Chadwick, Noda… the W Series unveils its drivers for 2022

Following pre-season testing in Arizona (United States) and the Barcelona circuit (Spain), W Series racing director Dave Ryan has selected nine drivers to join the eight women already qualified for the third season, finishing in the top eight of the 2021 championship. Like last year, this championship reserved only for women will take place in parallel with the Grands Prix of Formula 1, starting with the meeting planned in Miami, from May 6 to 8.

Chadwick present again, Juju Noda too

Among the 17 confirmed pilots, five of them will make their debut in the competition – Tereza Babickova (18 years old), Bianca Bustamante (17 years old), Chloe Chambers (17 years old), Emely De Heus (19 years old) and the cadet Juju Noda (16 years old). The very young Japanese driver has distinguished herself in recent years by winning several races in Japanese Formula 4, before crossing the borders of Europe in 2020, taking part twice in the Danish Formula 4 championship – concluded in 2021 at the 7th place, with 2 victories and 8 podiums.

The 18th and last place on the starting grid is deliberately left vacant by the organizers, in order to give a chance to a group of reserve drivers who will have “showed encouraging signs during previous W Series seasons and trials. » This list will be made public " on time " by the organizers.

“As the profile of the W Series grows, the talent pool and standard of our drivers increases, and the 2022 W Series grid is the strongest yet, says Dave Ryan, the race director. This year we expanded our driver research and testing program by holding pre-season tests in the United States and Europe, and the move paid off. The 2022 class represents 10 different countries, and more than a quarter of the grid are new talents making their W Series debut. The five rookies are well prepared and join a group of proven W Series drivers who know what it's all about. In the spirit of the W Series, they will all push each other forward. »

ALSO READ: Why is Jamie Chadwick back in W Series?

Leading the way in the series, Jamie Chadwick (double title holder in 2019 and 2021) will unsurprisingly be lined up on the starting grid, as she had confided a few weeks earlier. The Briton will put her two crowns back on the line – in two editions – and will face an increasingly tough field.

“Two-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick will certainly look to defend her title strongly, but she has been pushed to the limit in 2021 and I expect another close title battle. As we host Formula 1 support races across three continents this season, the opportunity for W Series drivers in 2022 is unprecedented. It will be interesting to see how they handle the pressure of racing on motorsport's biggest stage, and I'm looking forward to the first race of the season in Miami in May. »

As announced, the W Series season will include 8 rounds scheduled on three different continents – Europe, America and Asia – and will notably pass through the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet (from July 22 to 24), before going for the first time to Suzuka (Japan), and conclude its season in Mexico (October 28 to 30) for the final round.

📢 2022 DRIVER LINE-UP CONFIRMED

After a two-round selection process, we can now reveal our 2022 grid! Five awesome new racers make their #WSeries debut racing alongside a diverse group of talented drivers who are ready to go racing this season. 💪

- W Series (@WSeriesRacing) March 22, 2022