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After a thrilling start to the W Series season, the all female single-seater championship returns this weekend in support of Formula One at the British Grand Prix, held at Silverstone.
Just four points separates the top three drivers in the standings, as British trio Jamie Chadwick, Sarah Moore and Alice Powell top the leader board after just two rounds. Jamie, who races for the Veloce team and is the W Series defending champion, finished 6th in the first round in Austria and took the victory just a week later while Sarah took 2nd and 4th respectively for the Scuderia W team. Alice took the first race victory of the season but finished 8th in the second round for the Racing X team.
As well as an all British top three, there will be six British drivers on the starting grid at Silverstone, with current contenders Jessica Hawkins and Abbie Eaton who currently sit 11th and 18th in the standings. Rookie and current British Formula 4 contender Abbi Pulling will also be joining them this weekend, having been mentored by fellow Brit Alice Powell. After being invited to take part in the pre-season testing in Anglesey, the 18-year old will join Spanish driver Marta Garcia at the Puma W Series Team this weekend.
Image Credit: W Series
The anticipation around the home grand prix for the six British drivers has been building, and the fact that many of them know their way around this iconic track, this weekend should be full of excitement and action. The points at the top of the standings looks very tight, with Russian sensation Irina Sidorkova just seven points behind in 4th after her second place finish in round two. It really could all change at the top of the table with 24-year old Jamie Chadwick holding on to the championship lead by just three points. Fellow Brit Sarah Moore will be doing everything she can to take the top spot, but with Alice Powell just a point behind, she will need to be looking over her shoulder too.
“It’s going to be an incredible weekend” explains Sarah, speaking to W Series. “It’s one thing racing at Silverstone, the home of British motorsport, but to get the opportunity to race on the biggest weekend of the year in support of the British Grand Prix will be something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life. I’ve raced at Silverstone a few times before and have done quite well there, so I’m hoping I can repeat that this weekend. I don’t like the slower, stop-start circuits, so the flowing, rhythmical nature of Silverstone suits me. However, it is also very technical in places and if you get it wrong it can cost you a lot of lap time,”
“This will be the biggest race of my career so far” she continued. “To come away from the first two rounds of the season in Austria and be second in the championship means there is more pressure on me now, and that will go up another notch in front of my home crowd. But my approach will be the same – I went to Austria with a cool head which helped me stay relaxed before the races and I’ll need that at Silverstone as it will be such a big occasion. Mentally and physically I’m in a much better place than I was in 2019 and I hope that pays off again this week and gives me another good result to keep me in the hunt.”
The third round gets underway this Friday 16th July for the practice session at 11am BST, followed by qualifying at 4.05pm BST. The 30 minute race plus one lap will start on Saturday 17th July at 1.25pm BST. If you are UK based, you can watch all the action live on Channel 4. Head to the W Series website to find out where to watch where you are.
Headline Image: W Series