W Series, the female-only open-wheel racing series that is free to enter for selected drivers, will have a new team this season, Jenner Racing. If the name sounds familiar, it is because Caitlyn Jenner has been offered the opportunity to acquire a team in the sport and is now a team owner and team principal.
In the 2022 season, W Series will only race as an opening act for Formula 1 events, which means that the racers will be seen by the broadest audience possible in all forms of motorsport.
Moreover, the events themselves take place right ahead of the most expensive branch of four-wheeled racing, so the sponsors that matter most are there to see who's who.
While some voices have criticized W Series for its segregation, it does offer a $500,000 prize, along with the opportunity to prove one's driving abilities without fear of budget. It may be an excellent opportunity for the drivers who get selected.
The reigning champion of W Series, Jamie Chadwick, is also a development driver for the Williams Formula One team, and that role was obtained after being selected to race in the series.
Chadwick had won both championships in W series in 2019 and 2021. The 2020 season was canceled in favor of an online-based series.
Jenner Racing has yet to announce its driver roster, but the series organizers have specified that it will be revealed in due course. For now, all we know is that 15 prospective drivers from around the world attended a W Series test at the Inde Motorsports Ranch in Arizona, USA. Some of them might get selected to race in the 2022 season.
The newest team owner in the W Series wants to promote women in motorsport, which is one of the FIA's goals as well. It would be impossible not to, as only female drivers can compete in W Series.
The competition utilizes carbon-fiber monocoque racecars built by Tatuus under FIA Formula 3 specifications, including the Halo device and improved side impact protection.
In other words, the W Series has Formula 3 racing cars, but the pilots who get selected to race in this championship do not have to provide any money or a sponsor to get a seat on the team. The latter part is a major issue in motorsport, as the money required to enter the higher tiers of the sport has reached astounding amounts.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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