her first taste of motorsport, despite having grown up as the daughter of former Formula One driver, Jacques Laffite. Her elder sister Camille also competed that year. She has returned to ice racing almost every winter since then, and is one of its most recognisable and decorated female participants.

In 2006, she was part of a works Fiat female team for the Promotion class of the Andros Trophy, with Justine Monnier. Their cars were Stilos. Margot’s best finish was second, in Andorra. Sadly, her form tailed off towards the end of the short ice-racing season, and she was 23rd overall, with Justine in fourteenth.

The summer counterpart of her winter adventures revolved around some appearances in the VW Fun Cup, including the 25-Hour race at Spa.

Since then, she has raced different cars on the ice. In 2007, this was a Peugeot 206 CC, and she was 27th overall, just above her team-mate Marlène Broggi, in 29th. The following season, in a Kia Rio this time, she was back to form, despite only running a part-season. She was 20th overall, with a best finish of sixth, at Alpe D’Huez. In 2008-2009, she was very much a part-time entrant, but still managed some top-ten race positions in her Rio. She was 24th overall. 

At the same time, she became involved with the FIA GT3 Championship, driving a Morgan Aero 8 GT. This car was not the fastest or most reliable in its class, but she and her co-driver finished four races in it in 2007, at Monza and Brno, twice beating her father, Jacques Laffite. In 2008, she was paired with George Alexandre Sturdza in the Morgan. After the official tests, they entered five European GT3 meetings. Out of ten races, the Morgan made it to the end three times, twice in 22nd place (at Monza and Nogaro) and once in 27th (at Silverstone). The sister cars did not fare much better, only occasionally getting into the top twenty.

That year, she also made guest appearances in several domestic series, including the French Porsche Carrera Cup. She took part in two races at Dijon. Later in the season, she appeared at the Le Mans round of the Mégane Eurocup, and was fifteenth in both of her races. She was supported by Boutsen Ginion Racing, who also ran her cars in the Andros Trophy. In between, she drove in the MitJet silhouette series. The results for this have not been forthcoming.

In 2009, she drove in the Renault Mégane one-make series, making two appearances, again as a guest driver for the Boutsen Ginion team. She was 16th in Catalunya and twelfth at Spa. This was the limit of her summer activities.

For the 2009-2010 Andros season, she drove in the new Electric category with Marlène Broggi, and was third in the team standings. She was tenth overall, behind Marlène in seventh, despite a third place at Alpe d’Huez.

The following season, she was ninth in the Electric class, with some top-five overall finishes but no big scores. She was sixth in 2011-2012, after another third place at Isola. This year, she won her first Coupe des Dames in the Electric Trophy.

Away from the ice, she concentrated more on media and advocacy work, and her only summer racing in 2010 was two guest appearances in the SEAT Leon Supercopa in France. She finished eleventh in both of her races, at Lédenon.

In 2012, she increased her summer calendar, and ran in Clio and Mégane Eurocup events, with mixed results. She was better in the Mégane, with a seventh and an eighth at Paul Ricard and Catalunya. Her best Clio finish was 16th, . She also did two guest rounds of the Peugeot RCZ Cup in France, at Lédenon again, finishing twelfth and eleventh.

Margot’s main job now is as a presenter of Eurosport’s French-language Formula One coverage, which takes up much of her time. She has received praise for her work. Despite this, she still had time to contest the 2012-2013 Andros Electric Trophy, and earn her second Ladies’ Cup. She was fourth overall. 

In spite of her TV schedule, she was also able to take part in the Megane Trophy Eurocup again. Again, it was a somewhat up-and-down season. Her best finish was sixth, at the Red Bull Ring, but she was usually in the lower part of the top ten. She mostly stayed out of trouble, and her performances were enough to get her into twelfth place in the championship. She also had the distinction of racing alongside her father on a few occasions this year.

She was set to race in the Andros Trophy again at the end of 2013, driving a Citroen DS3. However, she crashed whilst practising for the first round, at Val de Thorens, and fractured two cervical vertebrae. She had to sit out the Trophy. Although her injuries sounded dramatic, she was expected to make a full recovery.  

She did not race in 2014, but did continue with her TV work. She also became a mother at the start of 2015. At the end of the year, she returned to motorsport, racing a Citroen DS3 in the Andros Trophy, in the Elite class. She was eighth in the championship, second of the female drivers, and just two points behind Marlène Broggi. Super-Besse was her best meeting, and she was third overall.

