# W Series (championship)
The W Series was an all-female, single-seater motor racing championship, run at Formula Regional level, that held its first season in 2019 and entered administration in June 2023 after three seasons of racing.[1](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12903091) • [2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65922565) It was created to give female drivers a funded platform and a route toward Formula 1, at a time when no woman had competed in a Formula 1 race since 1976 and none had scored a championship point since Lella Lombardi in 1975.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65922565) • [3](https://www.countrylife.co.uk/luxury/motoring/im-here-to-say-were-driving-were-buying-and-were-not-going-anywhere-meet-the-new-gatekeepers-of-the-motoring-world)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Founded | Launched in 2019 as a championship solely for female drivers[1](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12903091) |
| Car | Identical Tatuus T-318 single-seaters, four-cylinder turbocharged engine of up to 270 horsepower, homologated to FIA F3 specification[4](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt) |
| Inaugural season | 2019: 20 female drivers contesting six races[5](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/601316-first-w-series-championship-winner) |
| Prize fund | $1.5 million total, $500,000 to the champion, who also received 15 FIA Super Licence points[4](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt) |
| Dominant driver | Jamie Chadwick won all three championships held (2019, 2021, 2022), with 11 wins, 10 pole positions and 18 podiums[6](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/w-series-season-curtailed-as-organisers-focus-on-2023-funding.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi) |
| End | 2022 season curtailed over funding; the company entered administration in June 2023[6](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/w-series-season-curtailed-as-organisers-focus-on-2023-funding.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi) • [2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65922565) |
| Successor | F1 Academy, an all-female series launched by Formula 1 in November 2022[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65922565) |
## Format and cars
The series ran one specification of car for all entrants: the Tatuus T-318, an open-wheel chassis introduced in 2018 for the new Formula Regional category and described by its manufacturer as the most widely adopted car at the level bridging [Formula 4](https://www.edgepedia.org/formula-4) and Formula 3.[4](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt) • [7](https://www.tatuus.it/en/vehicles-in-production/t-318) In W Series trim the car used a four-cylinder turbocharged engine producing up to 270 horsepower.[4](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt)
**Funded entries.** Drivers were not required to bring sponsorship or pay to race, a deliberate design choice in a sport where funding is a critical barrier and, for most female athletes, harder to secure than for male counterparts.[4](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt) • [8](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/w-series-case-against/) The champion's prize of $500,000 came from a $1.5 million pool split across the field by championship position, and the winner also earned 15 Super Licence points toward the 40 needed for an F1 superlicence.[4](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt)
## History
The championship was announced in 2018 with the backing of former grand prix driver [David Coulthard](https://www.edgepedia.org/david-coulthard) and aerodynamicist [Adrian Newey](https://www.edgepedia.org/adrian-newey), with Catherine Bond Muir as chief executive.[9](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/w-series-women-in-motorsport-f1-formula-one-mixed-reviews-carmen-jorda-pippa-mann-david-coulthard-a8576736.html) The inaugural 2019 season ran six races at European circuits including Hockenheim and [Brands Hatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/brands-hatch), with 20 drivers.[5](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/601316-first-w-series-championship-winner) • [10](https://www.viaplaygroup.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/nent-group-show-w-series-motor-racing-1681843) Britain's Jamie Chadwick clinched the first title on 11 August 2019 at the Brands Hatch finale, with Beitske Visser runner-up and Alice Powell third.[5](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/601316-first-w-series-championship-winner) • [11](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/aug/11/britains-jamie-chadwick-wins-inaugural-w-series-title) • [12](https://www.the-independent.com/independentpremium/long-reads/w-series-women-motorsport-formula-b1829120.html)
