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In 2022, Singapore’s spectacular Marina Bay Circuit will play host to the W Series for the first time, as the international single-seater championship for women prepares to race alongside Formula 1 at this year’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The event on September 30-October 2 will see the championship – currently headed by Williams Driver Academy member Jamie Chadwick, who’s won all five races so far this year – racing on the challenging street circuit, which first debuted in F1 back in 2008.
The W Series had previously been slated to make its Asian debut at the Japanese Grand Prix weekend at Suzuka in October, but will now head to Singapore owing to “unforeseeable operational challenges” according to a statement from the series.
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The change means that, following the W Series’ on-track action at the Hungaroring this weekend, the 2022 championship will be concluded with rounds at Singapore, Austin in the United States and Mexico City.
“Since we announced our 2022 race calendar in January, the global landscape has changed considerably,” said W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir. “It’s with regret that we will not be racing in Japan this year, where we have strong support, but the challenges involved in doing so have increased significantly in the past six months, meaning that for a young business like ours it is sadly no longer possible to hold a race there.
“Given the giant strides we have made, it is easy to forget that W Series launched less than four years ago. Every step we have taken has been with the long-term interests of the series in mind as we aim to grow in the most sustainable way possible.
“Our 2022 season promised to be a landmark one as we staged more races (10) in a single season than ever before, including a first-ever race in Asia, which is a key market for us. I’d like to thank both Formula 1 and the team at Singapore GP for helping us to deliver that.
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“The Marina Bay Street Circuit has built a fantastic reputation for great racing and we’re sure the atmosphere will be incredible as racing returns there after a break. We staged our first-ever race on a street circuit in Miami in May to great acclaim, and I’m sure our drivers will put on another exciting show at Marina Bay and continue to inspire new fans of W Series in Asia.”
