Women-only championship aims to find F1 stars

LONDON: A new women-only motorsport competition, W Series, will launch next year with the aim of finding female Formula 1 stars.

The series has been backed by major names in F1, including 13time grand prix winner David Coulthard and Red Bull design engineer Adrian Newey.

It will offer a prize fund of US$1.5 million (RM6.2 million) and free entry for 18-20 competitors, who will be selected on merit following tests and appraisals. The overall winner will collect US$500,000.

Organisers aim to stage six 30minute races at top circuits in Europe and future plans could see the series expand to America, Asia and Australia.

“At the heart of W Series’ DNA is the firm belief that women can compete equally with men in motorsport. However, an all-female series is essential in order to force greater female participation,” organisers said in a statement.

The last woman to start an F1 grand prix was Italy’s Lella Lombardi in 1976, but Coulthard says female drivers can compete with their male counterparts.

“In order to be a successful racing driver, you have to be skilled, determined and physically fit, but you don’t have to be a man,” Coulthard told the Daily Mail newspaper.

“We believe that female and male racing drivers can and should compete on equal terms if they have the same opportunity and training — and we’re going to try to make that happen. There’s no reason the next Lewis Hamilton should not be a woman.”

Organisers say the cars will be cutting-edge, identical and powered by 1.8-litre turbo-charged engines.

The series is being bankrolled by Scottish businessman Sean Wadsworth, a schoolmate of Coulthard from Kirkcudbright Academy.

It will be overseen by Catherine Bond Muir, a lawyer and corporate finance banker, who dreamt up the idea while on maternity leave, having had her first baby aged 45. Hamilton’s former team manager at McLaren, Dave Ryan, will be racing director.