The W Series is a ground breaking all women single seater racing championship where 18 female drivers raced for free in 2019. Sadly the advanced programme in 2020 COVID-19 reasons but 2021 will no doubt resume where 2019 left off.
Finance matters massively because even start up karting requires a budget of £50,000 a year.
Which is why the W Series was developed for fast female racers and families who can’t afford these costs, knowing that the sponsorship money has always favoured men to date.
This approach is needed because, of the 27,500 people with a racing licence in the UK, around 26,000 of them are men. But unlike rugby or tennis, motor racing means women can compete equally with men in cars, as soon as they are given equal opportunities.
Fortunately, thanks to good men like David Coulthard who are attempting to rectify this situation, things are about to change forever on Formula One racing grids in future.
For every F1 driver (approximately 20 last season) Vicki Butler-Henderson can name 20 women who should and could have been there. In fact, if the W Series had been around in 1990 she is confident she could have been the first woman to win the Monaco Grand Prix.
And we have no doubt that there’d be many other females who, with a bit of luck, could have been there or thereabouts in this sport.
The W Series Racing Programme
During 2020 the W Series is organising a programme of virtual e-races which are great fun and reveal some new names and faces.
You can follow the 2020 W Series eSports programme here.
And catch up with the latest racing contenders and their progress in 2020 here.
