大象传媒

Summary

  • Use play icon in this page to watch live coverage

  • A women-only event with three races per round

  • Race 1: 15 mins

  • Race 2 (reverse grid): 15 mins

  • Race 3: 20 mins

  • W Series drivers, past and present, expected to take part

  • Third round in 10-event series taking place every Thursday

  1. Week 2: Two more wins for Visserpublished at 11:48 British Summer Time 25 June 2020

    Beitske VisserImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Beitske Visser has won four of the six races so far

    Beitske Visser continued her domination of the W Series Esports League with another pair of wins at the virtual Circuit of the Americas, repeating her pair of bookend wins of the first week and becoming the first racer to reach 100 points in the series.

    Visser also came from last to sixth in a collision-strewn start to the reverse pole race in another good day at the office, where Finland鈥檚 Emma Kimilainen repeated her round one result with a win. Visser鈥檚 51 points over the three races gave her a 14-point cushion over second-placed Irina Sidorkova, again the second-highest scorer on the day.

    鈥淐ircuit of the Americas is fast and flowing - if you make a mistake in one corner you mess up quite a few corners afterwards, so you need to be in a good flow,鈥 said Vissser afterwards. 鈥淏rands Hatch is a shorter track, so I expect everyone to be closer.鈥

    With Britain鈥檚 Jamie Chadwick on her way to Italy, Alice Powell took up the baton for GB, scoring 39 points to come from 10th to third in the table. Nerea Marti is in fourth, with Caitlin Wood showing greater consistency to score 36 points and rank fifth overall.

    鈥淚鈥檝e no idea why I鈥檝e improved since Monza,鈥 said Powell. 鈥淚 did the same amount of practice. Someone needs to stop Beitske and hopefully I can do that at Brands Hatch."

    After securing pole for the opening race, Visser briefly lost the lead to the second-row pairing of Marta Garcia and Marti, but had it back at the midpoint. In the final race, she led from the start, with a three-way battle for second between Marti, Wood and Sidorkova allowing her to extend her lead.

  2. Current W Series standingspublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 25 June 2020

    After two rounds

    1. Beitske Visser (Ned) 100 pts
    2. Irina Sidorkova (Rus) 86
    3. Alice Powell (GB) 58
    4. Nerea Marti (Spa) 57
    5. Caitlin Wood (Aus) 56
    6. Marta Garcia (Spa) 52
    7. Emma Kimilainen (Fin) 52
    8. Tasmin Pepper (SA) 48
    9. Gosia Rdest (Pol) 44
    10. Jessica Hawkins (GB) 38

    Selected others: 13. Sarah Moore (GB) 29, 15. Abbie Eaton (GB) 19, 16. Jamie Chadwick (GB) 18.

  3. Chadwick may not defend W Series titlepublished at 11:47 British Summer Time 25 June 2020

    Jamie ChadwickImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Jamie Chadwick won the W-Series last season

    Britain鈥檚 reigning W Series champion Jamie Chadwick may not defend her title when the championship starts again next year after she secured a seat in the Regional Formula 3 Championship.

    Chadwick, 22, announced that she will be taking on men鈥檚 racers and joining Italian team Prema, where she will be team-mates with Arthur Leclerc, younger brother of Ferrari F1 driver Charles, and F2 star Mick Schumacher, the younger son of former F1 world champion Michael Schumacher.

    This season鈥檚 W Series was cancelled due to coronavirus but Chadwick has now secured funding from Australian entrepreneur David Dicker and is already testing in Italy, where she will stay until Britain relaxes its quarantine laws to allow a speedy return.

    Chadwick, who is unlikely to return to the W Series Esports League after racing in the opening event, is looking to add to the 10 points she already has towards the the 40 she needs for a superlicence that would qualify her to become the first female F1 driver since Lella Lombardi for almost 50 years.

    鈥淎 team like Prema, it鈥檚 an amazing opportunity,鈥 Chadwick told Reuters. 鈥淚 have to credit W Series because without them I wouldn鈥檛 have got to this level in my career and get noticed. I鈥檓 so grateful for the leg up they鈥檝e given me.鈥

  4. What is the W Series Esports League and how does it work?published at 13:49 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    W SeriesImage source, Getty Images

    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 鈥楲eague鈥 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 鈥 15th) & one point for fastest lap
    • Race 2: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st 鈥 15th) & one point for fastest lap
    • Race 3: 20-17-15-13-11-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 (1st 鈥 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.

  5. Who is competing in the W Series Esports League?published at 13:47 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    Great Britain's Jamie Chadwick, who won the 2019 W Series Championship, is set to be taking part alongside the 17 other drivers that were due to race in the on-track 2020 Championships.

    They 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.

    Alongside Chadwick, as Great Britain representatives, are 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), Jamie Chadwick, 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).

    W SeriesImage source, Getty Images
  6. How can I watch the W Series Esports League?published at 13:46 British Summer Time 23 June 2020

    All times are subject to change

    大象传媒 Sport will have live coverage from all 10 rounds in the W Series Esports League.

    Coverage will be available live on 大象传媒 iPlayer and the 大象传媒 Sport website and app and available to catch up for 30 days.

    Full coverage details:

    Round three, Brands Hatch - Thursday 25 June, 19:00-20:30

    Round four, Interlagos - Thursday 2 July, 19:00-20:30

    Round five, Spa-Francorchamps - Thursday 9 July, 19:00-20:30

    Round six, Watkins Glen - Thursday 16 July, 19:00-20:30

    Round seven, Suzuka - Thursday 23 July, 19:00-20:30

    Round eight, Mount Panorama - Thursday 30 July, 19:00-20:30

    Round nine, Nurburing - Thursday 6 August, 19:00-20:30

    Round 10, Silverstone - Thursday 13 August, 19:00-20:30

    W SeriesImage source, Getty Images