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“An end to Chadwick’s dream of making it to Formula 1?”: Jamie Chadwick cites funding problems as the reason behind her return to W-Series despite winning the Championship twice

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"An end to Chadwick's dream of making it to Formula 1?": Jamie Chadwick cites funding problems as the reason behind her return to W-Series despite winning the Championship twice

Jamie Chadwick was looking forward to making a step up to F3 or F2 in 2022, but will instead return to the W-Series with Jenner Racing.

Chadwick is a two-time champion in W-Series. After her recent Title victory in 2021, she made it clear that she has no intention of returning to the series.

She praised the division for providing female drivers with a platform to showcase their talent, but wanted to move on to bigger things. Above all, since she won the Title twice already, she had nothing more to achieve there.

Chadwick, who is a development driver for Williams, has the ultimate dream of making it to Formula 1 someday. However, the fact that she is being forced to return to W-Series yet again, may act as a roadblock for her.

Caitlyn Jenner’s newly formed team Jenner Racing, will be a new addition to W-Series this year. Last week, it was announced that the 2019 and 2022 Champion Chadwick, would race for this newly formed outfit.

After Chadwick’s move to Jenner Racing was confirmed, a lot of fans took to social media to show their disappointment at the fact that a driver as talented as her was stuck in W-Series yet again.

Also read: F1 testing 2022 results- How was Mercedes’ pre-season F1 testing in Barcelona?

Jamie Chadwick is looking beyond Formula 1 to kickstart her racing career after W-Series

In a video posted by the Brit on Thursday, she shared her thoughts on the matter. “Trust me, I hear it,” she said. “I also wanted to make that step and I made no secret of that when I won the championship last year.”

“To be completely honest, in the short space of time that we had, we weren’t able to secure the funding that we needed. Of course, it means that I’m coming back to W Series. But I don’t see that as a backward step.”

“I think it’s still another opportunity to be racing. To be trying to raise the budget. And the funding to then go to the next step, which I still believe is possible.”

Also read: Max Verstappen becomes the latest F1 driver to speak out against racing in Russia after Sebastian Vettel

“And even if not in Europe, in America. I think there’s so many opportunities still. So I’m so very grateful for W Series. Honestly, I wouldn’t be racing in the first place without them.”

“So the fact we can even have this discussion about me going to F3 or F2 is something two to three years ago I wouldn’t have had.”

“Obviously this year it’s not going to be F3 or F2. But maybe next year it will. So yeah, keep supporting and fingers crossed we can bring that third title back,” she concluded.

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Formula 1 Editor Somin Bhattacharjee fell for the sport as well as Fernando Alonso on the same day — during the Spaniard’s thrilling victory at the German GP in 2010. Over the years, the passion magnified manyfold, and metamorphosed into a writing career in 2021. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. He has penned over 2,700 articles for TheSportsRush, presenting a diverse range — news reports, opinions, and exclusives. A true Tiffosi, Somin never gives up on a chance to defend the Ferrari boys as a fan. As a sports writer though, he remains objective to the core and relishes opportunities to follow and engage in dissecting the action during races. That’s where the real thrill lies for him. Beyond the racetrack, Somin plays different sports including soccer. He enjoys exploring other sporting events and proudly supports Spanish soccer club Real Madrid.

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