Opinion: The End of the W Series. Was it a Success?

As motorsport fans you've probably all been well aware about the question mark looming over the future of the W Series. From it's abrupt end to the 2022 season, to the introduction of the second all-female series; F1 Academy; the chances of W Series returning for 2023 were looking incredibly slim. Then, on 15th June 2023, the series entered administration, all but confirming the outcome we knew was coming. But despite this, did the concept of an all-female series work? Was it a success?

It's fair to say that W Series did in fact open doors to young female talent that may have otherwise not have had the opportunity to graduate from karts to single seaters. That in itself is an achievement. But, of course, like a lot things, people had their reservations about the series at first, with the biggest concern being segregation from racing against male drivers. In fact, a number of female racers who have already established a career in motorsport, were very vocal about this. However, as time went by and the inaugural season was underway, many who had these opinions retracted them, praising the promotion women in motorsport was finally receiving.

Surprisingly, despite having over 30 drivers contest in the series from 2019 to 2022, as well as a decent percentage of viewing figures from around the world, the W Series was forced to end it's final season in 2022 early as a result of financial issues. And, although the series aspired to return in 2023, it didn't happen and instead fell into administration. It wasn't the end of an all-female series, however. Formula One, with hopes of creating a smoother transition for female drivers graduating to single seaters, founded their own series - F1 Academy, which ironically came to light during the "demise" of the W Series. But this in itself tells us that the idea of an all-female series is helping improve the perception of females in motorsport, thus creating the possibility of a more equal future for both genders in the sport.

As for the drivers that have competed in the W Series, more opportunities have since come their way. For starters, the likes of Jamie Chadwick, Abbi Pulling and Jessica Hawkins have all partnered with Formula One teams. Chadwick has also been given opportunities over in the USA in Indy NXT and Hawkins in the UK with BTCC. A number of other drivers have taken part in the World Endurance Championship and have appeared at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. A further few have swapped to the F1 Academy to further open doors. In short, there are more female racing drivers than ever before appearing in series all across the globe and this could very well be the effect the W Series is having on motorsport and again, creating a more equal opportunity.

It should be noted that not all female drivers have originated from the all-female series and have made careers for themselves over the years. Because of this, people could potentially argue the fact that the opportunities have always been there. But, it's pretty obvious that the W Series have improved these said opportunities. You just need to look at the ratio of female drivers to male compared to a few years back.

A lot of people seem to be under the impression that these all-female series are stepping stones straight into F1 - the pinnacle of motorsport, and because we are still far off a female racer in F1, the same people perceive the W Series as a failure, especially with it's financial issues. But, the answer is, it's anything but. The point of this article is that W Series has created a whole new world for female racing drivers and has been a raving success in that sense. And, that's coming from me. Someone who was against the idea of an all-female series at first.

To figure out the success the series has had, all you need to do is listen to it's drivers. Alice Powell, a W Series driver, put this whole article into one paragraph.

“At the end of the day, W Series got me out racing again, whether you agreed with the championship or not. W Series DID NOT fail. It inspired and created opportunities not just for its drivers, but for many young female racing fans too." - Alice Powell

There is no better way of putting it.

Race Report: Canadian GP 2023

Blue skies were on the cards for race day at this year's Canadian Grand Prix. The complete opposite as to what drivers faced, only twenty four hours before, with the dark clouds and heavy downpours that shrouded qualifying. Despite this, the weather failed to deter Max Verstappen and Red Bull from claiming yet another pole position. The big story to come from qualifying, however, was impeding - with Nico Hulkenberg*, Carlos Sainz, Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda all given grid penalties for Sunday's highly anticipated race. *Hulkenberg's penalty was due to speeding under red flag restrictions.

Race day and it's Verstappen on pole with Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso, lining up beside him in 2nd. The two Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell find themselves in 3rd and 4th. Verstappen leads the field away for the formation lap and it's not long before he's backing the pack up and everyone is slotting into their allocated grid positions. The five lights go on and before we know it, they're out. The race is on.

Verstappen gets the perfect get away, as does Hamilton, who passes Alonso for 2nd into turn one. Further down the field there's a duel between the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez and Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari. They switch positions a couple of times with Sainz winning the battle. Ironically, they're battling for 11th. Everyone gets through lap one unscathed, bar Kevin Magnussen who is nearly squeezed into the wall just before the final chicane. He manages to get away with it.

A few laps in and, not only is Alonso setting purple sectors, he's all over the back of Hamilton. But, on lap five, the Spaniard taps the barrier. Luckily for him, there is no damage, not even a puncture. He uses DRS to try and pick off Hamilton but the Mercedes is just too quick on the straights. He's going to have to bide his time here.

