W Series stars set for Spanish test 23.02.2022: W Series, the international single-seater motor racing championship for female drivers, today announces that it will stage a three-day on-track test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, between March 2-4, 2022. The eight drivers

W Series, the international single-seater motor racing championship for female drivers, today announces that it will stage a three-day on-track test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, between March 2-4, 2022.



The eight drivers who qualified automatically for the 2022 season by finishing in the top eight last year, plus last season’s W Series Academy driver Irina Sidorkova, will get the chance to reacquaint themselves with W Series’ Tatuus T-318 Formula 3 race cars ahead of season three, which consists of eight rounds in support of Formula 1, beginning in Miami, Florida, in May.



Two-time reigning champion Jamie Chadwick will defend her title in 2022 when she will compete for the newly formed Jenner Racing team, working alongside team principal and former racing driver and Olympic champion Caitlyn Jenner, who knows exactly what it takes to excel at the elite level of sport.



In her two victorious seasons with W Series, the 23-year-old Briton has won six races and finished on the podium in all except two of her 14 starts. That impressive form has created opportunities for her in the upper echelons of motorsport, most notably with the Williams Formula 1 team for whom she has been a development driver since 2019.



As W Series stages support races at eight F1 Grand Prix weekends this year, Jamie’s return to the series represents a key step in her career, allowing her to race at five new circuits, work closely with the Williams team at F1 race weekends, and help develop W Series’ young stars who have come to view her as the benchmark for female driving talent.
 


Joining Chadwick and the others will be 11 drivers, all hopeful of earning one of the remaining spots on the 2022 grid and a fully funded season on motor racing’s greatest stage.  
 



The Inde Motorsports Ranch featured a perfect layout for five days of W Series testing
After five days of testing in Arizona, USA in early February, W Series’ Racing Director Dave Ryan has chosen five drivers – Tereza Babickova, Léna Bühler, Bianca Bustamante, Chloe Chambers, and Emely De Heus – who impressed at the Inde Motorsports Ranch to travel to Spain and test themselves against some established W Series stars and exciting newcomers, including Japan’s Juju Noda who, aged 16, will be the youngest driver to take part in the test.



The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya – which will also host the second round of the 2022 W Series season in May – has staged F1’s Spanish Grand Prix since 1991. The 4.675km (2.9 miles) circuit has 16 turns and is a popular testing venue for the world’s leading motor racing series due to its all-round challenge. W Series’ test will follow hot on the heels of F1’s first pre-season test of 2022 at the same venue.

The 20 drivers from 13 countries testing at the 2022 W Series pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya are as follows:


Tereza Babickova, CZE, 18
Léna Bühler, SWI, 24
Bianca Bustamante, PHI, 17
Jamie Chadwick, UK, 23
Chloe Chambers, USA, 17
Emely De Heus, NED, 19
Belen Garcia, ESP, 22
Marta Garcia, ESP, 21
Megan Gilkes, CAN, 21
Jessica Hawkins, UK, 27
Emma Kimiläinen, FIN, 32
Nerea Martí, ESP, 20
Sarah Moore, UK, 28
Juju Noda, JPN, 16
Alice Powell, UK, 29
Abbi Pulling, UK, 18
Irina Sidorkova, RUS, 18
Bruna Tomaselli, BRA, 24
Beitske Visser, NED, 26
Fabienne Wohlwend, LIE, 24
 



Bianca Bustamante, 17, was one of 15 young women invited to the U.S. test at Inde Motorsports Ranch. She was selected to carry on and test at Barcelona in early March.

Catherine Bond Muir (Chief Executive Officer, W Series) said:“W Series’ third season promises to be the biggest and best yet as we visit more circuits and countries in a single season than ever before – including our first-ever round in Asia in October when we will support Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix.



All the drivers attending the pre-season test at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya are desperate to be a part of it, and this is their last chance to prove that they deserve a spot on the W Series grid in 2022. As interest in W Series grows, so does the competition for places, and I am expecting – and very much looking forward to – an intense week in Spain as the drivers put everything on the line.



“Regarding Jamie’s return, she is an exceptional talent who has helped elevate the profile of W Series and inspire the next generation of female racing drivers with her performances on track – which have seen her become a two-time W Series champion – and off it where she has articulated our mission passionately and eloquently to a global audience. We are delighted that she has decided to defend her title, and I can’t wait to watch her race at eight iconic circuits on the Formula 1 calendar for the Jenner Racing team.”





Dave Ryan (Racing Director, W Series) said: “The final round of the 2021 season at the Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas, USA, already seems like a long time ago, so it will be interesting to see how much progress the drivers have made over the winter.



For those who are familiar with W Series and have already qualified for 2022, the pre-season test is about getting back up to speed as quickly as possible. Those new to W Series and looking to earn a seat for this year, need to impress by being consistent and showing that they are willing and capable of learning from their engineers.  



“The Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya offers a good mixture of high and low-speed corners, and lots of elevation changes which, combined, make it an excellent test of both a car and a driver’s all-round performance and ability, so there is no hiding place. W Series aims to propel its best drivers into the upper echelons of motorsport, and the fact that we are using the same pre-season testing venue as Formula 1 this year, is further proof of our determination to push them to succeed.”




Jamie Chadwick (W Series champion) said: “I am really excited to be returning to W Series to defend my title. To be asked to return by Jenner Racing was an opportunity I didn’t think twice about. Together, we are focused on doing all we can to win title number three.



I have spoken to Caitlyn Jenner and her vision for the team is amazing. I have zero doubt that she will be able to help take my career to the next level and open doors for me internationally.



“This is a big development year for me. I have plans to run a supporting racing program and I have made no secret of my desire to compete in F3 and F2. But timing is everything and the opportunity that W Series gives me to get more competitive experience at world-class circuits is a key step on my journey towards competing in F1. I would like to thank W Series for their continued support, and I am looking forward to kicking off season three in Miami.”

 

Jamie Chadwick of United Kingdom is returning to W Series and will represent theJenner Racing entry to defend her title and help mentor the new stars of the series





Barbara J.Burns, photos W Series