The W Series was a revolutionary step in preparing young women drivers to compete amongst male drivers in senior disciplines. It served its purpose with aplomb as prominent drivers like Jamie Chadwick and Jessica Hawkins landed lucrative deals. However, the all-female racing series came to an abrupt end in 2022 without completing its racing calendar.
One of its founding members, Matt Bishop, regrets seeing his brainchild go defunct in the way it did. Having moved on to Aston Martin in 2021, the Briton is clueless as to what led to the W Series’ demise.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Sportsrush, Bishop said, “So I was no longer a part of W Series, but it raced again after the COVID crisis in 2021, no longer with my involvement, of course. But then, yes, it did fail to thrive and I’m aware of that and it’s a regret of mine, but I have no knowledge as to why that was.”
Bishop spoke about the excitement in the media that led to W Series’ meteoric rise. While appreciating the coverage in the global media, he lauded the positive impact of Sky Sports’ broadcast in the UK.
Bishop recalls Sky Sports broadcasting the W Series live and free-to-air while “the mighty” Formula 1 was not free-to-air. Despite the starry beginning of the W Series, it came to a premature end.
How the financial struggles led to W Series’ demise?
The W Series began with healthy financial and institutional backing. Teams signed lucrative sponsorship deals and attracted talent from all over the world. All seemed to be going well in the first two years.
However, the third season was cut short with three remaining races getting canceled. While some experts blame a non-viable financial model for the series going into administration, others believe the lack of track time restricted the talent of the drivers, ultimately leading to its sad fate.
However, there are no doubts over the positive impact it had on promoting female talent in motorsports. Jamie Chadwick, the British sensation who won all three seasons, joined the male-dominated Indy NXT while also bagging a Williams contract.
Jessica Hawkins, another W Series alumna, landed an Aston Martin deal and is currently serving as their driver ambassador and head of racing for the F1 Academy. Meanwhile, Hawkins will also race in the 2024 British GT Championship for Beechdean Motorsport.
While the W Series may have ended prematurely, its successor, the F1 Academy, is carrying the baton forward. Unlike the W Series, Formula 1 funds the F1 Academy, thereby providing a much stronger backing.
Headed by former Williams development driver Susie Wolff, the F1 Academy completed its first season in 2023. The 2024 season is already underway and the season opener in Jeddah was a successful event. Gauging the success of the discipline, Wolff is confident of producing the first female F1 driver by the end of the decade.