She was back on form for the 2016-17 Andros Trophy, in which she was fourth, driving a Mazda 3 in the Elite class. Her best results were two second places, at Alpe d'Huez and Isola 2000. 

In 2018, she finished the Andros Trophy season in sixth place, in the Elite class. Her car was a Mazda3 run by Sainteloc. Her best finish was a second at Val Thorens, which she repeated at Isola 2000. This was her best meeting; the first race also gave her a third place.

Another Andros entry beckoned in 2019, also with a Mazda3. In between, she had been part of an all-female R24 Motorsport entry for the Sepang round of the 2019 Asian Le Mans Series, driving a Ligier LMP3. The team, consisting of Margot, Katherine Legge and Michelle Gatting, was eighth in class.

Her return to the ice of the Andros Trophy in 2021 was a success. She was fifth in the Elite championship after winning one race at Andorra and finishing second at Serre Chevalier, driving for Sebastien Loeb's team. 

She drove for the SLR Enedis team for the 2021-22 Andros Trophy, now running as a completely electric championship. She shared the car with Elite driver Sebastien Loeb. A return to the Andros Trophy in late 2022 began very strongly with two wins. She continued to be very strong throughout the winter season and was second in the Elite championship.

At the beginning of 2024, she announced that the 2023-24 Andros Trophy would be her last, as the championship was coming to an end. She raced in the Elite class for Sebastien Loeb's team and won one race at Andorra, as well as finishing on the podium several more times.

(Picture from http://enpleinelucarne.net/2013/03/margot-laffite-joker-834)  

Marlène Broggi

Marlène in her electric car, 2012

Marlène Broggi, born in 1982, is a French racer who got her break in the Trophée Andros, winning the Trophée Feminin in 2006.

It was her second attempt at the trophy, having scored a sixth place in 2005. During the main summer racing season, she had also done some VW Fun Cup and Roadster Cup races, in France. In 2006, she was ninth in the VW-derived Roadster Cup, and twelfth in the French Fun Cup team standings.

After her Andros Trophy win, she returned to the ice for the 2006/2007 season, driving in the Promotion class. She was 29th in the combined overall standings, after a campaign that gave her mixed results. Her car was a Peugeot 206CC.

Later that year, her main career focus became European sportscar racing. Staying with Peugeot, he did a full season in the 207 Spider Cup in 2007, which supported the Le Mans Endurance Series. Her best finish was fifth, at Monza, and she was fourteenth overall at the end of the season, after six more top-ten finishes.

She remained in the Spider Cup in 2008, with three seventh places at Monza, Val de Vienne and Pau as her best results.  She was eleventh in the championship this time. In between, she competed in another Andros Trophy, in the Promotion class again. She as stronger this year, finishing 19th overall after some top-three positions in Promotion. Her car was a Renault Clio and she was driving for the Dubourg team.

For the 2008-2009 Andros Trophy, Marlène drove a Clio in the Promotion class again. She did not enter all of the events, so although she had top-three pace, she could only manage 22nd overall.

The 2009 summer season in between was quite a short one, with only guest appearances. Early in the year, she appeared in two rounds of the Mégane Trophy Eurocup, as a guest driver of Boutsen Energy Racing. She was 17th in Catalunya and 18th at Spa. Later on, she joined Formula Le Mans for its Silverstone meeting, partnering Thomas Duchene. Her car was a Corvette-based ORECA FLM09, a much more powerful machine than she was used to. Her two races gave her an eleventh and tenth place, and one championship point.

During the 2009-2010 Andros season, she drove in the new Electric class, with the Boutsen Energy team, and was the top lady driver.

For the 2010 main season, she drove in the SEAT Leon Supercopa in Europe, concentrating mainly on the French series. She was eleventh overall, with a best finish of sixth at Albi. This was one of six top-ten places. In September, she drove in the Valencia rounds of the Seat Leon Eurocup, finishing 16th and 19th. Her team this year was Exagon Engineering.

Back in the Andros Trophy, she raced again with Margot Laffite in the Electric Trophy, although they did not win anything this time.

The following year, Marlène, driving solo, was eighth in the Electric class, and won the Ladies' award in the thermal energy class. In between, she was seventeenth in the French SEAT Leon Supercopa. Her best finish was ninth; she was less competitive this year and only managed one further top-ten position, a tenth at Lédenon.

