W Series: Champion Jamie Chadwick calls for support to help women's championship continue
- Published
Jamie Chadwick won 11 W Series races in three seasons, also qualifying on pole 10 times
Jamie Chadwick has called for support to help W Series continue after claiming her third title when the season ended prematurely.
The 24-year-old, whose latest triumph came as the season ended because of "cashflow problems", described the success as "bittersweet".
The British driver said: "I don't see why W Series can't continue to exist.
"The business model - everything it stands for - is fantastic. It just needs someone to support it."
Chadwick, who has ambitions to race in Formula 1, dominated this year with five wins and remains the only champion of the series after victories in the previous seasons held in 2019 and 2021.
The current series was seven races into a 10-race championship that runs alongside the Formula 1 calendar. However, it was announced on Monday that races at upcoming Grands Prix in Austin, Texas, and Mexico City had been cancelled after money expected from a key investor failed to materialise.
Chadwick, who had a 50-point lead when the series ended, told BBC Radio 4: "[For me this season has been] bittersweet - quite mixed emotions.
"On the one hand [I am] happy to secure that third title, but we all wanted to go to the last three races and fight it out on track.
"But all the drivers are on the same page. Most of us wouldn't be racing without the series. If you view it as an opportunity, we just want the series to succeed. Looking forwards this is the best way for them to do that."
Despite the abrupt end to the season, Chadwick said she believed the W Series remained an important vehicle to bring women into motorsport. In 2022, the series reached a peak TV audience of more than one million when its July race at Silverstone was televised live on Channel 4, alongside the British Formula 1 Grand Prix.
"I do believe that we now need to get into a position where we can really inspire the next generation, not just drivers but engineers, mechanics and really get as many young girls involved in the sport as possible to create a more diverse environment," she said.
"The way to do that is by creating more positive roles at the top and I think W Series has done a great job."
Chadwick relishing chance to race at Silverstone on British GP weekend
Despite the setback, W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir said she was "confident" W Series had a future.
Asked about the possibility of working more closely with Formula 1, or seeking emergency funds to save the remaining races, she told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We want to stand on our own two feet.
"We want to grow as an independent business. I am not putting the begging bowl out to any partners. What we want to do is get good, strong, solid, successful sponsorship deals in place.
"We have had to make a prudent call to preserve cash. That is incredibly unfortunate for the drivers - I had a really uncomfortable conversation with them. But they are a resilient bunch."