W Series: Jamie Chadwick wins inaugural race at Hockenheim
- Published
Chadwick (55) was the class of the field all weekend in Germany
Britain's Jamie Chadwick produced a dominant performance to win the opening race of the new W Series at Hockenheim.
Chadwick led home a British one-two from Alice Powell on a drying track, with Spain's Marta Garcia in third.
The victory capped a perfect weekend for 20-year-old Chadwick, who had been fastest in both practice sessions and took pole by nearly two seconds.
The W Series is the first women-only racing series, and was set up to raise the profile of women in motorsport.
"I see it as a huge, huge moment," said Chadwick. "As a driver it makes no difference but as a person, and as a female in motorsport, I think it's incredible."
Chadwick's win continues her run of notable motorsport firsts. In 2015 she became the first woman to win a British GT championship, while in 2018 she became the first woman to win a British Formula 3 race.
However, her bid for victory in the W Series opener in Germany did not get off to an ideal start, as she lost the lead on the first lap after running wide at the hairpin.
A safety car period, triggered by a collision between Megan Gilkes and Emma Kimilainen, allowed Chadwick to regroup behind Sarah Moore before passing her fellow Briton at the restart and going on to win by 1.3 seconds from Powell.
Moore eventually came home in fifth place, while the two other British drivers in the 18-strong field, Jessica Hawkins and Esmee Hawkey, finished 11th and 12th respectively.
W Series calendar
Round 1 - Germany
Hockenheim, 3-4 May: Winner: Jamie Chadwick
Round 2 - Belgium
Zolder, 17-19 May
Round 3 - Italy
Misano 7-9 June
Round 4 - Germany
Norisring, 5-7 July
Round 5 - Netherlands
Assen, 19-21 July
Round 6 - UK
Brands Hatch, 10-11 August.