Female Drivers Only W Series Racing Qualifier List Released

AutoInformed.com on Female W Series

Tatuus F3 T-318 is fully homologated to the latest FIA F3 2018 specification.

W Series, the all-female championship set to go racing in 2019, has announced a list of 55 drivers who will compete for a place on a grid of 18 when the season kicks off in May next year.

The qualifying drivers have been selected from a pool of more than 100 applicants from 30 countries around the world, including the USA, China and India as well as the UK, Italy, Germany and Scandinavia. (AutoInformed: World’s First Female Formula 1 World Champion?)

“We are thrilled, but perhaps not surprised by the response,” said Catherine Bond Muir, CEO of W Series. “Even today there is a massive gender imbalance in motorsport and W Series is making the first step to correct that. Drivers from all over the world have stepped forward, so it’s clear that with the right framework we can make the changes this sport desperately needs.”

The W Series is a free-to-enter competition has a total prize fund of $1,500,000, with the overall series winner taking $500,000. W Series will also fund travel and subsistence costs, which in theory opens the competition to drivers from all economic backgrounds across the world.

The expectant drivers will now have just two months to prepare for the next step in the selection process – a three-day on-and-off-track trial including fitness tests and psychometric profiling, as well as multiple driving skill tests. Former F1 stars David Coulthard and Alex Wurz will be among the judges, alongside Dave Ryan, W Series Racing Director.

The last woman to start a Formula 1 Grand Prix was Lella Lombardi more than 40 years ago in the 1974 British Grand Prix. The Italian female racing driver followed Maria Teresa de Filippis in 1958. There has never been a female Formula 1 Grand Prix race winner, but Lombardi scored points. She drove both Brabham and March versions of Ford Cosworth powered cars.

Gimmicky or not – and this could work at least as a business – racing remains one of the last sports dominated by men, not only behind the wheel but everywhere you look: in the pit-lane, garage, workshop, laboratory, and on mike. The combination of competitive cross-discipline drivers, fast, identical cars and Grand Prix circuits – to be announced – might provide interesting racing for fans everywhere. A TV contract – vital – so far is lacking.

W Series aims not only to promote female drivers but also to encourage “girls and women” into engineering and science careers and to promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects in schools, colleges and universities.

 

Full qualifier list

  1. Ayla Agren, 25, Norway
  2. Amna Al Qubaisi,18, UAE
  3. Chelsea Angelo, 22, Australia
  4. Carmen Boix, 23, Spain
  5. Sarah Bovy, 29, Belgium
  6. Toni Breidinger, 19, USA
  7. Ivana Cetinich, 22, South Africa
  8. Jamie Chadwick, 20, UK
  9. Veronika Cicha, 31, Czech Republic
  10. Sabre Cook, 24, USA
  11. Courtney Crone, 17, USA
  12. Natalie Decker, 21, USA
  13. Mira Erda, 18, India
  14. Carlotta Fedeli, 26, Italy
  15. Cassie Gannis, 27, USA
  16. Marta Garcia, 18, Spain
  17. Michelle Gatting, 24, Denmark
  18. Angelique Germann, 27 Germany
  19. Megan Gilkes, 17, Canada
  20. Samin Gomez, 26, Venezuela
  21. Grace Gui, 27, China
  22. Michelle Halder, 19, Germany
  23. Esmee Hawkey, 20, UK
  24. Jessica Hawkins, 23, UK
  25. Shea Holbrook, 28, USA
  26. Carmen Jorda, 30, Spain
  27. Vivien Keszthelyi, 17, Hungary
  28. Emma Kimilainen, 29, Finland
  29. Natalia Kowalska, 28, Poland
  30. Stephane Kox, 24, Netherland
  31. Miki Koyama, 21, Japan
  32. Fabienne Lanz, 32, South Africa
  33. Milla Mäkelä, 25, Finland
  34. Alexandra Marinescu, 18, Romania
  35. Milou Mets, 28, Netherlands
  36. Sheena Monk, 29, USA
  37. Sarah Moore, 25, UK
  38. Marylin Niederhauser, 22, Germany
  39. Tasmin Pepper, 28, South Africa
  40. Vicky Piria, 24, Italy
  41. Taegen Poles, 20, Canada
  42. Alice Powell, 25, UK
  43. Charlotte Poynting, 20, Australia
  44. Naomi Schiff, 24, Belgium
  45. Carrie Schriener, 20, Germany
  46. Sharon Scolari, 23, Switzerland
  47. Doreen Seidel, 33, Germany
  48. Siti Shahkirah, 24, Malaysia
  49. Sneha Sharma, 28, India
  50. Bruna Tomasell, 21, Brazil
  51. Shirley Van Der Lof, 31, Netherlands
  52. Beitske Visser, 23, Netherlands
  53. Fabienne Wohlwend, 21, Lichenstein
  54. Caitlin Wood, 21, Australia
  55. Hanna Zellers, 21, USA

Further details of all qualifying drivers are available on www.wseries.com.

  • Car:
    Tatuus F3 T-318
    Fully homologated to the latest FIA F3 2018 specification
  • Engine:
    4-cylinder turbocharged 270hp engine tuned by Autotecnica Motori
  • Gearbox:
    Sadev SL-R 82 six speed gearbox with LSD and Magneti Marelli, paddle shift gear change
  • Electronics:
    ECU and data acquisition by Magneti Marelli
  • Suspension:
    Front: double wishbone with pushrods
    Rear: double wishbone with pushrods
  • Dampers:
    Koni two way adjustable
  • Brakes:
    Brembo
  • Wheels:
    Front: OZ Aluminum 10″ x 13″
    Rear: OZ Aluminum 12″ x 13″

 

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