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New All-Female ‘W Series’ Aims To Get Women To F1
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Officials have announced an all-new, free-to-enter single-seater motor racing series for women drivers. The inaugural W Series aims to get women to the pinnacle of racing, Formula 1, and will have a prize fund of US$1.5 million.
The first W Series season opens in the spring of 2019 and will feature several races run on some of the most well-known circuits in Europe, most of which have staged Formula 1 races for many decades. The W Series also aspires to include races in America, Asia and Australia in the future, according to series officials.
The new series will provide identical cars for 18-20 drivers, all of which will have to pass a "rigorous pre-selection program/examination" including on-track testing, simulator appraisal, technical engineering tests, fitness trials and more. Successful applicants will then be given a thorough training program focusing on driving techniques, simulator exposure, technical engineering approaches, fitness, media skills and more.
A group of experts with decades of Formula 1 experience will assist the program: David Coulthard (multiple Grand Prix winner); Adrian Newey (one of the most successful Chief Design Engineers in modern Formula 1 history); Dave Ryan (40 years’ Formula 1 experience in team management with the McLaren and Manor Formula 1 teams, as well having run his own GT racing team Von Ryan); Matt Bishop (15 years’ experience as a journalist and editor in Formula 1, followed by 10 years’ experience heading up McLaren’s communications, content, media and PR operation in Formula 1).
The official announcement included the following statement:
At the heart of W Series’ DNA is the firm belief that women can compete equally with men in motorsport. However, an all-female series is essential in order to force greater female participation. W Series is therefore a mission-driven competition, the aim of which is not only to provide exciting racing for spectators and viewers on a global scale, but also to equip its drivers with the experience and expertise with which they may progress their careers, racing and honing their skills in W Series before eventually graduating to existing high-level mainstream racing series.
For updates to this story, visit the below links.
All-Female W Series Names Over 50 Drivers Competing For A Spot In 2019
NBC To Broadcast W Series Across US
New Chief Commercial Officer For All-Female W Series
The first W Series season opens in the spring of 2019 and will feature several races run on some of the most well-known circuits in Europe, most of which have staged Formula 1 races for many decades. The W Series also aspires to include races in America, Asia and Australia in the future, according to series officials.
The new series will provide identical cars for 18-20 drivers, all of which will have to pass a "rigorous pre-selection program/examination" including on-track testing, simulator appraisal, technical engineering tests, fitness trials and more. Successful applicants will then be given a thorough training program focusing on driving techniques, simulator exposure, technical engineering approaches, fitness, media skills and more.
A group of experts with decades of Formula 1 experience will assist the program: David Coulthard (multiple Grand Prix winner); Adrian Newey (one of the most successful Chief Design Engineers in modern Formula 1 history); Dave Ryan (40 years’ Formula 1 experience in team management with the McLaren and Manor Formula 1 teams, as well having run his own GT racing team Von Ryan); Matt Bishop (15 years’ experience as a journalist and editor in Formula 1, followed by 10 years’ experience heading up McLaren’s communications, content, media and PR operation in Formula 1).
The official announcement included the following statement:
At the heart of W Series’ DNA is the firm belief that women can compete equally with men in motorsport. However, an all-female series is essential in order to force greater female participation. W Series is therefore a mission-driven competition, the aim of which is not only to provide exciting racing for spectators and viewers on a global scale, but also to equip its drivers with the experience and expertise with which they may progress their careers, racing and honing their skills in W Series before eventually graduating to existing high-level mainstream racing series.
For updates to this story, visit the below links.
All-Female W Series Names Over 50 Drivers Competing For A Spot In 2019
NBC To Broadcast W Series Across US
New Chief Commercial Officer For All-Female W Series
