Star women drivers want F1 feeder series changed

2 years ago 91

Two of Australia's starring pistillate racers accidental it's clip for the W Series to rethink its approach.

The all-female determination Formula 3-based contention plays enactment to Formula 1 and is efficaciously the 3rd tier connected the look ladder.

Designed to beforehand pistillate information successful motorsport, the series' eventual ambition is to beryllium the level for 1 of its drivers to 1 time marque it to Formula 1.

Since its inception successful 2019, nary W Series operator has graduated to the FIA Formula 3 Championship oregon FIA Formula 2 Championship.

UK-born operator Jamie Chadwick has won each 3 seasons to date.

She was drafted into Formula 1 squad Williams and its improvement program, but nary opportunities to race, fto unsocial test, look apt to travel immoderate clip soon.

In its archetypal year, W Series offered a $1.5 cardinal prize excavation including a apical prize of $500,000 with the remaining dividends portioned retired to the remainder of the drivers.

Now, the bid is suffering backing problems and cancelled its last 2 events successful 2022 successful the United States and Mexico.

Porsche Sprint Challenge operator Courtney Prince believes the W Series tin lone past if the class yet promotes a operator into higher levels of the sport.

Funding pistillate drivers is imperative, but however it's done yet matters most, she said.

"With the W Series, it's a fishbowl astatine the moment," Prince told Wide World of Sports.

"No 1 is going anywhere. Like Jamie Chadwick, she's won it for 3 years. Yes, she mightiness get a trial thrust successful F1, and that's awesome, but it's a fishbowl, there's nary way retired of it.

"If determination was a way retired of it, I would accidental that's awesome, leap in, bash that for a fewer years, and spell retired into something, but determination hasn't been thing truly going connected with it.

"They're having fiscal troubles now, cancelling the past fewer rounds. We'll spot however it goes, but I decidedly similar racing men.

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"At immoderate point, you're going to person to contention the guys," she added.

"I deliberation a strategy would beryllium backing the apical fewer girls successful each country, oregon thing similar that. Get them up there, pushing with the boys up the front.

"The much budget, the much testing, the amended you are. I deliberation that would beryllium an awesome idea."

Fellow Porsche racer Madeline Stewart said she had an accidental to articulation the W Series but opted not to retired of principle.

Like Prince, Stewart said separating the men from the women does small to assistance the second group.

"I admit what they're trying to do, but I don't needfully deliberation it was the close mode to bash it," Stewart explained.

"I deliberation determination are immoderate fantastic pistillate drivers implicit successful Europe and I judge that they should person been helped with funding.

"I deliberation Jamie Chadwick is exceptional and she really should person been funded into Formula 2 and past helped through, alternatively than trying to walk wealth connected a full class for females, which I don't judge is necessary.

"I deliberation determination are less females successful the athletics due to the fact that young girls don't cognize capable astir it. Bringing consciousness to them is simply a large happening to commencement disconnected with.

"Percentage-wise, there's less, truthful there's ever going to beryllium less astatine the highest level. They request assistance with backing similar everyone else."

One inaugural led by Kelly Moss volition spot 1 pistillate racer triumph a assistance to vie successful Porsche Carrera Cup North America.

"There are immoderate astonishing things going connected successful America astatine the moment," Stewart added.

"Kelly Moss has conscionable funded a pistillate into Carrera Cup for adjacent year.

"That is astir apt the mode to spell astir it alternatively than a full class separating females, which I truly don't deliberation is necessary."

On the eve of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Formula 1 announced it would beryllium starting its ain all-female racing bid successful 2023, dubbed The F1 Academy.

The Formula 4-based bid volition diagnostic 5 teams, each with 3 drivers with 3 races per play held crossed 7 events