In a thrilling display of skill and determination, Alice Powell secured her third W Series victory of the season, a pivotal win that has catapulted her level with championship leader Jamie Chadwick in the fiercely contested standings. With only two rounds remaining, the battle for the prestigious title has reached a fever pitch, promising an electrifying climax to the all-female motorsport championship.
The race day commenced with an air of anticipation, as Emma Kimilainen, known for her blistering pace, lined up on pole position, flanked by the formidable Powell. Reigning champion Jamie Chadwick started just behind in third, with Nerea Marti completing the second row, setting the stage for an intense fight from the very first corner.
Drama unfolded even before the green flag waved. Bruna Tomaselli, grappling with cold tyres on the formation lap, spun out, a costly error that saw her relegated from her starting position of 14th to the very back of the grid, slotting into 19th. The sight of her original grid slot left conspicuously empty served as a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of top-tier motorsport. Adding to the pre-race jitters, Kimilainen herself had a momentary lapse, dipping a wheel into the gravel en route to the grid, sending a shower of stones across turn 12 and hinting at the fine margins involved.
As the lights went out, Kimilainen executed a textbook start, converting her pole position into an immediate lead. Powell and Chadwick, ever-present threats, wasted no time in tucking into her slipstream, forming a powerful leading trio. Kimilainen demonstrated incredible early pace, particularly through the banked turn three, where her car looked slingshotted out of the corner, suggesting she was poised to build a substantial advantage. Her initial burst hinted at a dominant performance, leaving her rivals to play catch-up.
Further down the pack, rookie Abbi Pulling, making only her second W Series appearance, experienced a challenging start. She quickly found herself losing positions, first overtaken by the experienced Jessica Hawkins and Abbie Eaton. The most striking move, however, came from Belen Garcia, who executed a breathtaking maneuver through the final turn, a display of precision and aggression that neatly demoted Pulling to eighth place, demonstrating the competitive depth of the field.
After a frantic opening five minutes, Kimilainen appeared to be in a comfortable rhythm, maintaining a solid lead. Behind her, Powell and Chadwick were locked in their own private battle for second, their duel keeping the pressure on the leader. The rest of the field trailed the leading group by a significant two seconds, highlighting the pace difference at the front.
The mid-pack action was no less captivating. Jessica Hawkins found herself under intense scrutiny from Abbie Eaton, with mere tenths of a second separating them. Their closely contested battle raged for several laps, a testament to their unwavering commitment to gain every possible position. Eventually, as Eaton began to face pressure from the cars behind her, Hawkins seized the opportunity, managing to pull away and set her sights on closing the gap to the leaders, showcasing her strategic acumen and relentless pursuit of performance.
A crucial turning point came when Kimilainen, seemingly struggling to maintain her earlier blistering pace, ran wide on a corner, an opening that Alice Powell ruthlessly exploited. Powell surged through, seizing the lead and showcasing her race craft. The Ecurie W racer, Kimilainen, seemed to be losing her early momentum, unable to find the rhythm that had given her such a strong start. Her car appeared to lack straight-line speed, allowing Jamie Chadwick to easily out-drag her down the pit straight, a particularly telling moment given the absence of DRS in W Series racing. This slip meant Kimilainen quickly fell back, transforming the leading order.
Two laps later, the team radio of Nerea Marti, running in fourth, buzzed with an urgent message: “you are faster than Emma.” This instruction spurred Marti on, just as Kimilainen seemed to find a renewed burst of speed, compelling her to vigorously defend her position. This fascinating cat-and-mouse game between Marti and Kimilainen provided Jessica Hawkins with a golden opportunity. Closing the gap rapidly, Hawkins turned what was a two-way tussle into a thrilling three-way battle for third place by the halfway point of the race, adding yet another layer of excitement to an already dynamic event.
The closing stages of the race were just as dramatic. On the penultimate lap, Abbi Pulling, having diligently worked her way back through the field, caught Belen Garcia. The Scuderia W driver suddenly found herself under immense pressure, forced into a desperate defensive drive. Pulling attempted to replicate Powell’s earlier successful move up the inside on Kimilainen, but on this occasion, she couldn’t quite carry the necessary speed to make the pass stick. However, Pulling’s persistence paid off on the very final lap. Carrying significantly more speed out of the critical turn three banking, she committed to the inside line once again, executing a decisive overtake to snatch seventh place, a superb recovery drive and a testament to her emerging talent.
Alice Powell expertly guided her car across the finish line, securing a hard-fought victory. Jamie Chadwick followed her home in a strong second place, minimizing championship damage, while Emma Kimilainen held on for a respectable third, despite her mid-race struggles. Nerea Marti, after her valiant efforts, was ultimately denied a second podium finish of the season, but her performance was commendable. Jessica Hawkins, however, celebrated her best result of the year, taking a fantastic fifth place, a significant achievement in such a competitive field.
Reflecting on her performance after the race, Emma Kimilainen was candid about the challenges. She acknowledged that there wasn’t a specific mechanical problem with her car, but rather that she and her engineer “didn’t get it quite right with the car” for the crucial race setup. This honest assessment underscored the delicate balance and precise engineering required to perform at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Powell’s emphatic win has profound implications for the championship standings. Her victory brings her level with Jamie Chadwick, both drivers now tied on an impressive 109 points. This parity sets up an incredibly tense showdown in the final two rounds of the season. Emma Kimilainen, despite her third-place finish, remains a contender in third place overall, accumulating 75 points. The stage is now perfectly set for a climactic finish, with the final two W Series races of the year scheduled to coincide with Formula 1’s highly anticipated rounds in Mexico and the USA, promising a spectacular conclusion to what has been an unforgettable season.
W Series Race Results
| Position | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Powell | Racing X |
| 2 | Jamie Chadwick | Veloce |
| 3 | Emma Kimilainen | Ecurie W |
| 4 | Nerea Marti | W Academy |
| 5 | Jess Hawkins | Racing X |
| 6 | Abbie Eaton | Ecurie W |
| 7 | Abbi Pulling | Puma |
| 8 | Belen Garcia | Scuderia W |
| 9 | Sarah Moore | Scuderia W |
| 10 | Miki Koyama | Sirin |
| 11 | Vicky Piria | Sirin |
| 12 | Beitske Visser | W Academy |
| 13 | Ira Sidorkova | W Academy |
| 14 | Sabré Cook | Bunker Racing |
| 15 | Ayla Agren | M.Forbes |
| 16 | Fabienne Wohlwend | Bunker Racing |
| 17 | Bruna Tomaselli | Veloce |
| 18 | Marta Garcia | Puma |
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