The 2021 W Series was the second season of the W Series motor racing championship, replacing the 2020 season after it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] The championship was exclusively open to female racing drivers as a Formula Regional-level racing series in support of the 2021 Formula One World Championship.[2]
Jamie Chadwick entered the season as the defending W Series champion, having won the title in 2019.[3] Chadwick secured her second consecutive championship, winning the 2021 title at the season finale race, at Circuit of the Americas.
Entries
editThe following drivers and teams made up the grid for the 2021 W Series season. All teams used Hankook tyres, and ran two mechanically identical Tatuus F.3 T-318 cars with two drivers.[4] All cars were operated by Fine Moments, and 'teams' were purely for sponsorship and identification purposes.[5]
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Driver changes
editThe top twelve drivers from the 2019 championship were all qualified for the 2020 season,[9] leaving eight vacancies in the driver line-up. Forty new drivers applied to take part in the season; however, only fourteen of those took part in the first test which took place between 16 and 18 September 2019 at the Circuito de Almería, Spain.[9][10] The final 18 drivers were announced on 17 December 2020, with the possibility of more being announced at a later date.[11] A list of five reserve drivers was announced on 11 June 2021, comprising 2019 drivers Gosia Rdest, Naomi Schiff and Caitlin Wood, British F4 podium finisher Abbi Pulling, and Tasmin Pepper, who was unable to take part in the season due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions.[12]
Championship changes
editHitech GP announced on 14 November 2020 that they would discontinue their involvement for 2021 as they moved into new series,[13] and Fine Moments took over their role for the 2021 season.[14] The series continues to use the same Tatuus T-318 Formula 3 chassis and Alfa Romeo engines.[15] On 24 June 2021 W Series announced it would pivot from a centrally-run series format to a team-based structure with assigned drivers and control over the car livery and team overalls, as well as the team name. The 2021 season would be used as a transitional season, with an unofficial teams' championship and all outfits still being centrally run, but with a vision for a fully team-structured grid and a legitimate teams' championship for the 2022 season.[5] Prioritising the importance of driver skill within the championship, and to ensure technical equality, all 18 cars, although sporting a variety of liveries and team names, will remain mechanically identical, with preparation and maintenance managed by W Series Engineering.[5] Hankook was initially dropped as the tyre supplier for the 2021 season due to the move from the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters to F1 support bill,[13] and W Series was reportedly "speaking to a number of tyre suppliers". On 5 May 2021, however, W Series announced Hankook would continue to supply tyres for the 2021 season.[4]
Calendar and results
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The series management announced on 12 November 2020 that the season would consist of eight rounds all held in support of the 2021 Formula One World Championship.[16] A provisional calendar was then revealed on 8 December 2020.[17] After Formula One made slight amendments to its calendar, the W Series moved its first event from Circuit Paul Ricard to the Red Bull Ring.[18] Later on in the year, when Formula One postponed the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix, the season finale was shifted from the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez to the Circuit of the Americas.[19]
| Round | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Race Winner | Winning Team | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Red Bull Ring | 26 June |  Alice Powell | Alice Powell | Alice Powell | Racing X | report |
| 2 | 3 July | Jamie Chadwick | Jamie Chadwick | Jamie Chadwick | Veloce Racing | report | |
| 3 | Silverstone Circuit | 17 July | Alice Powell | Alice Powell | Alice Powell | Racing X | report |
| 4 |  Hungaroring | 31 July | Jamie Chadwick | Jamie Chadwick | Jamie Chadwick | Veloce Racing | report |
| 5 |  Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | 28 August | Jamie Chadwick |  Emma Kimiläinen | Emma Kimiläinen | Écurie W | report |
| 6 |  Circuit Zandvoort | 4 September | Emma Kimiläinen | Alice Powell | Alice Powell | Racing X | report |
| 7 |  Circuit of the Americas | 23 October | Abbi Pulling | Alice Powell | Jamie Chadwick | Veloce Racing | report |
| 8 | 24 October | Jamie Chadwick | Jamie Chadwick | Jamie Chadwick | Veloce Racing | ||
| Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||
| - |  Circuit Paul Ricard | 26 June | Replaced with a second race at the Red Bull Ring | ||||
| - |  Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez | 30 October | Replaced with a second race at the Circuit of the Americas | ||||
| Sources:[18][19][20] | |||||||
Championship standings
editScoring system
editPoints were awarded to the top ten classified finishers as follows:[21]
| Race Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 25 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
Drivers' Championship
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Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ "W Series cancels 2020 season but reveals plans for F1 support races in 2021". www.formula1.com. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ "All-female motor racing series offers potential F1 pathway". CNN. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
- ^ "Jamie Chadwick wins inaugural W Series Championship". W Series. 11 August 2019. Archived from the original on 14 September 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
- ^ a b "Hankook continue as global tyre partner". W Series. 5 May 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ a b c "W Series pivots towards new 'Team' structure". W Series. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "STATEMENT ON COVID-19 TEST RESULT FOR W SERIES ACADEMY DRIVER IRINA SIDORKOVA". W Series. 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Fabienne: Ein Podium für die Nachbarn". Autosprint.ch (in German). 27 June 2021. Retrieved 31 August 2021.
- ^ "W Series begins move to team-based format for new season · RaceFans". RaceFans. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ a b "W Series to limit 2020 new driver test to less than 20 drivers". Highway F1. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Legge, Eaton, Agren among 2020 W Series applicants". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "2021 Driver Line-Up Announced". W Series. 17 December 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "Reserve driver line-up confirmed for 2021". W Series. 11 June 2021.
- ^ a b Wood, Ida (14 November 2020). "Hitech confirms discontinuation of W Series involvement for 2021". Formula Scout. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "W Series makes branding change to allocate drivers into 'teams'". Formula Scout. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "Preparations Hit The Home Straight". W Series. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ "W Series to support F1 in 2021 and beyond". ESPN.com. 12 November 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ "2021 race calendar announced". W Series. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
- ^ a b "Preparations Hit The Home Straight". W Series. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ a b "W Series at the Double in Austin for 2021 Season Finale". W Series. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 24 September 2021.
- ^ "W Series Results 2021". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
- ^ a b "2021 season results and standings". W Series. Retrieved 13 September 2021.