I for one have no issues in admitting that I was sceptical about W Series when it was publicly launched on 10th October 2018. A female-only single-seater championship, whilst providing these racers with a platform with which to showcase their talents without having to pay extortionate entry fees that are usually beyond the reach of drivers without vast levels of sponsorship or billionaire parents, would surely only serve to segregate them from the male-dominated championships and as such prove counter-productive to the ultimate aim – to see a female racing driver competing in a Formula One grand Prix for the first time in over 40 years.
A little over 10 months later however, and that initial scepticism is a distant memory. W Series has captured the imagination of the motorsport world, and in last weekend’s season finale at Brands Hatch there was arguably more interest in the all-female series than in the headlining DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters) championship. Of course, most people know by now that 21-year-old Brit Jamie Chadwick took the inaugural W Series title by 10 points from the Netherlands’ Beitske Visser – Chadwick’s success making national news in the UK and beyond.
However, whilst the on-track action has been exceptional, it is actually off-track that, in my opinion, W Series has really been a success. From the moment I set eyes on the entire W Series setup in the outer paddock at Brands Hatch on Sunday morning, it was clear that there was something different about this series. Everything was open; everything was accessible. The iconic W HQ building, the tents housing the Tatuus T-318 cars, and even the W Series Village for the VIPs and guests. Whilst you couldn’t actually enter the Village without a pass, the barriers were only slightly higher than waist height, allowing the average Joe to soak up the party atmosphere to almost the same extent.
It isn’t just the accessible VIP atmosphere that sets W Series aside from most other Europe-based championships. The open paddock, the accessible teams, drivers and cars, broadcasters filming their coverage in and around the fans – all of these are aspects of a complete motorsport experience that are all too rare in these days of exclusivity and sanitisation.
The paddock was accessible to the general public for the entire day, from the moment the main gates opened at 7am right up until 7pm and no doubt even later. The pre-race assembly area, although understandably cordoned off partially from the public, was still accessible and there was a buzz pre-race that isn’t often seen from a race series still in it’s infancy, as the drivers prepared to take to the circuit.
The scenes were no different post-race. Whilst the podium finishers and the new champion received accolades in the pit lane, as soon as the low rumble of the turbocharged 1.8-litre Alfa Romeo engines deserted the circuit the crowds immediately started to gather once again in the assembly area to welcome back the rest of the field. As the drivers clambered from their machinery and began comparing fortunes with each other, the raw emotion of motorsport was apparent to an extent that I don’t ever recall seeing live at a racetrack before.
This was no more apparent than in the case of 24-year-old Jessica Hawkins from Hampshire. One feature of W Series is that the top 12 drivers from this season get automatic qualification into the 2020 season. Hawkins went into the race in 14th place in the championship standings on six points, knowing that she had to make up at at least four points on 12th-placed Gosia Rdest of Poland and 13th-placed Caitlin Wood of Australia.
Upon her return to the paddock, Hawkins seemed somewhat unsure of whether she had done enough for that coveted 12th place in the standings. But with Wood finishing 11th and Rdest 13th, both outside the points-paying positions, her 7th place was indeed enough, securing 11th place in the standings just ahead of Sabré Cook of the United States, both drivers finishing the season on 12 points. It wasn’t for a few moments that Hawkins was made aware of this though but when she was, the emotion flooded out in a way that I’ve never seen at a racetrack before. Pure, unadulterated emotion, in the company of friends and family. And that is what motorsport is all about. Emotion, elation and memories that will live with you forever.
This is what I’ve taken away most from my W Series experience. No over-complicated machinery, no gadgets. Just talented, passionate, ambitious racers in equal machinery. It’s the way motorsport should be. Don’t get me wrong, there is a place for the Formula 1s of this world and their highly advanced technologies. But nothing beats raw, back-to-basics racing. It’s what gets the fans excited and sets the pulse of a motorsport nut racing. There’s nothing quite like it.
Other championships could learn a lot from W Series. Long may it continue…
RaceRamblings 