The Giti's Angels: Nürburgring’s First All-Female Racing Team

The very first all-female racing team is gearing up for an exciting season at Nürburgring. It is the first ever team consisting entirely of women in the track’s extensive 100-year history. From the Team Chief to the pit crew, these are Angels of a different kind. They have just completed a stunning debut race, topping the charts and creating a no-nonsense reputation. From qualifying to the finish, these ladies have shown us exactly what they could do, and gave us an impressive example of how to overcome any obstacle.

Who Are the Angels?

The Giti's Angels racing team consists of three expert drivers backed by a striking team of female technicians and crew members. Based out of Germany, these ladies come from a variety of backgrounds and have a wide range of impressive talents. They are unique in the way they support each other, and how they have banned together in order to take on this extraordinary project. Team Chief Ellen Lehmann leads the passionate group with grace and grit. Backed by WS Racing and Giti Tires, this unstoppable team has just started showing us what they are made of.

Debuting at the 2019 VLN Endurance R1 Championship

It was a bold choice, but it paid off. The ladies made their debut at the end of March in the 2019 VLN Endurance R1 Championship. Conditions were wet and foggy across the 12.9 mile track, leading to a change in race rules and the need for precision tuning to their equipment. Three drivers shared the race evenly, so that every driver on the team got equal track time. The team had a rougher than expected time in qualifying, but was able to pull together by race day. Jasmin Preisig, Carrie Schreiner, and Ronja Assmann held first place a majority of the race, and were able to come in second overall after being overtaken in the final laps. The Angels were able to achieve the fastest lap in the SP3T class coming in at 9:21.725 with the Volkswagen Golf VII GTI TCR #300 car coming in at 350 horsepower. Coming in second was no easy feat, as these girls dominated almost 80 other vehicles in the competition.

What Comes Next…

Coming up next are the other 8 of the 9 VLN races for 2019, including the famed 24 Hours Nürburgring event. Although nerves were running high for the first race, every obstacle was overcome by the team. Expert planning and precision execution by each team member lead to impressive results. The team is now enjoying their victory, and reflecting on what is to come.

The Angel’s team manager Nicole Willem spoke of the ladies’ debut race. "This was such an emotional moment today. To be honest, the words are missing for the moment. Thanks to the girls for such a great job, and thanks to all our supporters who believed in us and in our project. I think today we were able to prove to everyone that we are real competitive. I am so proud. And now we are celebrating!"

Team Chief Ellen Lehman also spoke highly of the comradery and respect these women hold for each other. "We clearly had the motto to finish the race, because in the first race, with such a large starting grid, we did not want to risk anything and take the pressure off the team because the nervousness was already in the air. But that will disappear within the next races and I'm very proud of "my girls", how they did that."

Nürburgring: The “Green Hell”

There is no better place to debut an expert racing team than at the infamous Nürburgring Green Hell track. Out of the two tracks located in Nürburgring, the North Track is the most complicated. Known as the “Green Hell”, it features 177 turns and changes over 1000 feet of elevation. It is the ultimate test of driver skills and equipment. The South Track is also famous for its complicated course, but remains the smaller and less aggressive of the two. Choosing to debut the all-female racing team at this year’s Endurance Championship was a courageous move that surely put the pressure on everyone. However, the team’s desire to settle for nothing less than the best gave them an edge over the competition.

Beyond Racing

Giti Tires is extremely proud to support the growing number of women in the automotive industry. Their sponsorship of the Angels is just one small part Giti Tires’ oath of being a leader in innovative ideas and business practices. In addition to equal opportunity positions, Giti is committed to supporting environmentally friendly manufacturing and recycling programs, so that we can continue to strive towards true sustainability. The sponsorship of the Giti Angels Racing Team, as well as the other three cars they sponsor, is just the start to what Giti has planned for their company’s expansion. Right now they are currently celebrating their newest eco-friendly factory in South Carolina, USA.