The W series will have support races at Formula 1 events from the 2021 season. W series will be at a total of eight races but so far, no details of which races the series will drive at have been released.
The W series is a all female single seater championship. In its inaugural season in 2019, six races where held, all in Europe. There was plans to hold the championship again this year but we cancelled due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Two races had been set to be held on Formula 1 weekends at the Circuit of the Americas in the United States and the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico.
Ross Brawn, Managing Director of Motorsport, Formula 1, said: “We are excited to announce our 2021 season this week and look forward to a thrilling season with an exciting mix of new races and established circuits that we missed during our unprecedented 2020 season.
“It is a really important moment for us to welcome W Series as partners for eight races this season. They have been a beacon to many since they began racing in 2019. We believe it is incredibly important to give everyone the chance to reach the highest levels of our sport and their partnership with Formula 1 next season shows our determination and commitment to showcase their exciting series and the importance of building greater diversity across the sport.”
W Series Chief Executive Officer, Catherine Bond Muir, outlines what is to come from W Series in the years to come.
Bond Muir said: “After such a successful inaugural season [2019], we at W Series are absolutely delighted to be partnering with Formula 1 for 2021 and beyond.
“Formula 1 is by some margin the world’s premier motor racing series, and, when we promised that W Series would be bigger and better in the future, partnering with Formula 1 was always our ultimate objective. There is no doubt that, now that W Series will be run alongside and in collaboration with Formula 1, our global reach, impact and influence will be increased significantly.
“Everything that made W Series so popular and successful in 2019 will remain. The cars will be identical, the racing will be close and competitive, and our mission will always be to further the interests and prospects of female racing drivers. We want W Series to entertain, and entertain it will. But we also want it to become a crucial default-option stepping stone for any female racing driver who wants to carve out a professional racing career, and our proximity to Formula 1 will help and enhance that process. The fact that W Series is now eligible for FIA Super Licence points will also be an important factor in that regard.
“We are very grateful to Chase Carey, Ross Brawn and their colleagues for having faith in W Series, and for prioritising diversity and inclusion in this way, and we intend to help them drive forwards their excellent #WeRaceAsOne programme this year and in years to come.”
British driver Jamie Chadwick was the inaugural W Series champion in 2019, ten points ahead of Beitske Visser.
