With Dominant Wins At US Grand Prix
Bath born Jamie Chadwick wins 2021 W Series crown in style at COTA
Faultless light-to-flag wins in both races, fastest all weekend in USA
Briton receives W Series trophy, $500,000 prize, 15 Super Licence points
Back-to-back titles for Williams F1 Development Driver in global W Series
Britain’s Jamie Chadwick has claimed her second W Series Championship title in emphatic style at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, today – winning the final two races of the season in support of the FIA Formula One World Championship’s US Grand Prix.
Going into the last race weekend of the 2021 season, 23-year-old Jamie and fellow Brit Alice Powell were standing equal on 109 points with a close contest anticipated. The reigning champion came out of the blocks fast, though, right from the first practice session and ultimately dominated.
Qualifying on the front row for both races, Jamie translated her fantastic pace into confident race wins in both round seven on Saturday, 23rd October, and round eight on Sunday, 24th October, managing the tyres and the car well on the demanding Grand Prix circuit, in 30-plus degrees heat.
Winning her second title in as many seasons in the newly-formed, innovative all-female single seater championship, the 2021 W Series crown also brings with it earnings of $500,000 in prize money and 15 valuable Super Licence Points.
Notably, this takes Jamie’s overall tally to 25 Super Licence points, the minimum needed to drive in a Formula 1 practice session.
Her race wins this weekend mean Jamie finished the 2021 W Series with the most victories of any driver, and she also secured most pole positions and podiums.
Jamie Chadwick:
“I’m really ecstatic to retain my title. Going into this weekend, equal on points with Alice [Powell], and her having the advantage of one more win, meant I had to be 200% at my best, and not allow the pressures to take over.
“COTA [The Circuit of the Americas] was new to all of us. Tricky, but rewarding to master, and my pace in FP1 and FP2 gave me the confidence to feel comfortable – so, I was able to secure front row starts for both Saturday’s and Sunday’s races in the combined qually.
“This put me on the front foot for both races, getting good starts, and controlling things from the front, particularly the tyre management. Both Abi [Pulling] and Emma [Kimilainen] posed a threat at times, but I did feel I had them covered.
“Winning the inaugural W Series Title in 2019 was a great feeling, and the rewards enabled me to invest in my development and more diverse racing. But, this year, W Series has really moved up to a whole new level. Everything is far more professional, and being on the F1 calendar is mega – huge crowds, the best circuits, and crucial recognition for diversity in motorsport.
“To perform in this environment is every racing driver’s dream, and to collect the race wins and the main trophy, here in the US, is awesome. I must thank and congratulate everyone involved – from the management, backroom and technical staff, to the broadcasters and my fellow competitors – for putting on such an innovative and unique race series and helping to bring equality to the sport on the huge F1 stage. A massive thanks to all.”
It has been a busy year for Jamie, who continued her work with Williams F1 as a Development Driver as well as racing for Veloce in Extreme-E, where she finished on the podium in the Senegal X-Prix. She is set for a return to the team for the final race of the season in Dorset, UK, on 18th/19th December.
This season the W Series ran on the Formula 1 package, with all eight rounds taking place during F1 weekends. With another championship win and more Super Licence points in the bag, it takes Jamie one step closer to her goal of becoming the first female driver in the modern era to race in Formula One.