In 2012, she drove in the Clio Eurocup. Out of eight races, she finished six times, with a best position of fifteenth. However, her season was marred by accidents, and she had to sit out one of the Catalunya races entirely due to . Mid-season, she linked up with Boutsen Ginion Racing, her Andros Trophy team, for the Spa 24 Hours. She drove a McLaren MP4-12C with Sarah Bovy, Jerome Thiry and Massimo Vignali. They did not finish, following another crash on a very wet track.

Also with the Boutsen team, she took part in the Andros Electric Trophy’s first non-ice-based event, the Grand Prix Électrique at Pau. She was the only female driver out of twelve. In her first race, she was last, but in her second, she was fifth. She did not return to the Andros Trophy proper for its 2012-2013 running.

Although she did not do any ice racing, her main season was quite active, still as part of Boutsen Ginion Racing. She drove in the Blancpain Endurance Series in a McLaren MP4 for the team, for four races. Her first event was the Monza 3 Hours, sharing the car with Karim Ojjeh and Christophe de Fierlant. They were 41st overall. For the next round, Silverstone, Christophe was replaced by John Hartshorne. They did not finish. At Paul Ricard, Laurent Pasquali took up the third seat, but they still did not finish. Sadly, the Spa 24 Hours led to another mechanical failure and DNF. 

2014 was a much quieter year. She returned to the Blancpain series, for one race, driving a Ferrari 458 Italia for Duqueine Engineering. Along with Philippe Bourgeois and Philippe Richard, she was ninth in the "Gentleman" Trophy Cup, at Spa. 

She returned to ice-racing at the end of the year, driving a Renault Clio in the Andros Trophy for the D.A. Racing team. It was a really good ice season for her, with race wins from the start, which she initially had trouble converting into Superfinal wins. She got her first overall win at Huez, on the second day, and was second at Lans. In the season-ending Super Final at St. Dié-des-Vosges, she won both her semi-final, and the super-final. She was third overall in the championship. During the Super Final, she also made a guest appearance in the revived Trophée Feminin.

She stayed in touch with the Boutsen Ginion team in 2015, and was one of a four-driver team for the Paul Ricard round of the 24-Hour Series. She was driving a Maserati Gran Turismo, and was 36th overall, sixth in class.

At the end of 2015, she entered another Andros Trophy, driving a Renault Clio in the Elite class. She was the fastest lady driver on the ice once more, just ahead of Margot Laffite, in seventh place. She won one of the finals during the Val Thorens meeting, and was seventh overall, and was eighth at Alpe
d'Huez.

She made a guest appearance in the 2019-2020 Andros Trophy, competing in the Invitation race at Isola 2000. She was second overall in a Motul electric car, having been fastest in one qualifying session and won one of the heats.

(Image from http://www.larepubliquedespyrenees.fr/2012/05/12/marlene-broggi-de-la-glace-a-l-asphalte,235054.php)

Women drivers in the 2011-2012 Andros Trophy

Marlène Broggi in the Clio

As usual, many female drivers braved the Alpine ice in the 2011-2012 running of the Andros Trophy.
Marlène Broggi was the leading lady in the main Trophée, having taken part in all of the rounds. She also competed in the Electric Trophy, but was not as fast as Margot Laffite.

Trophée Andros
Marlène Broggi (Renault Clio) - 23rd
Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 25th
Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 series) - 30th
Adeline Sangnier (Renault Clio) - 40th
Margot Laffite (Renault Clio) - 41st

Trophée Andros Electrique
Margot Laffite - 6th
Marlène Broggi - 8th

(Picture from www.drivepad.fr)

Female Drivers in the Andros Electric Trophy, 2010-2011 season

Marguerite Laffite

The Andros Electric Trophy for electric-powered cars was a new addition for 2009, and has now replaced the buggy class that formed the basis for "Ice Girls". The Electric Trophy attracted several female drivers this time, including several who were involved in various ways with Ice Girls, from former champion Margot Laffite to TV presenter Nathalie Marquay, who did promotional work for the Trophy previously. Below are their results.

Due to a recurring error, it has not been possible to display full results for this series on this blog.

