W Series testing, Circuit de Catalunya, 2022

W Series adds two double-headers to create longest calendar ever

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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

DateCircuit
6th-8th MayMiami International Autodrome (double header)
20th-22nd MayBarcelona
1st-3rd JulySilverstone
22nd-24th JulyPaul Ricard
29th-31st JulyHungaroring
7th-9th OctoberSuzuka
21st-23rd OctoberCircuit of the Americas
28th-30th OctoberAutodromo Hermanos Rodriguez (double header)

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Author information

Hazel Southwell
Hazel is a motorsport and automotive journalist with a particular interest in hybrid systems, electrification, batteries and new fuel technologies....

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8 comments on “W Series adds two double-headers to create longest calendar ever”

  1. 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.

    One thing in there I don’t get. Surely they won’t be using those NZ cars in Barcelona (Catalunya), right?

    1. 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.

    2. It does sound crazy to be shipping cars from New Zealand to Spain. I guess there is logic and somehow still cost savings.

  2. “ever”…
    longest season in the looong history of time.

  3. In W Series case, I think this is a good thing, they probably do need more races anyway.

  4. More on track action definitely seems like good news for the drivers

  5. 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.

  6. Who cares about the news on a series that not even at the level of F3…

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