WSeries

I think it's impolitic to respond......

 

In Colorado the race is on normal network TV- Channel 7 here which is ABC - Qualifying is on ESPN.

Cheers

 

This series belongs in the "Other Race" forum.....not in the F1 forum section.

 

Three stalls on the race start, including pole-sitter (Marti) and very quick driver (Powell) in P3

 

is W inclusive ? Are men allowed if they're good enough ?

 

It's only for women, but what if they transition?

(actual serious question)

 

Good question.
Best to ask Ham

 

I couldn’t find anything specific in the regs that are available easily online. It’s possible they don’t currently have a specific policy, and will “deal” with it when it comes up. Other sporting organizations have run into the issue recently and needed to enact policy reactively.

I would hope a new org like W would have policy already specified, and maybe they do in detailed regs that are not easily accessible to the lazy public (like me).

 

HA ^^^^ !!!!

 

Duct tape and zip ties are easier to hide in a racing suit then a swim suit

 

Cmon guys- SOMEONE has to hit the irony softball pitches of "pole-sitter" and "pole position" in an all-female series

 

I hate this series.
Was this a Bernie or Liberty idea?

Girls in general are not into motor racing, you will have exceptions of course but at the end it will be a male dominated sport.

Michel Mouton didn't need any help to race in the top tier of motor racing.

 

I think it's well intended but it's pretty pointless.

So far Jamie chadwick has won both championships and is leading the current one, having won both races. There is no graduation elsewhere it seems, despite that with the winnings she could participate in F3 and see how she compares to male drivers.

W series is supposed to give women a platform to really launch their racing career. Funding as a woman can be a bit tougher so I understand the reason behind it...but if the funding isn't buying them a step up the ladder to see how they compare to men, it's pretty pointless isn't it?

If they want to actually help promote women make a step further into racing and be taken serious, they should have a springboard into proper racing series after winning Formula W. Perhaps something like have the current champion team in GP3 (in this case, Trident) be allowed an extra car and call it the Trident-W. This car won't be allowed to score constructors points (that would be unfair, as they would have an extra car in the team over the rest) but any points the female driver scores will count towards the drivers championship. Then we'll see what a female driver can do in a championship winning team.

Furthermore if that plan would be implemented, someone winning the Formula W title would be prohibited to defend her title the following year, meaning she'll have to move to the bigger ranks of motorsport.

 

Then they can try to fund them in the early karting years, from there they can progress until they reach the top tiers of motorsport, a woman only series I think won't accomplish anything for them, they need to compete with the best.
And why will woman have less sponsor, seems like a good business to sponsor them, I remember when Danica started at Indy 500 everybody was cheering for her.

 

Just fewer people willing to back women from karting onwards (karting at top level is insanely expensive, so I do get the hesitation at sponsors unwilling to sponsor a girl in an insanely competitive environment. For that, W series is good, but it offers little alternative or even incentive to move on after winning a title.

 

Liberty is the supporter here, and Coulthard is pulling strings behind the scenes.

 

There are quite a few women out there with drives in different categories with big sponsors behind them, I disagree they have troubles finding sponsors. Having a woman return to F1 would be Croft loving Lewis x 100000.

W Series titles count towards FIA Super Licence, Chadwick has 25 points enough to test an F1 car on a Friday practice. No incentive for her to find a seat in F3 (or front the $1.2m needed to compete) when she is given rockstar "2x champion" status and follows the F1 circus around.

She is contracted with Williams at the moment, would they actually give her seat time on a Friday probably not.

 

I have more than my fair share of issues with the W series thinking that it is little more than PC pandering. Where should I start:

- Jamie Chadwick is a fine young racer and person and is perhaps one of the highest profile lady racing drivers in the world. She has ties to Williams, has been a 2x champion in W Series, and has prize money topping $1million yet she can't get a seat in GP3 let alone GP2 which is significantly more money. This has NOTHING to do with her gender! Female drivers have a BIG advantage over men when it comes to attracting funding. I have seen lots of competent (but not brilliant) female drivers get tons of rides and opportunities that much more accomplished male drivers never did. Danica Patrick is a classic example. Good but by no means good enough to warrant the hype given her results.

- Making a series that only allows women is as sexist as it comes. Last time I checked there is not a single race series anywhere that does not allow women to participate or that treats them any differently to men. Racing has always been one of the most gender neutral sporting arena's ever and to say that a special series is required to deal with inequalities is a joke. Good luck setting up a M series that only allows dudes. You would be roasted! Sorry gals can't have it both ways.

On the subject of trans genders or any other modern PC correct term for lady boys etc, for those that don't know Jamie Chadwick races for 'Jenner Racing' who is headed by the former Bruce Jenner who was actually a pretty good IMSA racer back in the 80's. I don't think a parts swap is in any way an advantage or disadvantage as it is in more strength driven activities. In addition no other race series I know of cares where your pieces are.

 

There were quite a lot of women in rallying years ago when it was more affordable. Most daily drivers could be used to begin with.

Now, rallies have become "road sprints" and need specialy homologated cars with the minimum price above $100K.

That has decimated the ranks of amateurs and restricted the field, inevitably affecting the women too.

Most women who made a name in rallying benefited from familial support, like Michele Mouton, but also Pat Moss, Evy Rosqvist, MC Beaumont, and others.

Also in the 60s and 70s, each factory team in international rallies entered at least one female crew to compete for the "Coupe des Dames" for publicity reasons. This has disappeared.

 

It's a step in the right direction even if said step doesn't lead anywhere specific. At least they are not called "powder puff" races like they were years ago!

 

Regarding female racing drivers I'd like to share an observation here that I have seen proven time and again by the few top level road racing female drivers I have seen. I have no basis in fact for why this is but I have also heard this observation echoed by other very well respected people in racing who generally keep this to themselves for fear of being branded as sexist or whatever other nonsense the PC of the world will be triggered by. Anyways this is what I have seen:

Female drivers have historically really succeeded in motorsports disciplines where there is no wheel to wheel combat. Namely in drag racing and rally racing female drivers have some absolute world class results. I don't know why this is but for some reason in pack racing where there is more gamesmanship and strategy done quick and on the fly, female drivers are generally more easily shuffled back rather than lead the charge. If they get out in front by themselves they can set blistering laps and gap the field but it is in those moments of battle that I have consistently seen the boys be able to eek out more performance. Female drivers also tend to do well in endurance racing where it is necessary to just be consistent and stay out of trouble. Still I can't quite figure out why I see the girls so easily shuffled by the boys.

 

Maybe women are naturally less aggressive towards their peers than the men? One can appreciate motor racing without the risk of contact.
Personally, I found early that I had no taste for wheel to wheel combat, so limited my activities to rallying and hillclimbing.
There is nothing like having the road to yourself !!!

 

The reason why Chadwick isn't in F3 this year is financial. She has enough prize money from W series to get in F3, but not to a top team. So since she couldn't get car advantage, she just decided to stay in W series to rack up more money, most likely for her retirement years.

Smart choice on her part, cause let's be real here, she is simply not good enough, nowhere near. She has already tried F3 cars in the past absolutely bombing with Prema in the European regional championship. She is also already 23, the fact that Williams keeps her on their lists is just for the publicity; closest she'll get to an F1 car is watching it from tv at home.

 

Females getting tons of rides-------------how apropos.