Overall

Marguerite Laffite 9th

Marlène Broggi 10th

Cathy Muller 11th

Elodie Gossuin 14th

Nathalie Marquay 18th

Anne-Christine Horent 22nd

(Image copyright Bernard Bakalian)

Female Drivers in the Andros Trophy, 2010-2011 season

Berenice Demoustier

After the discontinuation of the Andros Trophy's "Ice Girls" women's championship, female drivers have continued to compete in the French-based ice-racing classic. The 2010-2011 season was no different. Berenice Demoustier, an Ice Girls graduate and previous Elite class competitor, was the ladies' champion. Although Anne-Sophie Lemonnier won a race and appeared to score better results, Berenice managed to get into the Elite Superior finals, making her points haul higher than her rival's. Below is a list of all of the female results of the main Andros Trophy.

Val Thorens

Day 1 Elite Final 1

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 3rd

Emilie Petit (Fiat Stilo) - 6th

Day 1 Elite Final 2

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 6th

Day 2 Elite Final 1

Emilie Petit (Fiat Stilo) - 5th

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 6th

Day 2 Elite Final 2

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 4th

Andorra
Day 1 Elite Final 1

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 4th

Day 2 Elite Final 2

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 2nd

Alpe d'Huez

Day 1 Elite Final 1

Emilie Petit (Fiat Stilo) - 2nd

Day 1 Elite Final 2

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 3rd

Day 1 Elite Superior Final 2

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 7th

Day 2 Elite Final 1

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 1st

Emilie Petit (Fiat Stilo) - 3rd

Day 2 Elite Superior Final 1

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 7th

Isola 2000 Alpes Maritimes

Day 1 Elite Final 1

Emilie Petit (Fiat Stilo) - 5th

Day 1 Elite Final 2

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 3rd

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 4th

Day 2 Elite Final 1

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 4th

Day 2 Elite Final 2

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 4th

Emilie Petit (Fiat Stilo) - 7th

Saint-Dié-des-Vosges

Day 1 Elite Final 1

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 4th

Day 1 Elite Final 2

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 2nd

Day 2 Elite Final 2

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 4th

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 5th

Clermont Superbesse

Day 1 Elite Final 2

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 5th

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 7th

Lans en Vercors

Day 1 Elite Final 1

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 2nd

Day 2 Elite Final 1

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 6th

Day 2 Elite Final 2

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 5th

Stade de France

Elite Final 1

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier (BMW 1 Series) - 3rd

Elite Superior Final 1

Berenice Demoustier (Toyota Auris) - 8th

Overall

Berenice Demoustier 19th

Anne-Sophie Lemonnier 22nd

Emilie Petit 29th

(Image from www.avalanche06.fr)

Female Single-Seater Drivers Around the World: France

Sandrine Nahon with her Formula Ford

Corinne Armagnac now has her own profile.

Anouck Abadie – raced in the French Formula 4 championship in 2014. She was 21 years old. Her best results were a pair of fifteenth places, achieved at Pau and Jerez. She was 25^th in the championship, and twelfth in the International Series. She first attempted to enter the championship in 2012, but could not get the requisite sponsorship until 2014. Funding problems have presumably kept her out of motorsport since. She was previously a swimmer.

Cecilia Asquini – made the transition from karting to cars in 2010. She drove in two races of the F4 Eurocup championship, a Formula Renault series, which was part of the World Series by Renault meeting. She achieved two 16^th places at Magny-Cours. Previously, she was active in karting in Europe. She does not appear to have raced since 2010.

Lisa Billard - began racing in French F4 in 2024, just before her fifteenth birthday. She did the last three meetings of the season, with a best finish of 16th at Magny-Cours. For 2025, she was signed up by the Iron Dames team as a junior driver, and entered French F4 again, with their support. She was the best of the six female drivers entered that year, finishing 19th overall in the championship. She finished in the top ten twice, with ninth places at Spa and Le Mans. On the strength of this, she was offered a wildcard seat in F1 Academy for the Singapore races. She finished one race in 16th spot and was signed by ART Grand Prix for the 2026 season. Before switching to cars, she was a junior karter in France. 

Alice Brasseur – entered the Formula BMW Talent Cup in 2011. She was only fourteen years old at the time. Her race results were a pair of eleventh places at Magny-Cours, although she also seems to have driven at Monteblanco in Spain. She was unplaced in the championship, and seems to have returned to karting that year, although 2011 may have been her last year of competition. Previously, she was a very competitive karter in Europe.

