Week Eight: Visser in control after Garcia mistakes
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images
Beitske Visser could clinch the W Series title this weekImage caption: Beitske Visser could clinch the W Series title this week
W Series leader Beitske Visser produced a typically consistent
three races – and her best points haul since Week Four – to move to within
touching distance of the overall title at the virtual Mount Panorama Circuit in
Australia. Visser scored 50 points to extend her lead over Marta Garcia by six
points to 57 with six races to go.
The Dutch ace set pole but had to take second place to Marta
Garcia in race one, but then came from back row to fifth in the second race as
Garcia struggled with wing damage and Irina Sidorkova again proved herself the
queen of the reverse-grid format.
Visser’s fastest lap in both races, along with a win in the
third race as a Garcia error dropped the Spaniard to 10th, recovering to only
manage fourth behind Tasmin Pepper, leaves her just 70 points off clinching the
title, although further wins or better finishes than Garcia could crown her as
champion in Round Nine.
Sidorkova managed just 29 points and could now come under
pressure for third place in the standings from the rapidly-improving Nerea
Marti, who trails her by just 36 points after taking fourth place from Caitlin
Wood with a 45-point haul at Bathurst.
“The Nordschleife is the one I’ve been most looking forward
to,” said Visser. “It’s a very different track because it’s so long, so I’ll
need lots of time on the sim to get up to speed there.”
“Catching Beitske at the top like it will be very difficult
now, almost impossible,” said Garcia. “But I will keep trying my best to do
that over the last two rounds and I’ll be practising hard on the sim next week
so that I’m well prepared.”
Watch highlights from round eight
Video content
Video caption: W Series Esports League round eight highlights: Garcia makes blunderW Series Esports League round eight highlights: Garcia makes blunder
Standings after round eight
BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport
Charlie Martin ready for Nurburgring
Britain’s Charlie Martin is the latest driver to join the W
Series and although she has been competing this season on the track at this
week’s venue, the Nurburgring Nordschleife, doing so as a sim racer will not be
as familiar as some of her recent sim racing history has involved borrowing
someone else’s PC.
“I’ve come to [sim racing] as somebody who didn’t have a sim
this time last year,” she says. “The biggest challenge is not having the
visceral, physical inputs that you get with a car in the real world.”
Luckily electric series Formula E loaned her a sim rig,
meaning she could practise regularly
once lockdown started, although since June she has been concentrating on
the Nurburgring Endurance Series – “I can drive it in my head with my eyes
closed” – so this would be the track to make her W Series debut on. In fact,
she drove the Nordschleife on a test day when current series leader Beitske
Visser was also in attendance.
Martin, 38, is transgender and an ambassador for Racing
Pride. She says she gets very little criticism for her position but still feels
it is important. “Historically, motorsport has very little diversity,” she
said. “W Series is encouraging more women and girls to get into motorsport, but
until recently there had been nothing.”
What is the W Series Esports League and how does it work?
W SeriesCopyright: W Series
With the 2020 W Series
postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the W Series Esports League has
been launched to fill the void until an expanded 2021 on-track calendar is
started.
The Esports League is
a 10-round series, taking place every Thursday from 11 June. Similarly to the
on-track version it is women-only racing but this time via simulation.
All 18 drivers that
qualified for the on-track W Series are expected to take part alongside some
previous W Series drivers.
How will it work?
Each round will
feature three races:
Race 1: 15 mins
Race 2 (reverse grid): 15 mins
Race 3: 20 mins
The starting grid for
the reverse-grid race will be determined by the finishing positions from race
one. To promote close, fair competition and an authentic ‘League’ feel, points
for each race will be awarded as follows:
Race 1: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th) &
one point for fastest lap
Race 2: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th) &
one point for fastest lap
Race 3: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th)
& one point for fastest lap
At the end of the W
Series Esports League season, the driver who has scored the most points will be
declared the winner of the W Series Esports League.
Who is competing in the W Series Esports League?
Great Britain's Jamie Chadwick, who won the 2019 W Series
Championship, was among the 18 drivers taking part, that were due to race in
the on-track 2020 Championships, but 22-year-old has since dropped out after
she secured a seat in the Regional Formula 3 Championship.
The remaining 17 drivers will be joined by some specially
invited guests to form a larger field with drivers from across the world taking
part in the 10-round series.
Great Britain are now represented by Alice Powell (third in the
2019 standings) Sarah Moore (eighth in 2019), Jessica Hawkins (11th in 2019)
and Abbie Eaton.
Live Reporting
All times stated are UK
Getty ImagesCopyright: Getty Images Beitske Visser could clinch the W Series title this weekImage caption: Beitske Visser could clinch the W Series title this week Video caption: W Series Esports League round eight highlights: Garcia makes blunderW Series Esports League round eight highlights: Garcia makes blunder 
BBC SportCopyright: BBC Sport 
W SeriesCopyright: W Series - Race 1: 15 mins
- Race 2 (reverse grid): 15 mins
- Race 3: 20 mins
- Race 1: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th) &
one point for fastest lap
- Race 2: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th) &
one point for fastest lap
- Race 3: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st – 15th)
& one point for fastest lap
W SeriesCopyright: W Series 
W SeriesCopyright: W Series
Latest PostWeek Eight: Visser in control after Garcia mistakes
W Series leader Beitske Visser produced a typically consistent three races – and her best points haul since Week Four – to move to within touching distance of the overall title at the virtual Mount Panorama Circuit in Australia. Visser scored 50 points to extend her lead over Marta Garcia by six points to 57 with six races to go.
