W Series have announced that they are cancelling the pre-season tests in Valencia, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The two days of testing were scheduled for 4/5 May but with a month and a half of anticipation, it is now official that it will not be held.
During the two days in which they were supposed to run in the Ricardo Tormo circuit, the drivers and engineers had the mission to get the Tatuus T-318 Formula 3 in ‘shape’ for the first race, planned on 30 May in Sant Petersburg.
The Valencian track is not in the calendar for the category, but fits the profile of the single-seaters, as the director for the category, Dave Ryan, commented:
“The Valencia Circuit is not part of the W Series calendar for 2020 but it fits perfectly for the testing of our Formula 3 based cars. It’s long and full of corners, especially the one with an 80-degree angle, perfect for practising great forces. We have also chosen it for its relative modernity and that it has been used by teams for F1 testing.”
Hard times ahead for motorsport given the uncertainty for when the activities will start.
Eight races is what W Series are marked in the calendar to be held in 2020, six in support of the DTM, which has also cancelled its test days, and two in support of Formula 1 in the United States and Mexico.
With the world of sport at a standstill, it is not known what the future holds, not only for the W Series but in general for all motor racing calendars.
Just as the W Series CEO, Catherine Bond added, “We are in uncharted territory, in a situation beyond our control. The need for social distancing, together with restricted travel, is tough for many businesses, including motorsport. We send support and love to all our drivers, staff, partners, fans and media in these difficult times.”
