W Series will launch next year in a bid to help promote women to F1. Participation won’t require any sponsorship and the prize pot will total $1.5 million.
The series has backing from former F1 driver and race winner David Coulthard. It will use identical Tatuus F3-spec cars. The six-round series will launch in May 2019 and features 30-minute races throughout Europe, with one round to he held in the UK. Future expansion in Australia, Asia, and the Americas is expected in the future.
The drivers who want to participate won’t need to bring any sponsorship. Instead, they will have to showcase their skills in an intensive selection process that will ensure that the grid includes the best talent out there. The judges will include Coulthard, former F1 team manager Dave Ryan who is the series’ racing director, and F1 technical designer Adrian Newey, who is an advisory board member.
The winner of the category will earn $500,000 to help fund her next step up the racing ladder to F1.