The 2020 season was canceled because of the Covid-19 pandemic, and racing resumed in 2021 with the series joining the Formula 1 support bill, beginning at the Styrian Grand Prix at the [Red Bull Ring](https://www.edgepedia.org/red-bull-ring) over eight rounds.[6](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/w-series-season-curtailed-as-organisers-focus-on-2023-funding.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi) • [4](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt) Exposure rose accordingly: the 2021 W Series race at the [British Grand Prix](https://www.edgepedia.org/british-grand-prix) peaked at 1 million viewers, the biggest live audience for motor sport other than F1 since 2014.[13](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/jun/25/trailblazing-w-series-has-created-opportunities-for-women-in-motor-sport)
**Financial collapse.** In October 2022, seven races into a planned ten-round season, the series announced that contracted funding from one investor had not arrived, and canceled its final three races at the Circuit of The Americas and in Mexico City.[6](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/w-series-season-curtailed-as-organisers-focus-on-2023-funding.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi) • [14](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12717464/w-series-rest-of-2022-season-cancelled-with-focus-on-securing-investment-for-2023-as-jamie-chadwick-is-crowned-champion) The curtailment crowned Chadwick champion for a record third time, 50 points clear in the standings.[6](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/w-series-season-curtailed-as-organisers-focus-on-2023-funding.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi) No 2023 calendar was announced, and in June 2023 the company entered administration after failing to secure funding.[1](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12903091) • [2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65922565)
## Reception and debate
The series divided the motorsport world from the moment of its launch. Supporters argued that women needed a shop window, and that a slot on a Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend offered the best visibility available; the series itself stated that at its heart was the belief that women can compete equally with men in motorsport.[15](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/long-reads/w-series-women-motorsport-formula-b1829120.html) • [9](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/w-series-women-in-motorsport-f1-formula-one-mixed-reviews-carmen-jorda-pippa-mann-david-coulthard-a8576736.html) Critics, including IndyCar driver Pippa Mann, called it a regressive step and accused organizers of preying on racers starved of sponsorship, arguing that women should instead progress through the usual mixed series.[9](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/w-series-women-in-motorsport-f1-formula-one-mixed-reviews-carmen-jorda-pippa-mann-david-coulthard-a8576736.html) • [16](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/14/womens-motor-racing-w-series) Michele Mouton, the four-time [World Rally Championship](https://www.edgepedia.org/world-rally-championship) race winner who led the FIA's Women in Motorsport Commission, said the series had a limited level because the best performers did not take part, while supporting it if it functioned as a channel to move women into higher mixed categories.[17](https://www.motorsport.com/w-series/news/michele-mouton-criticised-negative-comments/6658994/) Driver Simona de Silvestro argued that a [Red Bull](https://www.edgepedia.org/red-bull)-style development program would spend the money better.[18](https://www.motorsport.com/w-series/news/de-silvestro-wants-red-bull-style-system-for-female-drivers/3206018/)
A recurring criticism was the pathway's output: Chadwick, Visser, Powell and Marta García had not, by 2021, secured drives further up the single-seater ladder, the series' stated purpose, although Chadwick gained a Williams development role and Visser raced at [Le Mans](https://www.edgepedia.org/le-mans) and in the World Endurance Championship.[12](https://www.the-independent.com/independentpremium/long-reads/w-series-women-motorsport-formula-b1829120.html)
## Legacy and F1 Academy
Formula 1 launched the F1 Academy, another all-female category, in November 2022, creating uncertainty over whether W Series would return; the new series operates at Formula 4 level, a step below where W Series had run.[2](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65922565) • [19](https://sportsgazette.co.uk/f1-academy-and-the-rise-of-womens-motorsport/) Commentators describe the two as stages of the same movement: W Series proved there was an appetite for women's motorsport and created a platform, while F1 Academy attempts the longer-term structure, offering more track time and integration with Formula 1 teams and race weekends.[20](https://theslipstreameffect.com/w-series-and-f1-academy-same-goal-different-strategy/) • [21](https://www.blackbookmotorsport.com/features/women-motorsport-claudia-denni-beth-paretta-f1-academy-w-series/)
