Chadwick set to move up from W
Series with Formula Three regional seat
Send a link to a friend
[June 16, 2020]
By Alan Baldwin
LONDON (Reuters) - Jamie Chadwick, the
first champion of the all-female W Series, may not be back to defend
her title next year after securing a coveted seat in the Regional
European Formula Three championship.
The 22-year-old Briton announced on Tuesday she is moving up the
motorsport ladder and taking on the men by joining top Italy-based
team Prema.
Her team mates will include Arthur Leclerc, younger brother of
Ferrari F1 driver Charles who also raced for Prema on his way up.
The team's current F2 roster includes Michael Schumacher's son Mick.
The W Series season has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
but Chadwick has turned disappointment into opportunity thanks to
backing from Australian entrepreneur David Dicker, wealthy owner of
New Zealand-based Rodin cars.
"The stars all started to align," she told Reuters by phone from
Italy, where she is testing and will remain for as long as Britain
has quarantine in place for returning travellers.
"Within only a few days we got the backing from Rodin, the W Series
got cancelled and the seat came available with Prema. It was a
little bit all too good timing."
Another W Series title would have handed Chadwick 15 points towards
the mandatory Formula One superlicence but the FIA-backed Regional
series offers 25 to the winner.
Chadwick, whose goal is to become the first female Formula One
driver since Italian Lella Lombardi in 1976, already has 10 towards
the 40 needed after finishing fourth in the Asian F3 championship.
"This gives me a new chance at this year," she said. "A team like
Prema, it’s an amazing opportunity.
[to top of second column] |
Jamie Chadwick of Great Britain celebrates winning the W Series
championship. REUTERS/Matthew Childs
"I have to credit W Series because none of this would have been
possible without them. I wouldn’t have got to this level in my
career and get noticed by somebody like Rodin cars without the W
Series. I’m so grateful for the leg up they’ve given me."
Rodin make single-seater cars capable of Formula One levels of
performance.
Chadwick indicated that if all went well, returning to W Series in
2021 would likely cease to be an option.
"Realistically the aim would be look at FIA F3 for next year, off
the back of a successful year hopefully," she said.
"The ultimate goal at the beginning of this year was a bit different
to what it is now, but I think given the circumstances we’ve come
out of the situation quite strong."
The W Series is running an esports league to keep its drivers busy
in the absence of real racing and Chadwick indicated her career move
explained her unimpressive recent online performances.
"I didn’t practice quite as much as I needed to. I was in the middle
of brokering this deal and there was a lot going on and my focus
wasn’t 100% on the esports championship," she said.
"But I did put quite a bit of time in. It was really competitive and
caught me out."
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
[© 2020 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2020 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.
|