Isabelle Charoy (Jonville) - raced in French Formula Ford in 1992, finishing second in the championship’s women’s standings behind Corinne Armagnac. Her car was a then current-spec Van Diemen. No race results are forthcoming. Much later, she took to historic racing as Isabelle Jonville Charoy. She took part in the 2014 Le Mans Classic in a Lancia Aurelia B20 and used an Austin Healey 100/4 and Porsche 356 in different editions of the Tour Auto Optic 2000, in 2015 and 2009 respectively.

Cecile Estenave - raced in French Formula Renault in 1994, driving for the Elf la Filiere team. She was one of a large cohort of young female single-seater drivers coming through the French ranks at the time, and like most of them, her competition career was short. She has remained in motorsport and now leads the media office for PSA France. In this, she takes after her mother, journalist and PR professional Marie-France Estenave.

Virginie Gazoti – did at least three seasons of single-seater racing in France. In 2003, she did some rounds of the French Formula Ford championship, but did not score any points. She drove for Sirius Competition in the championship in 2004, where she ran well and challenged for podium places, then for Palmyr Racing. In 2004, she also took part in some historic single-seater racing, at the Pau Grand Prix.

Heloise Goldberg - entered French F4 in 2025. This was her first season in cars and she was 15 years old. She got into the championship as a member of the FFSA Academy. She struggled somewhat during the year, with her lack of experience, and her best finishes were two 20th places, at Nogaro and Spa. Her final championship position was 30th. During the winter season, she travelled to Zhuhai for the final rounds of the Chinese F4 championship. There, she finished ninth twice and twelfth once, her best career results. Previously, she was active in karting, and competed in the 2024 French championship, still as a junior.

Alexandra Herve - began her racing career in 2022, at the age of 16. She entered the Formula Cup, now running as a Formula Renault series. Her best results were a third and fourth place at the Le Mans Bugatti circuit and she is tenth in the championship. She returned to the series in 2023, finshing third overall. Prior to this, she raced karts from 2015, scoring well in the French junior championships for X30 karts. In 2024, she returned to karting, this time in Superkarts. She moved back to cars in 2025, taking on the Indian Racing League for the Kolkata Royal Tigers team.

Jade Jacquet - former karter who entered the French F4 championship for the 2025 season. She was just fifteen years old at the start. In her first year, she showed top-ten pace, although her best actual finish was an eleventh place, in the final meeting at Le Mans. She often makes the podium for the championship's female driver award and she was 24th in the championship. Late in the season, she tested for F1 Academy.

Lola Lovinfosse - French driver who made her single-seater debut in 2021, at the age of fifteen. She was signed by the Drivex School team for the Spanish F4 championship, having made it to the later stages of the FIA Women in Motorsport Commission’s Ferrari-backed driver search. Her best result of the year were two 16th places at Motorland Aragon, and she was 25th in the championship. She was 23rd in 2022, although she only got into the top twenty three times. Later in the year, she travelled to India for the Indian Racing League, having joined the Hyderabad Blackbirds team. She did manage one third place at Chennai, but then had to pull out due to illness. In 2023, she spent most of the year in the all-female F1 Academy, following a guest spot in the Formula Winter Series at Catalunya, driving for the Campos team. Her best results were third places and the Red Bull Ring and Paul Ricard and she was tenth in the championship. She was announced as an Indian Racing League driver again towards the end of the year, but was replaced. She also said that she would not return to F1 Academy, although she was later announced as a Rodin driver, sponsored by Charlotte Tilbury. It was not her best season; she broke a wrist at Miami, and was off the pace for most of the year, never finishing higher than seventh. She was fourteenth in the championship. As this was her last F1 Academy season, she was now looking towards sportscars, and she was selected by Lamborghini Squadra Corse as one of their Super Trofeo junior drivers. She was initially placed in the Pro class, but was unplaced in her first three races. A move to the Pro-Am class gave her one podium, a third at the Nurburgring. She was sharing the car with Laurent Hurgon. In 2025, she did some more Lamborghini races, this time in the Pro class. Previously, she was active in international karting.

Valérie Miniscloux - raced in Formula Renault in France in the late 1980s. She seems to have begun her career with a one-off drive in the Renault 5 Turbo Cup in 1987. Two part-seasons in French Formula Renault followed. Both times, she drove for the ASA Armagnac Bigorre team, run by her regional motor club. She was never among the front-runners but did race against the likes of Olivier Panis and Yvan Muller.

