Mille says putting three women – Beitske Visser, Sophia Flörsch and Tatiana Calderón – in the driving seat started a conversation that the team will continue when it competes in the upcoming FIA World Endurance Championship, now entering its 10th season. Each of the trio has now moved on to single-seat racing.

“When you talk to women drivers, they all say they want to find their place on the track in a mixed team – that’s the goal, no limitations. The dream comes true when men want to drive next to them, in the same team,” Mille says.

The success of the original all-women team showcased the talent and expertise of female drivers, and led to a growing body of support from within the industry. By the end of last years’ championship races, seasoned male drivers were approaching the Richard Mille Racing Team to be included in the mixed trio for the next season.

“These are real têtes d’affiche, the big names; guys who simply wouldn’t risk their reputations or careers just for political reasons,” Mille says. “The fact that they wanted to be part of the team was true evidence that the ladies had made their mark on the circuit.”

The new, hand-picked team was selected for the collective ambition, experience and talent it could bring to the racetrack: Lilou Wadoux, a rising star in motorsport; Charles Milesi, reigning champion and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner in the LMP2 category; and eight-time winner of the World Rally Drivers’ Championship, Sébastien Ogier.

At 20, Wadoux is the youngest member and the female cog in the team. She had an unconventional yet successful route to endurance racing via saloon car and GT racing, making a name for herself in the one-make saloon series, finishing third in the Peugeot 208 Racing Cup in 2018, and becoming the first female winner in the Alpine Elf Europa Cup.

The Frenchwoman was talent-spotted by the people at Richard Mille at last year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans, where she skilfully set the pace to win the Porsche Sprint Cup Challenge in her debut in both the race and car type. Her later performance at the post-season rookie tests in Bahrain convinced the team of her potential as an endurance driver.

With their full backing, she is determined to prove that women can compete alongside men. “It is a big step, but I’ve learned a lot in a short time, especially in areas I didn’t know about,” Wadoux says. “LMP2 is different to anything I have ever experienced, so I am preparing myself physically and mentally for the challenge.”

Milesi came to the team as a promising young single-seater driver, winning the curtain-raising Formula Renault Eurocup at the 2018 Monaco Grand Prix. The 20-year-old Frenchman switched to prototypes last year and demonstrated his talent by coming in first in the LMP2 World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

One of the world’s best rally drivers, 38-year-old Ogier still has much to prove when he makes his debut as an endurance driver this season. The Frenchman, who started his professional motorsport career at 22, has won eight out of nine World Rally Drivers’ Championship titles with Volkswagen, Ford and Toyota before joining the Richard Mille Racing Team.

With the FIA World Endurance Championship season approaching, the team is revving up its efforts to gain equality for women in motorsport and is looking forward to a successful third campaign, which kicks off at Sebring in the US next month before moving to the European circuits – including the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. The trio will be driving the French-made Oreca prototype, powered by a 530hp Gibson engine, with technical support provided by the experienced Signatech team, which has won two world titles and three LMP2 titles in the last six years.