W Series, the all female single seater motor racing championship, has announced a partnership with Formula 1 for the 2021 season and beyond. This partnership will allow W Series to be the supporting series at eight Grand Prix throughout the 2021 F1 calendar.
Although the locations and dates are still yet to be announced, this partnership signals a huge step and achievement for W Series. F1 is staying true to its latest slogan 'We Race As One', with this addition, the step towards a more inclusive and diverse grid is gaining momentum.
W Series is an international single seater racing championship, with one major factor, all drivers are female. The series had its inaugural season in 2019, with eighteen racers and two reserve drivers competing in a six race championship. Eventually crowning Jamie Chadwick the champion!
Chadwick has subsequently been signed to Williams Driver Academy, an initiative run by Williams Formula 1 team with the aim to locate drivers who may race for the team in the future.
Images: WSeries.com
W Series has a similar aim, to find future talent for motorsports, promoting women and integrating these unique drivers into more noticeable motor racing categories.
Although motorsport is arguably the only sport that allows both men and women an equal chance to compete against one another, the facts speak for themselves; there has never been a female Formula 1 driver that has competed in an F1 championship season.
The main reason for this is a lack of sufficient funding, it is no secret that motorsport is expensive, and as the competition increases, so does the financial burden. Many W Series racers found that once they achieved a certain level of racing, funding and sponsorship began drying up meaning many simply could not continue racing.
W Series aims to change this. The season itself is completely free to enter, all you need is talent. W Series holds knock-out races before the season begins to ensure only the best racers qualify. After such the real racing begins, with the eventual winner gaining the top prize of $500,000, whilst the rest of the drivers have $1 million divided amongst them.
The all women racing series not only gives the drivers substantial funding, but it allows these eighteen women to showcase their talent and make a name for themselves. Not only that, the FIA has also attributed Super License points to the top eight finishers, these points are essential to any driver looking to compete in Formula 1 as they are used to qualify for the F1 championship.
Although the locations of the eight Formula One races are yet to be announced, this can only be a positive for such an incredible initiative, let's Rethink Racing!
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