Muriel Osimeck - raced single-seaters in France in the 1980s and 1990s, when she competed up to Formula 3 level. She was pictured at the Pau Grand Prix in 1990 alongside Corinne Armagnac and Giovanna Amati and may have been racing in Formula Renault. She may also have done some races in the Renault 5 one-make cup. Further information about her career is proving hard to find. 

Florence Perreau - raced in French Formula Ford for at least three seasons in the early 1990s. Her first year was 1990, when she was 18. For the first of her three championship attempts she was using a 1987 car (a Van Diemen) and seems to have been unplaced. It was upgraded to a 1990 model for 1992. Results have not been forthcoming. She later helped run a team with her partner Herbert Martin and competed occasionally later in the 1990s. She also raced a Van Diemen RF94 in the VdeV series in 2006.

Angelina Proenca - moved up to cars from karting at the start of 2025, aged 16. She entered the French F4 championship, but her season has been affected by a string of non-finishes, mainly at Dijon where she DNFed in all three. Her best finish has been a thirteenth place at Nogaro and she has had some good recovery drives from the back. Angelina was one of the karters chosen for Alpine F1's RacHer training programme, which aims to increase female representation in all functions at Alpine.

Stéphanie Tesson – races mainly in Formula Renault in France, beginning in Formula Campus, in 2002. In 2003, she was 16^th in the championship. She graduated to the French Formula Renault championship in 2004, and found it hard going, with a lot of DNFs. She was 29^th overall, with a best finish of fourteenth. A more consistent year in 2005 gave her one twelfth place at Val de Vienne, and 24^th in the championship. In 2006, she did not race for the whole season, and was again plagued with non-finishes. She was 30^th overall. After a long time away from the circuits, she reappeared in the World Series by Renault in 2014. Her best meeting was again, Val de Vienne, but she only managed two 16^th places. She was 20^th overall. 

Sylvie Valentin - drove in French Formula 3 in 2001. She was fourth in the B class for the Optirace team, with two class wins and three podium positions. She does not appear to have raced since then. Previously, she raced in Formula Renault in France, in 2000.

Valerie Versace - one of a large group of young female drivers active in French Formula Ford in the early 1990s. She raced in French FF1600 in 1991, driving a 1988 Van Diemen and scoring at least one fourth place at Magny-Cours. Later, in 1994, she drove in French Formula Renault for the ASA Armagnac Bigorre team. There are references to her racing as a team-mate to Loic Depailler, perhaps this year, although he did not drive for ASA. Her results have proved elusive. 

Sarene Ziffel - races single-seater cars in Europe. She took part in both the Drexler Formel Cup, based in Austria, and the F2000 Italian Trophy in 2025. Her car for both series was a Formula Renault 2.0. Her best overall finish in F2000 was tenth at Brno, and she was sixth in the Open class. In the Drexler championship, she was competing in the Formula Light class and was fourth in her category, with four second places. In 2024, she raced in the French Monoplace series, as well as some Formel Cup races. She scored two class wins at Hockenheim and was joint seventh in the Formel Cup. Previously, she may also have done some hillclimbs.

(Image from http://www.forum-auto.com/)

The Andros Trophée Féminin - "Ice Girls"

The ladies’ category of the Andros Trophy ice-racing championship began in the 2001-2002 season. Subtitled “Ice Girls”, it was constituted of women who had answered advertisements in the French press and online, looking for aspiring female racing drivers. The successful recruits were from a number of backgrounds, from models and TV presenters to some who had a little motorsport experience already.

The Trophée used the same 600cc buggies as the Sprint Car class. Each “Ice Girl” was paired with a more experienced male “professional”, who acted as both her team-mate and mentor. The field of competitors was large and the driving standards were variable, but competition was fierce. The first champion in 2002 was Veronique Dufour, who went on to considerable success in rallycross as Veronique Patier.

The Trophée was dropped before the 2009-2010 season, although many Ice Girl alumni continued to compete in the main championship.

In 2014-2015, the womens' series was revived, now simply called the "Trophée Féminin". About twelve regular drivers, plus guests, raced Sprintcar buggies in the usual Andros heats/finals format. The male "professionals" were not used. A good proportion of the field came from the French womens' autocross championship (Sprint Girls), including the winner, Marine Mercier. The Trophée was not run again for the 2016-17 season.