Former W Series drivers remain visible in the sport's upper levels. Chadwick, its three-time champion, has competed at Le Mans and became the first woman in over a decade to race full-time in the Indy NXT championship.[3](https://www.countrylife.co.uk/luxury/motoring/im-here-to-say-were-driving-were-buying-and-were-not-going-anywhere-meet-the-new-gatekeepers-of-the-motoring-world) Marta García, fourth in the maiden W Series season, won the 2023 F1 Academy title and races for the all-female [Iron Dames](https://www.edgepedia.org/iron-dames) sportscar team.[4](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt) • [22](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/f1-academy-alba-hurup-larsen/)
## References
1. [W Series: All-female racing category enters administration following early end to 2022 season, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12903091)
2. [W Series: All-female championship enters administration after failing to secure funding, BBC Sport](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/65922565)
3. [Meet the new gatekeepers of the motoring world, Country Life](https://www.countrylife.co.uk/luxury/motoring/im-here-to-say-were-driving-were-buying-and-were-not-going-anywhere-meet-the-new-gatekeepers-of-the-motoring-world)
4. [Jamie Chadwick on why W Series will have a generational impact, Formula1.com](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/jamie-chadwick-on-why-w-series-will-have-a-generational-impact-plus-our.3PrBSYQNIdeuIejLLx4Rbt)
5. [First W Series championship winner, Guinness World Records](https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/601316-first-w-series-championship-winner)
6. [W Series season curtailed as organisers focus on 2023 funding, Formula1.com](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/w-series-season-curtailed-as-organisers-focus-on-2023-funding.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi.2qXSxMiymQ1qR2rKx33wDi)
7. [Tatuus T-318, Tatuus](https://www.tatuus.it/en/vehicles-in-production/t-318)
8. [W Series: The case against, Motor Sport Magazine](https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/articles/single-seaters/w-series-case-against/)
9. ['W Series' launched to mixed reviews, The Independent](https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/motor-racing/w-series-women-in-motorsport-f1-formula-one-mixed-reviews-carmen-jorda-pippa-mann-david-coulthard-a8576736.html)
10. [NENT Group to show W Series motor racing, Viaplay Group](https://www.viaplaygroup.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/nent-group-show-w-series-motor-racing-1681843)
11. [Britain's Jamie Chadwick claims inaugural W Series title, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/aug/11/britains-jamie-chadwick-wins-inaugural-w-series-title)
12. [Why is it taking so long for motorsport to embrace women racers?, The Independent](https://www.the-independent.com/independentpremium/long-reads/w-series-women-motorsport-formula-b1829120.html)
13. [Women-only W Series shown red flag but its legacy in motor sport is clear, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2023/jun/25/trailblazing-w-series-has-created-opportunities-for-women-in-motor-sport)
14. [W Series: Rest of 2022 season cancelled, Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12717464/w-series-rest-of-2022-season-cancelled-with-focus-on-securing-investment-for-2023-as-jamie-chadwick-is-crowned-champion)
15. [Why is it taking so long for motorsport to embrace women racers?, The Independent (long read)](https://www.independent.co.uk/independentpremium/long-reads/w-series-women-motorsport-formula-b1829120.html)
16. [Women-only motor racing contest still leaves some petrolheads fuming, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/oct/14/womens-motor-racing-w-series)
17. [Michele Mouton criticised for negative W Series comments, Motorsport.com](https://www.motorsport.com/w-series/news/michele-mouton-criticised-negative-comments/6658994/)
18. [De Silvestro: Red Bull-style programme preferable to W Series, Motorsport.com](https://www.motorsport.com/w-series/news/de-silvestro-wants-red-bull-style-system-for-female-drivers/3206018/)
19. [F1 Academy and the rise of women's motorsport, Sports Gazette](https://sportsgazette.co.uk/f1-academy-and-the-rise-of-womens-motorsport/)
20. [W Series and F1 Academy: same goal, different strategy, The Slipstream Effect](https://theslipstreameffect.com/w-series-and-f1-academy-same-goal-different-strategy/)
21. [Analysing the state of play for women in motorsport, BlackBook Motorsport](https://www.blackbookmotorsport.com/features/women-motorsport-claudia-denni-beth-paretta-f1-academy-w-series/)
22. [Alba Hurup Larsen Is Racing to Break F1's Glass Ceiling, Marie Claire](https://www.marieclaire.com/culture/f1-academy-alba-hurup-larsen/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Cycling and motor sport › Formula One and Grand Prix motor racing › Formula One seasons › Formula One seasons 2010–2019*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license