The Dutch ace set pole but had to take second place to Marta Garcia in race one, but then came from back row to fifth in the second race as Garcia struggled with wing damage and Irina Sidorkova again proved herself the queen of the reverse-grid format.
Visser’s fastest lap in both races, along with a win in the third race as a Garcia error dropped the Spaniard to 10th, recovering to only manage fourth behind Tasmin Pepper, leaves her just 70 points off clinching the title, although further wins or better finishes than Garcia could crown her as champion in Round Nine.
Sidorkova managed just 29 points and could now come under pressure for third place in the standings from the rapidly-improving Nerea Marti, who trails her by just 36 points after taking fourth place from Caitlin Wood with a 45-point haul at Bathurst.
“The Nordschleife is the one I’ve been most looking forward to,” said Visser. “It’s a very different track because it’s so long, so I’ll need lots of time on the sim to get up to speed there.”
“Catching Beitske at the top like it will be very difficult now, almost impossible,” said Garcia. “But I will keep trying my best to do that over the last two rounds and I’ll be practising hard on the sim next week so that I’m well prepared.”
Watch highlights from round eight
Video content
Standings after round eight
Charlie Martin ready for Nurburgring
Britain’s Charlie Martin is the latest driver to join the W Series and although she has been competing this season on the track at this week’s venue, the Nurburgring Nordschleife, doing so as a sim racer will not be as familiar as some of her recent sim racing history has involved borrowing someone else’s PC.
“I’ve come to [sim racing] as somebody who didn’t have a sim this time last year,” she says. “The biggest challenge is not having the visceral, physical inputs that you get with a car in the real world.”
Luckily electric series Formula E loaned her a sim rig, meaning she could practise regularly once lockdown started, although since June she has been concentrating on the Nurburgring Endurance Series – “I can drive it in my head with my eyes closed” – so this would be the track to make her W Series debut on. In fact, she drove the Nordschleife on a test day when current series leader Beitske Visser was also in attendance.
Martin, 38, is transgender and an ambassador for Racing Pride. She says she gets very little criticism for her position but still feels it is important. “Historically, motorsport has very little diversity,” she said. “W Series is encouraging more women and girls to get into motorsport, but until recently there had been nothing.”
What is the W Series Esports League and how does it work?
With the 2020 W Series postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic, the W Series Esports League has been launched to fill the void until an expanded 2021 on-track calendar is started.
The Esports League is a 10-round series, taking place every Thursday from 11 June. Similarly to the on-track version it is women-only racing but this time via simulation.
All 18 drivers that qualified for the on-track W Series are expected to take part alongside some previous W Series drivers.
How will it work?
Each round will feature three races:
The starting grid for the reverse-grid race will be determined by the finishing positions from race one. To promote close, fair competition and an authentic ‘League’ feel, points for each race will be awarded as follows:
At the end of the W Series Esports League season, the driver who has scored the most points will be declared the winner of the W Series Esports League.
Who is competing in the W Series Esports League?
Great Britain's Jamie Chadwick, who won the 2019 W Series Championship, was among the 18 drivers taking part, that were due to race in the on-track 2020 Championships, but 22-year-old has since dropped out after she secured a seat in the Regional Formula 3 Championship.
The remaining 17 drivers will be joined by some specially invited guests to form a larger field with drivers from across the world taking part in the 10-round series.
Great Britain are now represented by Alice Powell (third in the 2019 standings) Sarah Moore (eighth in 2019), Jessica Hawkins (11th in 2019) and Abbie Eaton.
The full list of drivers:
Ayla Agren (Norway), Alice Powell, Sarah Moore, Jessica Hawkins, Abbie Eaton (all GB), Sabre Cook (USA), Belen Garcia, Marta Garcia, Nerea Marti (all Spain), Emma Kimilainen (Finland), Miki Koyama (Japan), Tasmin Pepper (South Africa), Vicky Piria (Italy), Gosia Rdest (Poland), Naomi Schiff (Rwanda), Irina Sidorkova (Russia), Bruna Tomaselli (Brazil), Beitske Visser (Netherlands), Fabienne Wohlwend (Liechtenstein), Caitlin Wood (Australia).
How can I watch the W Series Esports League?
All times are BST and subject to change.
BBC Sport will have live coverage from all 10 rounds in the W Series Esports League.
Coverage will be available live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app and available to catch up for 30 days.
Full coverage details:
Round nine, Nurburing - Thursday 6 August, 19:00-20:30
Round 10, Silverstone - Thursday 13 August, 19:00-20:30