The list of winners is as follows:

2002 Veronique Dufour

2003 Emilie Petit
2004 Aurelia Marti
2005 Margot Laffite
2006 Marlène Broggi
2007 Audrey Roche
2008 Anne-Sophie Lemonnier
2009 Marie-Pierre Cripia (“Mlle Josiane”, a radio personality)
2015 Marine Mercier
2016 Clémentine Lhoste

At first, the competition was limited to those with no ice-racing experience, but this rule seems to have been relaxed, as several drivers have had multiple seasons in the series. Many of the “Ice Girls” have made appearances in the main draw of the championship, and some, such as Justine Monnier and Margot Laffite, have been successful.

Below are some of the drivers who competed as “Ice Girls”, or in the main Andros Trophy.
Marlène Broggi has her own profile here.
Margot Laffite has her own profile here.

There was no specific "Ice Girls" race during the 2019-2020 season, but there was an all-female Invitation race held at Val Thorens. Rally co-driver (and girlfriend of Elite Pro driver Sebastien Loeb) Laurene Godey was the winner, from teenage racer Angelina Favario, TV host France Pierron and actress Alix Benezech.

Berenice Demoustier - drove in the Promotion and Elite classes of the Andros Trophy in the 2008-2009 season. Her car was a Renault Clio and her team-mate was Marlene Broggi. She reached at least one Elite final at Super-Besse and was third in the main Ladies’ standings. Her best overall finish was 18th at Lans en Vercors. She was 21st overall in the championship. She returned to Andros in 2009-2010, driving a Toyota Auris in the Elite class with Bertrand Balas. She was eighteenth overall. Driving for the same team, she was 19th in 2010-2011, and 25th in 2011-2012. In 2014, she won the Ladies' title again, and was 16th in the main Trophy, running in the Invitation class. She was driving a Mazda3, for the works Mazda team, sharing the car with Olivier Panis. The following season, she drove for the Sport Garage Sodema team with Franck Lagorce. Her car was a Dacia Lodgy. She won one race, at Val Thorens, and was fourth in the championship. After the 2015-2016 Trophy, she was tenth, behind her old rivals, Marlène Broggi and Margot Laffite. Driving an Audi A1 Quattro, she had a best finish of sixth, in the final round at St-Die. As well as this, she helped BAC Team WRT to the Team award. The team retained her for the 2016-17 season, and she was eighth this time. Her best finish, a third place, came at Alpe d'Huez. This helped Team WRT to the team prize. Her career in ice-racing began in the Trophée Féminin, in which she was third in 2008.

Eve-Marie Dyon - competitor in the Andros Trophy, in both the Féminin and Open classes. She drove in the Trophée Féminin in the 2004-2005 and 2005-2006 seasons, and although she was always near the front, she did not win the title. Her best result was third, in 2006. She returned to mixed Andros Trophy competition in 2007 and 2008. Her first mixed season was in the Promotion class. In 2008, she drove a Fiat Stilo for the Racing Passion team in the Elite class, and was 29th in the championship. Her best race result was third in Andorra. As well as ice-racing, Eve has driven in the Fun Cup, Formula Renault, Caterhams and Legends during the summer season.

Emilie Faure - entered the Andros Trophy during the 2015-2016 season, driving in the Elite Pro class. Her car was a Renault Clio. Despite being registered for the championship, she only competed in a couple of rounds, the best of these being an eleventh place at Alpe d'Huez. Previously, she has been active in rallying, seemingly as a co-driver, and she may also have competed in autocross or kart-cross.

Angelina Favario - races both single-seaters and saloons in France. 2019 was her first year of senior competition, aged 16. She spent her first season learning to handle a car, both on the track and on ice. Her first major competitive outing was the 2019-20 Andros Trophy, where she appeared in the Invitation women’s race at Val Thorens. She won one of the races and was second in another. Later, she came back for the Lans-en-Vercours Invitation races, finishing fourth in both against male drivers. She intended to compete in French Formula Renault in 2020 but the coronavirus crisis affected motorsport worldwide. She has signed for the 2021 French F4 championship, having made another guest appearance in the Invitation class at the 2021 Andros Trophy.

Elodie Gossuin - former beauty queen who has been competing the Andros Trophy since 2006, after two years of being one of the championship’s female “faces”. She spent one year in the Trophée Féminin, before moving to the Electric car class. For the 2005-06 season, she was 59th in the main championship. In 2009/10, she was eighth in the Trophée Electrique, and in 2010-11, she was fourteenth. 

