The beginning, middle, and end: What was the W series?
The involvement of women in motorsport has existed long before the evolution of modern racing that exists today. As early as the 1970s women had qualified for Formula One, the trailblazer being Lella Lombardi, the only women to score points in Formula One. However, the concept of dedicating entire racing series to promoting, financing, curating, and supporting women in single-seater racing has only existed in its prime since 2019. Older sister of the Formula One Academy, the W series started something that had not existed before.
With statistics such as 6% of the Red Bull Racing team being made up of women in 2023 (Forbes), the aim of the W series was to promote gender equality in motorsport, specifically challenging single-seater racing like Formula One. Founder Catherine Bond Muir set out in 2018 to “push aside stereotypes” in order to reinforce the belief that women can compete equally with men in motorsport, however Bond Muir also understood that in order to do what a female only series was needed to promote female participation. Kicking off with its inaugural season in 2019, successfully brought back drivers who could no longer financially stay behind the wheel in a controversial move to give free drives to women, while also sparking the ever needed conversation about gender equality. Bond Muir quoted the series maiden winner Alice Powell saying “thank you for making me feel like this again” after the victory.
With aims of promoting gender equality while working under the microscope, Bond Muir knew she had to get it right. So, if Formula One has its historic calendar set up and point system, the current Formula One Academy reflecting that so closely, what was the set up of its older sister? Well, it’s easy to see where the current academy got its inspiration. With a 30 minute practice on Fridays, the W series would then hold its qualifying later that day. Unlike the academy, the W series would hold one 30 minute race on Sundays (following eight Formula One race weekends in 2022). The series would also follow the pointing system of Formula One, rewarding the top ten drivers with points. However, the series greatest difference was driven by its determination to promote talent over finances; each driver on the W series grid would have an identical car (Tatuus F3 spec) in order to limit boundaries on finance.
Everything was set up and in full swing, having three seasons in 2019, 2021, and 22 with the 2020 season being cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, with Jamie Chadwick victorious every season. So, with the current existence of the Formula One Academy, what happened to the W series? Due to it’s determination to promote talent over finance with a mix of the stress of COVID-19 on motorsport, the W series met its unfortunate end in 2022 after going into administration and then liquidation. While the series met its untimely end, it’s aims and inspiring determination did not disappear with it, in fact, they found home in the academy and continue to dominate to this day. As for the drivers, a signifcant handful found space in the academy too: Bianca Bustemante, Abbi Pulling, Marta Garcia, and Nerea Marti have all become part of the Formula One Academy since its start in 2023.
So, did the W series succeed? While it could not keep up with the financial burden of motorsport and COVID-19, the W series did exactly what it set out to do. Promote gender equality in motorsport. Jamie Chadwick has become the first woman to win an Indy NXT race, aiming for a full seat. Abbi Pulling is on track for a Formula Regional seat after the presumed championship in the academy’s 2024 season. The W series has inspired women across the globe to take part in motorsport, paving the way for the Formula One Academy.
Title image from Formulanerds.com.
