The W series has faced a lot of criticism since its creation in 2019. While some people had harsh criticisms, the W series has shown why it’s so needed in the world of motorsports.
W series is an 8 race championship that only lets women drivers on the grid. This free to enter championship gives women the much needed help to enter a broader world of motorsports without having to worry about the financial burden drivers face in other championships such a F2 and F3. Behind the wheel of a Tatuus F3 chassis, these women are competing for prize money and the highly sought after points towards a super license. (X) The W series have been at the forefront for pushing for the greater inclusion of women in single seater championships by racing on the same tracks as their f1 counterparts, starting at the Styrian GP and ending with the Mexican GP, these women have been making history and leading the way for women in motorsports everywhere.
Even though this championship has been important in encouraging women to get into motorsport, it still has had its fair share of criticism from prominent figures in the field. One of these people was the previous team principle of Williams racing, Claire Williams. She talked about her worries about the impact that the W series could have in an interview with Autosport.com in May 2019 around the same time of the creation of the W series. She was worried that the W series would promote segregation based on gender rather than closing the gap between men and women drivers. She later went on in the interview saying that the W series “gives a platform for women that they don't have at the moment, and if anything accelerates the process of promoting women in motorsport.” And how it can “only be considered a good thing (X)”. While she does have a point that at the start of the W series it could have promoted races being segregated on gender rather than skill; the W series have proven that it’s doing more to show that women belong in single seaters alongside men by showcasing their talents to potential teams and sponsors from higher single seater series. Another person who has expressed criticism about the W series is DTM driver, Sophia Florsch. She criticized the age of the drivers saying on twitter “There is no opportunity to compete against men in the upper classes. In the end, 15 super license points for what? (X)” While the average age of the grid is about 25 years old, the W series is much more than just trying to have women progress into higher level championship but to also inspire the next generation at an earlier age and show that women have their place alongside men not just in the world of motorsports but on the track competing as a driver.
So far in the 2021 season of the W series there has been a great deal action between racers causing outstanding outcomes from some of the races. One of the more unique outcomes is the achievement of having the first openly LGBTQ+ racer on the podium. Sarah Moore, who is partnered with racing pride, a company striving for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ community in the world of racing, achieved second place at the Styrian GP. This inspiring event shows that the world of motorsports can be a place for people of different races, genders, and sexual orientations. The two prominent drivers that are leading the championship battle are Jamie Chadwick and Alice Powell. They are drivers that exhibit both excellent driving skill and talent. Jamie Chadwick, who is a developmental driver for William racing, races against Alice Powell, a driver who is coming back after being forced to take a break from racing due to lack of funding. Both Chadwick and Powell are in contention for winning the 2021 W series. Both women having been in the world of motorsports for the majority of their lives, has experience in being the first woman to either score point in a series or become the first woman to win a motorsports championship. The W series has given these drivers a chance to show off their talents on track while giving the audience an exciting battle for top spot each weekend.
W series is an important step in the right direction to bring women into the spotlight by showing the world that women have a spot racing against the best racers at the same tracks will hopefully lead to an up flux of girls entering the sport at a younger age. The W series is also very important to female drives by making them stand out to teams and sponsors in other series and giving them that needed leg up to progress in the world of motor sports.