The W Series single-seater championship heads to Silverstone this weekend, in support of the British Grand Prix. TV coverage of the race will be shown on Channel 4 and Sky Sports.
This season, the all-female W Series runs alongside eight rounds of the Formula 1 World Championship across the globe.
This connects the W Series even closer with its ultimate mission of seeing a female driver in Formula 1 for the first time in decades.
Here’s everything you need to know about the W Series championship.
What is the W Series?
The W Series is the first all-female single-seater motorsport competition in the world.
It was created in 2018 to promote the best women drivers in motorsport, with the aim of helping them progress to the very top echelons of racing.
Using mechanically identical cars means that drivers succeed in the W Series based on talent alone, not who has the most money behind them.
Importantly, the championship itself is free to enter, with a $1.5 million prize fund on offer.
Does motorsport need an all-female championship?
The organisers of the W Series believe an all-female competition is needed to help fast-track the best women drivers to Formula 1 and other top-level motorsport competitions. A gender-specific championship is seen as the most effective way of doing this.
Whatever your opinion, what cannot be denied is that female drivers are still underrepresented in motorsport. For example, only five women have entered Formula 1 races since the championship began in 1950. The last woman to actually start a Grand Prix was Lella Lombardi – in 1976!
Although other series such as IndyCar and NASCAR have seen more recent, and regular, female entrants, there is still a clear gender imbalance.
Competing in the W Series rewards the top eight finishers with points towards an FIA Super Licence. This is required for anyone who wants to compete in Formula 1.
What impact has the W Series had so far?
The W Series has seen previous racers move further up the motorsport ladder, although it has not yet met its goal of a female driver on the F1 grid.
Alice Powell, who finished second in the 2021 W Series, has become a Talent Identification & Development Mentor for the Alpine F1 Team’s Academy.
One of the people she will be mentoring is W Series driver Abbi Pulling, who was one of the first women to drive an F1 car in Saudi Arabia.
After winning the 2019 W Series, Jamie Chadwick became a development driver for the Williams Racing F1 team. She defended her title in 2021, and also entered the Extreme E off-road championship.
Chadwick had hoped to compete in the FIA Formula 3 series, but struggled to secure the necessary budget.
Jess Hawkins has also edged closer to Formula 1. She is now a driver ambassador for the Aston Martin F1 Team, supporting them on race weekends.
Beitske Visser finished as runner up in the 2019 W Series. Since then, she has competed at the 2020 24 Hours of Le Mans, and taken part in the 2021 World Endurance Championship.
What is new for the W Series in 2022?
The biggest change for the W Series this year is that it will span three continents, with 10 races taking place.
A race at Suzuka in Japan marks the first time the series has been to Asia.
High-profile event backers, such as Hard Rock International becoming the title sponsor of the opening Miami rounds, also demonstrate how the championship has grown in stature.
How were the 2022 W Series drivers chosen?
The top eight drivers from the 2021 W Series automatically qualified for the 2022 season.
Two W Series Academy drivers, Nerea Marti and Irina Sidorkova, were guaranteed places on the grid. However, Sidorkova became ineligible to compete, due to restrictions on Russian drivers in motorsport.
For the rest of the grid, a five-day test was held at the Inde Motorsports Ranch in Arizona. Organisers selected 15 drivers to undertake evaluations, with five then picked to move to the next stage of testing.
A second test session was held at the Catalunya circuit in Spain, with 20 drivers completing almost 7,000 miles on the track.
Who are the British drivers in the 2022 W Series?
Although 10 nationalities are represented in the 2021 W Series, British drivers have a third of the coveted 18 seats.
Double W Series champion Jamie Chadwick returns to defend her 2019 and 2021 titles. She was the first female driver to win a British GT Championship, along with being the first woman to win a British Formula 3 race.
Alice Powell was the first female driver to win a Formula Renault race, and won the 2014 Asian Formula Renault Championship. Along with driving in the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy, she has become an accomplished TV commentator, and finished second in the 2021 W Series.
