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W Series aims to provide role models and inspire next generation of female talent ALL PICS Esmee Hawkey is keen that W Series isn’t her sole focus this season JEP MAUGER MAUGER Alice Powell was one of six shortlisted drivers at the show SUTTON raced in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB in 2018 on the British Touring Car Championshipsupporting TOCA package, is keen to ensure that she still enjoys a full race programme outside of W Series should she make it through both stages of driver selection. Six of the 60 drivers who will take part in the first round of selection at Melk in Austria from January 24-28 were at the show: Hawkey, Alice Powell, Sarah Moore, Alexandra Marinescu, Megan Gilkes and Caitlin Wood. An important part of the W Series ethos is to get the names and faces of its participants outside of just the motorsport world, furthering its aim to reach the next generation of girls and young women by providing them with role models. The long-list of qualifiers is diverse within itself. At 17, Canadian Gilkes is one of the youngest drivers, while there are also two mothers hoping to line up at the first round in May at Hockenheim. The field of 60 will be halved after the first selection process, which features a range of aptitude tests devised by motorsport figureheads brought in by W Series: Alex Wurz, David Coulthard, Adrian Newey, ex-McLaren sporting director Dave Ryan and PR high-flyer and one-time F1 Racing editor-in-chief Matt Bishop. Wurz will employ the same testing criteria as used in his role as part of the FIA’s Young Driver Institute, with focus on road-car control and driving techniques, simulator exposure, and technical, fitness and media testing. The successful qualifiers will then have a secondary session at a circuit in southern Europe in the early spring, this time testing the Tatuus T-318 F3 cars for the first time to decide the final grid of 18. W Series will line up on the DTM support bill for six rounds in 2019, from Hockenheim in May through to Brands Hatch in August. This condensed calendar over just three months is another way in which W Series is keen to show that it’s not a destination series, according to Bond Muir, but rather a stepping stone for women aiming for top-tier motorsport. “I think this is a great starting point for creating female role models in motorsport,” says Hawkey. “They’re not creating a series just like Formula 1 solely for women – for me that would be segregation. F1 is the top level any driver wants to get to, so to create a top level just for women it would mean there is nothing to aim for.” Given the generational shift and the way in which the world is changing, there is every chance that the lack of female participation in top-level motorsport will organically solve itself in years to come. But considering how drastically skewed the gender balance on the world’s grids currently is, maybe it doesn’t hurt to try a bold first move – even one that has created a polarising minefield of opinions. n 40 AUTOSPORT.COM JANUARY 17 2019
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W SERIES AUTOSPORT SHOW Successful qualifiers will test Tatuus T-318 F3 car in early spring SUTTON Q&A DAVID COULTHARD WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO PUBLICLY BACK W SERIES? I had a younger sister, who is unfortunately no longer with us, but I believe she was more naturally talented at driving than I was. It just so happened that the opportunity and the weight of the family support went to me as I was six years older and I think there is a more obviously established route for a professional career for men than there has been for women. I love the world of motorsport and the people that are involved because I think it brings out the best in all of us. I want this to bring out the best of the women’s talent out there. WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR W SERIES TO BE CONSIDERED A SUCCESS? For me, it would be if we could create positive role models and take away this glass ceiling. That would bring more women into racing, creating more female racing drivers. It’s exactly what my sister could have been if she was alive and armed with the opportunities I have today. WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THE CRITICISM AIMED AT W SERIES? In terms of the backlash, there are always going to be people who disagree when you are doing something different to what they are doing or what they believe in. All of the people involved in W Series are having a real go at it and giving this our best shot. Someone needs to make the first step and we’re all putting our time and effort into this. The racing world will tell us in time whether they also share that vision. There will be six races in 2019 and we will have a champion. That champion will have a spotlight and a big cheque to then progress their career to the next level. JANUARY 17 2019 AUTOSPORT.COM 41

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W SERIES AUTOSPORT SHOW

Successful qualifiers will test Tatuus T-318 F3

car in early spring

SUTTON

Q&A DAVID COULTHARD

WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN TO PUBLICLY BACK W SERIES? I had a younger sister, who is unfortunately no longer with us, but I believe she was more naturally talented at driving than I was. It just so happened that the opportunity and the weight of the family support went to me as I was six years older and I think there is a more obviously established route for a professional career for men than there has been for women. I love the world of motorsport and the people that are involved because I think it brings out the best in all of us. I want this to bring out the best of the women’s talent out there.

WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR W SERIES TO BE CONSIDERED A SUCCESS? For me, it would be if we could create positive role models and take away this glass ceiling. That would bring more women into racing, creating more female racing drivers. It’s exactly what my sister could have been if she was alive and armed with the opportunities I have today.

WHAT’S YOUR RESPONSE TO THE CRITICISM AIMED AT W SERIES? In terms of the backlash, there are always going to be people who disagree when you are doing something different to what they are doing or what they believe in. All of the people involved in W Series are having a real go at it and giving this our best shot. Someone needs to make the first step and we’re all putting our time and effort into this. The racing world will tell us in time whether they also share that vision. There will be six races in 2019 and we will have a champion. That champion will have a spotlight and a big cheque to then progress their career to the next level.

JANUARY 17 2019 AUTOSPORT.COM 41

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