PCCF – Karen Gaillard: “My dream is to continue with Porsche and Iron Dames”

Pre-season testing of the Porsche Carrera Cup France have officially launched Karen Gaillard's PCCF Junior mandate. In Barcelona, ​​the driver Schumacher CLRT has completed its first laps in the championship. 

However, his debut at the wheel of the 992 GT3 Cup dates back to February during the penultimate round of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Sud Europe.I arrived in Valencia thinking it was going to be difficult but not to this extent. I hadn't driven in this car since the Junior Programme so it took a few laps to readapt. Mentally it was difficult because the results weren't up to what I wanted. I made mistakes that I won't make again in PCCF.”

Last week, she continued with the last meeting of the championship on the Barcelona circuit.I knew what to expect coming into this second weekend. I was better prepared and that allowed me to improve in terms of pace.” Her two training rounds in race conditions also allowed her to rediscover a sprint format that the Swiss woman was not very familiar with: “Since 2022 and the Mitjet 2L, I had not done a sprint. I did very few karting and my career in cars is mainly aboutEndurance. Last year in Michelin Le Mans Cup, my teammate was doing the starts and qualifying. This start to the season allowed me to fight back in the pack, take standing starts and work on a lap.”

Karen Gaillard's Junior PCCF adventure began in Barcelona. © Alexis GOURE

« My surroundings take the pressure off me.”

A member of the Iron Dames since winter 2024, Karen Gaillard must assume a new status: being the Junior PCCF 2025. Although she knows what it's like to represent an entity, the Swiss admits to having put pressure on herself during the off-season. The PCCF team immediately reassured me, as did the entire Schumacher CLRT team. I joined a very good team where I feel good. Iron Dames told me that I was facing the toughest challenge I had ever had in my career. They know that I am here to learn and that is definitely what they want me to focus on. My entourage takes the pressure off me. »

Alongside Côme Ledogar's team, Karen Gaillard is in a very good position to learn. © Alexis GOURE

In Barcelona during the winter tests, Karen Gaillard put in a series of laps to accumulate kilometers at the wheel of such a special car. Everyone keeps telling me that if I'm fast in a Cup, I'll be fast everywhere. That's what I'm looking for! Today, the brakes are the big topic. I'm concentrating 100% on them because until they're good, everything that follows in the corners won't be good either. » 

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At the start of the season, the question of ambition is always a subject, even more so when you are a PCCF Junior and an Iron Dames rider. They don't expect a specific result or position but learning and progression. The goal is to evolve, be consistent and move up the rankings as the races go by. Personally, I want to focus on the rookies first, finish on the podiums and then we'll see later."

The future may be written within the two entities, but Karen Gaillard is aware that we must not " burn the stages. Even if I dream of continuing and reaching the highest level with Porsche and Iron Dames.

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