24 SPORTS
THE FOUNDER November 2021
The The Championship Making Promise of Motorsport Accessible to Scotland Women: What is the W Series? PETER GEDDES | CONTENT WRITER
CYANN FIELDING | LIFESTYLE EDITOR
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he W Series is an all-female racing championship in single-seater cars. With the first season in 2019, the championship consists of twenty drivers contesting in six races. Its aim is to provide equal opportunities for women and eliminate the financial barriers that have historically prevented women from progressing to the upper echelons in motor sport. Each driver in the W Series is selected purely on their ability and every car within the championship is mechanically identical, meaning that all races and the Series will be won by the most talented rather than the wealthiest, unlike other motorsport championship such as Formula One. The W Series believes that the more it shows that women can compete at the top level and become successful within the sport, the more girls will be inspired to go into karting, ultimately bringing more participants into the sport in the future. In 2021, the W Series made a further step forward by racing alongside Formula One at eight of Grand Prix weekends. Looking back through history, female role models in motor sport have been rare. With it being more than 45 years since a female driver last started a championship Formula One Grand Prix, the W Series offers the opportunity for women to get into motor sport in a more accessible way. The Series is also working to achieve the UN's gender equality 2030 deadline to ensure female empowerment within the sport. Unlike Formula One, the W Series race a car that is the same for every single driver: the Tatuus F3 T-318.
Like other motor sport championships, the series features women from around the globe with the title then awarded to the competitor with the highest number of points at the end of the series, from all qualifying round runs but excluding any points penalty points incurred. If more than one driver finishes the season with the same number of points, the highest place in the series shall be awarded to the driver with the highest number of race wins. However, if the number of race wins is also the same, the championship title is awarded according to the number of second place finishes, third place finishes, and so on. Points are awarded to the top ten positions in each race with first place securing twenty-five points, second place - eighteen points and third place - fifteen points. Again, like other motor sporting championships, the W Series travels the world, but with fewer races than the likes of Formula One, Formula Two, and Formula Three.
Despite the championship coming across as progressive for women within motorsport, the W Series has also faced its fair share of criticism, with opponents claiming that the category segregates female drivers rather than promoting their inclusion in other championships.
However, the Series today has proved to be a great success, helping to inspire thousands of young girls into motor sport - whether that be driving, engineering, or the media side of the sport. And having been dominated by Briton Jamie Chadwick since 2019, the sport offers a great example to the female British public that motor sport is not male-exclusive. Instead, the W Series illuminates opportunities for women fairly, setting an example for all other motorsport championships.
The sport is also becoming successfully broadcast and is now available on Channel 4 in the UK. The show is presented by longtime F1 journalist Lee McKenzie, who shares his duties with Anna Woolhousem, and he was also joined by Naomi Schiff as a studio analyst in 2019. The Series is also live streamed on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter in countries without the Series’ television rights.
Source: Wikimedia
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fter a somewhat frustrating European Championship, there was a concern among some Scotland fans and commentators that a draw against England and two disappointing losses against the Czech Republic and Croatia might be as good as it gets for this Scotland team. It was such a satisfying achievement to get to the tournament in the first place that the experience of actually playing in it understandably left some cold by contrast. This posttournament hangover has continued into the World Cup qualifying campaign with a loss to Denmark and an ugly win against Moldova seemingly risking a return to the disappointments of old. However, the collective strength the squad has shown to go on and beat Austria and Israel - in admittedly fraught fashion - has been heartening and displays a determination to build on the success of the Euros qualification. In light of those recent results, I want to take a look at the current squad and what Steve Clarke has been able to achieve.