Marie-Laure Lemonnier (Peu) - the elder sister of Anne-Sophie Lemonnier. Her career path is virtually identical to that of her sister and they started competing at the same time, in 2003. In 2010, her car was a Citroen C2, and she raced in Division 1A of the French championship. For most of their time on the track, neither sister consistently out-scores the other, except in ice-racing. Marie-Laure was the runner-up in the 2008 Andros Trophée Féminin. She seems to have not raced much after 2010, although she has done quite a lot of rally navigation, for her father, Hervé Knapick, and Xavier Lemonnier (a brother?), with at least one win.

Aurelia Marti - winner of the Andros Trophée Féminin in 2004. After that, she returned to the Andros Trophy’s main competition, first in a Vauxhall Tigra. She was 24th overall after some runs in finals. In 2005-2006, she was 25th, driving an Astra. In the 2006-2007 season, she remained with the Astra, and was 24th again, this time in the Elite class. She improved the next year and was 16th in a BMW 1-Series, and in 2008-2009, driving the same car, she was the best female driver in the Trophy, finishing thirteenth overall. Her best result was fourth, at Alpe d’Huez. As well as ice-racing, she competes on the French circuits, during the main season. In 2007, she raced in the Renault Clio Cup, and in 2008, the Peugeot Spider Cup. She returned to the Clio Cup for two races in 2009, but does not seem to have raced since then. She comes from Andorra.

Marine Mercier – winner of the Andros Trophée Féminin in 2015, driving a buggy. This was not her first Andros experience; in 2010, she was part of the Andros Academy, aged 16. Most of her motorsport experience comes from autocross in France (“Sprint-Car”), in which she started competing at just fifteen years old. For at least the first two seasons, she raced against men, including her elder brother. In recent years, she has been part of the “Sprint Girls” womens’ championship, from which most of the 2014-2015 “Ice Girls” came.

Justine Monnier (Chicherit) - winner of the inaugural Andros Trophée Féminin in 2001. She went on to be ice-racing’s leading woman driver, racing cars as diverse as a VW Beetle, Citroen C2, Fiat Stilo and Kia Rio. Her team-mate in 2005 was Margot Laffite, when they were both driving as the Fiat Ladies’ team. She was probably most successful in the Kia in 2006, regularly finishing third against such luminaries as Alain Prost and the multiple champion, Yvan Muller. As well as the Andros Trophy, Justine has raced in a number of summer-season series, including the Fun Cup. She dropped out of ice-racing in 2008 and concentrated on the Peugeot Spyder Cup in France, as well as television work. Since then, she had focused on media work, and taken some guest drives in the Chevrolet Cruze Cup in Germany, with one win. In 2016, she came out of retirement to race in the Mitjet Cup in France. She did two races at Magny-Cours, driving for Yvan Muller's team. The two are a couple. 

Emilie Petit - competitor in both the Féminin and Open sections of the Andros Trophy. She began in the Trophée Féminin, in at least the 2002-2003 season. The following season, she moved up to the mixed competition in an Opel Tigra. She was 27th overall. She remained in the Promotion class in 2004-2005, this time in a Citroen Xsara, and finished one place up, in 26th. Another switch of car, to an Alfa Romeo 147, gave her a 34th place in 2005-2006, still in Promotion. A drive in a Renault Clio in 2006-2007 gave her a 36th spot. She did not drive in the Trophy the following season, but made a comeback in 2008-2009. She was a more competitive 27th after a series of drives in the official Skoda Fabia. In 2009-2010, she drove a Fiat Grande Punto, but struggled to qualify sometimes. She was 29th the following year and did not race in 2011-2012. In 2014, she raced in the Italian ICE series in a works Mazda3, although she did not run in the Andros Trophy.

Audrey Roche (Sarrazin) - winner of the Andros Trophée Féminin in 2007. She returned in 2008 to the main championship, and drove a Kia Rio in several rounds, with a best overall finish of 21st at Alpe d’Huez. After 2008, she did not return to the ice. Her website now describes her as a rally driver, although her rally results have not been forthcoming. She seems to have done some sportscar racing in France since her Andros adventures. In 2012, she was named as one of the French driver coaches for an Abarth-sponsored TV racing talent show. In 2013, she appears to have had a baby.



L-R: Marlene Broggi, Emilie Petit, Aurelia Marti, Justine Monnier, Eve-Marie Dyon, Marguerite Laffite.

(Images copyright Sport Compact Car)