W Series, the new-for-2019 single-seater motor racing series for female drivers only, today announces full details of the 2019 prize money roster and some important initial details of the 2020 season.
Four drivers are in contention for the US$500,000 top prize: Jamie Chadwick, Beitske Visser, Marta Garcia and Fabienne Wohlwend. The total prize fund for 2019 is US$1.5 million, to be distributed as follows:
1st place: US$500,000
2nd place: US$250,000
3rd place: US$125,000
4th place: US$100,000
5th place: US$90,000
6th place: US$80,000
7th place: US$70,000
8th place: US$60,000
9th place: US$50,000
10th place: US$40,000
11th place: US$30,000
12th place: US$25,000
13th place: US$20,000
14th place: US$15,000
15th, 16th, 17th and 18th places: US$7500
Reserves: US$7500
The drivers who finish in the first 12 places in the final 2019 W Series points standings will automatically be invited to enter the 2020 W Series. Drivers who finish below the first 12 places will be permitted to apply to enter the driver selection programme for the 2020 W Series. The details, timings and location(s) of that driver selection programme are yet to be finalised. Drivers who have not taken part in this year’s W Series may apply to enter the driver selection programme for next year’s W Series, as long as they (a) are female and (b) possess an FIA International C licence (or better).
The 2020 W Series will be eligible for FIA Superlicence points. The FIA is currently determining the number of points that will be awarded, and the number of drivers who will receive them.
“Building on the ongoing success of W Series this year, next year’s W Series will be open to the top 12 points-scoring drivers in the final 2019 W Series points table, and we’re already receiving plenty of expressions of interest from other drivers who haven’t taken part in W Series so far. The competition for the opportunity to race in 2020 W Series alongside the 2019 top 12 will be fierce but that’s what W Series is all about: a highly competitive race series in which the best female racing drivers in the world race one another in state-of-the-art Tatuus T-318 Formula 3 cars, on iconic racetracks, and thereby gain crucial on-track experience which will enable them to progress their careers on and up to more senior single-seater formulae, where they can race – and beat – their male rivals. And from 2020 onwards they’ll be earning Superlicence points as they do so,” said Catherine Bond Muir W Series CEO.
The second last round of the 2019 W Series season is being held this weekend at Assen in The Netherlands. Local hero Beitske Visser, who is second in the W Series standings, will relish the opportunity of two bites at glory at her home race weekend. There will be the traditional championship race on the Saturday but, for the first time, there will a non-championship race the next day. There will be no points on offer, but the reverse-grid format should serve up yet another exciting race. Expect championship leader Jamie Chadwick, Visser and Norisring winner Marta Garcia to be the frontrunners on Saturday, but Sunday is impossible to predict and a chance to shine for the entire W Series grid.
Photographs by W Series.