W Series has added extra races to its opening and closing rounds of 2022, creating its longest-ever calendar for its third season.
The all-female junior series originally announced eight races all running as Formula 1 support events for 2022. However, in a new update to the calendar, W Series confirmed it will run a double-header event at both the Miami Grand Prix and the Mexican Grand Prix, bringing the schedule to 10 races.W Series has run two-race weekends on previous occasions. In 2019 an extra reverse-grid non-championship was held at Assen, won by Megan Gilkes. Last year the series concluded its second season of racing with double-header at Circuit of the Americas, awarding points at both races.
This year’s double-headers will also award championship points for both races. The mechanism for determining the grid for the second race is yet to be confirmed.
As part of managing the logistics of its calendar, W Series will call on Toyota Gazoo Racing New Zealand to supply cars for two of its rounds. W Series’ Tatuus chassis is the same as the national series’ but with the W Series car powered by an Alfa Romeo engine rather than the Toyota one used by the New Zealand championship.
Both categories use Hankook tyres. W Series says borrowing the cars for the Catalunya and Suzuka rounds means it can avoid using air freight at any point in the calendar.
“Putting together an international racing series is a complex operation requiring lots of resources as W Series stages more races in a single season than ever before in 2022,” said W Series race director Dave Ryan. “This is a good solution for W Series as it prevents the use of air freight and allows us to stage our support races at eight Formula 1 grand prix weekends in the most sustainable way.”
Confirmed W Series 2022 calendar
Date | Circuit |
---|---|
6th-8th May | Miami International Autodrome (double header) |
20th-22nd May | Barcelona |
1st-3rd July | Silverstone |
22nd-24th July | Paul Ricard |
29th-31st July | Hungaroring |
7th-9th October | Suzuka |
21st-23rd October | Circuit of the Americas |
28th-30th October | Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (double header) |
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BasCB (@bascb)
30th March 2022, 10:24
One thing in there I don’t get. Surely they won’t be using those NZ cars in Barcelona (Catalunya), right?
BasCB (@bascb)
30th March 2022, 10:32
Interesting enough, that seems to be exactly what they plan on doing https://twitter.com/HSouthwellFE/status/1509100185003167747.
Their own cars will be in transit from Miami when Barcelona is on, so instead they will have the NZ cars sent to Europe in between. And later have them sent to Suzuka by ship for that round.
Euro Brun (@eurobrun)
31st March 2022, 8:56
It does sound crazy to be shipping cars from New Zealand to Spain. I guess there is logic and somehow still cost savings.
zomtec (@zomtec)
30th March 2022, 11:33
“ever”…
longest season in the looong history of time.
t1redmonkey (@t1redmonkey)
30th March 2022, 13:17
In W Series case, I think this is a good thing, they probably do need more races anyway.
PeterF
30th March 2022, 18:12
More on track action definitely seems like good news for the drivers
jsw11984 (@jarred-walmsley)
31st March 2022, 1:24
Would love to see some of the W series drivers come and compete in the TRS then if the cars are so similar.
Peter707
1st April 2022, 15:38
Who cares about the news on a series that not even at the level of F3…