As a driver ambassador for the Aston Martin F1 Team, Jess Hawkins has an extensive motorsport CV behind her. From stunt work to setting a Guinness World Record for driving the fastest lawnmower, she has done it all. Expect to see more of her trademark bobble hat throughout the year.
Yorkshire-based Sarah Moore has already competed in multiple championships. She became the first woman to win the Ginetta Junior Championship and also the Britcar Endurance Championship. She returns for her third W Series season.
Abbie Eaton admitted to being “initially sceptical” about the W Series. However, the GT racer and test driver for Amazon’s The Grand Tour was attracted by the competitive level of racing. She suffered a broken vertebrae in during last year’s W Series, and became the last driver named for the grid in 2022.
Lincolnshire’s Abbi Pulling is one of the youngest drivers on the grid at just 19, but has already competed in the Ginetta Juniors and British F4 championships. She is now an Alpine F1 Academy Affiliate member.
What cars do they use in the W Series?
All drivers use equal-specification single-seater racers. For the 2022 season, the W Series uses two slightly different versions of the Tatuus F3-spec car due to logistics.
Both the Tatuus–Alfa Romeo T-318 and Tatuus–Toyota FT-60 have turbocharged engines that produce up to 285hp.
Hankook supplies slick tyres, with the cars also featuring adjustable aerodynamic wings and spoilers. Just as in Formula 1, a HALO safety device is fitted over the open cockpit.
How do teams work in the 2022 W Series?
A teams format was introduced shortly before the beginning of the 2021 W Series, intended to allow third-party sponsorship and bespoke liveries.
This has continued for 2022, with a number of new teams heading to the grid. This includes Jenner Racing, owned by former Olympic champion Caitlyn Jenner. Defending champion Jamie Chadwick drives for the team this year.
Community Owned Racing Team DAO (CortDAO) is another new addition, with fans able to buy a stake in the team online.
All cars are still prepared centrally, ensuring there should be no mechanical differences them.
Where do W Series races take place?
For 2022, the W Series is a support act to eight rounds of the Formula 1 World Championship.
This means drivers will be sharing a paddock with F1 stars, and competing on the same circuits as them throughout the year.
The season-opening Miami weekend was a double-header event, as is the grande finale in Mexico City.
What is the format for a W Series weekend?
W Series race weekends will typically see drivers undertake a 30-minute practice session on the Friday, followed by a qualifying session later that day.
The race itself takes place on Saturday afternoon, lasting for around 30 minutes. As in Formula 1, the top 10 finishers will each score championship points.
How can I watch the W Series on TV in 2022?
The W Series signed a major multi-year broadcast deal with Sky Sports earlier this year, replacing Channel 4 in the UK.
Sky will broadcast each qualifying session and race live, with practice sessions available to watch online through YouTube.
Channel 4 has retained rights to show this weekend’s British round of the W Series live, and will also air highlights after each race weekend.
Lee McKenzie will lead the W Series TV coverage, supported by Amy Reynolds and Ted Kravitz as pitlane reporters. Naomi Schiff will act as an analyst, having previously competed in the W Series and now a presenter on Sky Sports.
Alex Jacques will be the lead commentator, and is joined by David Coulthard and Billy Monger.
How can I learn more about the W Series?
The W Series shares a wide range of behind-the-scenes information about the championship through its YouTube channel.
Episodes of the W Series: Off Track include all the extra background information fans could ever need to know, along with insights from the drivers themselves.
W Series 2022 Calendar
| Round | Venue | Date |
| 1 | Miami GP, United States | 7 May |
| 2 | Miami GP, United States | 8 May |
| 3 | Catalunya, Spain | 21 May |
| 4 | Silverstone, United Kingdom | 3 July |
| 5 | Paul Ricard, France | 24 July |
| 6 | Hungaroring, Hungary | 31 July |
| 7 | Suzuka, Japan | 9 October |
| 8 | Circuit of the Americas, United States | 23 October |
| 9 | Mexico City, Mexico | 29 October |
| 10 | Mexico City, Mexico | 30 October |
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