Embattled all-female racing series shut down

A groundbreaking racing series designed to promote female drivers to Formula 1 has been placed into administration.

W Series was designed to break down barriers for women in motorsport by subsidising drives in part.

The demise of W Series has not come as a shock to the industry after the 2022 season was cut short due to financial issues.

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Organisers remained optimistic the series would return but halfway through 2023 had still not given any details about the calendar for its planned fourth season.

On Thursday, administrators were appointed and all staff were made redundant bar one.

The administrators, Kevin Ley and Henry Shinners of Evelyn Partners LLP, said they would “explore all available options to allow the W Series to restart in the future.”

“The news will be upsetting for the company’s employees and drivers together with the worldwide supporters of the championship,” said Ley.

“The company had been unable to commit to the 2023 race season due to its liquidity position.

“The directors had been in discussions with various parties to provide additional funding together with a potential sale of the business.

“Unfortunately, these discussions did not progress.”

The administrators said they would be taking expressions of interest and any interest be registered “as quickly as possible.”

W Series made its debut in 2019 as a support act to the DTM touring car championship before being forced to cancel its 2020 season due to COVID-19.

It returned in 2021, featuring at Formula 1 events.

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W Series hasn’t escaped criticism. All three seasons were won by Jamie Chadwick, who did not step up to Formula 2 or Formula 3 despite being a key target of the series.

Chadwick eventually moved to the United States to compete in the second-tier Indy NXT series, one rung below IndyCar.

W Series race winner Alice Powell, who finished runner-up to Chadwick in 2021, expressed her disappointment in the news.

“I am sad to learn of the news of W Series entering administration,” she wrote on Twitter.

“At the end of the day, W Series got me out racing again, whether you agreed with the championship or not.

“W Series DID NOT fail. It inspired and created opportunities not just for its drivers, but for many young female racing fans too.

“I have many great memories from racing in the championship, including my win at the British GP in 2021, which will stay with me forever.”

W Series has effectively already been replaced by the F1 Academy.

While the W Series uses a regional Formula 3 car, the F1 Academy instead adopted a Formula 4 single-seater making for an easier transition out of karts.

F1 Academy picked up several drivers who had been part of W Series.

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