A Virtual Safety Car is thrown out on lap eight for a stationary Williams at turn six. Logan Sargeant is told by the team to stop the car immediately - which he does. He parks up in a sensible place where the marshals recover the car quickly and efficiently. The VSC is in just as quickly as it was put out. The race is back underway.

At the restart, Verstappen's lead is up to three seconds from Hamilton, who is still holding off the charging Alonso. But things may be about to get harder for the Aston Martin driver who has George Russell closing in on him. Down in the midfield, there are plenty of ongoing battles with Hulkenberg leading a long DRS train. Pierre Gasly, in the Alpine, has enough of being in the train and pits for new rubber. He switches from softs to hards. Tyre wear seems to be a lot higher than expected with front runners; Verstappen and Hamilton, mentioning it over team radio.

Chaos is ensued when Russell hits the wall and causes a Safety Car. He has a punctured right rear tyre and obvious front wing damage. He limps slowly back to the pits. The majority of the field take advantage of the SC and also pit for new tyres. Remember Hamilton and Alonso being close together on track? Well, it's the same in the pitlane. Aston Martin's stop is much quicker than that of the Mercedes but the latter want Hamilton out ahead of Alonso. The Mercedes squeezes out just in front of the Aston Martin, with what suspiciously looks like an unsafe release. We'll have to see what the stewards say on that one. As for Russell, he is back on track after a lengthy stop. Albeit, at the back of the field.

With the SC still out on track, the two Ferrari's of Charles Leclerc and Sainz, as well as Perez in the Red Bull, are now well into the top ten. Neither of them pitted for new tyres, which is interesting as the Ferrari's are on the mediums. Perez already seems to be going long, as he started on the hards. Gasly is the biggest loser during the safety car. He pitted just before Russell hit the wall and remains in 18th position. An incident at the pit exit is noted by the stewards and involves Esteban Ocon, Valtteri Bottas and Magnussen. It seems as if they have been overtaking cars while under the safety car. However, this isn't investigated much further as the three drivers manage to sort themselves out and get into the correct formation.

Lap seventeen, and the SC comes back into the pits. Verstappen leads from Hamilton and Alonso. Further down, Oscar Piastri in the McLaren and Alex Albon in the Williams are squabbling for position. On lap twenty, Albon passes the McLaren with the help of DRS. It may have also helped that Piastri out-braked himself at the chicane and took to the run off area.

Come lap twenty three, Alonso and Hamilton are still fighting for 2nd with Alonso breathing down the British driver's spine. With the help of DRS, Alonso makes a move that sticks on the back straight. Hamilton tries to come back at him, but it's no use - the Aston Martin pulls away. In the midst of all the action, the FIA decide that there will be no further action on the unsafe release incident from before that involved Alonso and Hamilton. A sigh of relief from both parties, that's for sure.

As soon as one investigation is closed, another opens. This time it's Lando Norris in the McLaren, for driving "unnecessarily slowly." His teammate; Piastri, however, is back past Albon. The Williams was tussling with Magnussen, in the Haas, for the final points paying position when he missed the final chicane, allowing Piastri to pass, not only himself, but Magnussen also.

Over at Ferrari, Sainz tells his team that he feels as if he has extra pace. The team respond by advising him not to attack his teammate, who is ahead in 4th. Both Leclerc and Sainz are still yet to stop and, with Sainz thinking he can go further on these tyres, will they end up one stopping today?

Talking of tyres, up at the front Verstappen is still complaining about his grip. And, with high tyre degregation, it isn't long before drivers start pitting once again. Hulkenberg comes in for Haas on lap thirty one before returning to the track in 19th on a new set of hards. However, it's a completely different story for Ferrari as Sainz sets the fastest first sector of the race so far.

Lap thirty five and the race reaches the half way stage. Verstappen still leads, 5.3 seconds and counting, ahead of Alonso. Towards the back of the pack, Magnussen finds himself in a tight battle once again. This time it's with the Alpha Tauri of Nyck de Vries. They go into turn three side by side, both locking up in the process. They take to the run off area and after a couple of three point turns, get back out onto the track. Albeit down in 18th and 19th. This is great news for George Russell who suddenly finds himself sat in 11th. Sorry, 9th. With those in front of him pitting for new rubber.

Norris, who has found himself in numerous battles throughout the race, is handed a five second penalty. The reasoning? For "unsportsmanlike behaviour." Turns out he was backing up the pack during the safety car period.

Finally, Perez and the Ferraris come into pit just before lap forty, with Ferrari bringing in Sainz as a reaction to Red Bull's stop with Perez. Both Leclerc and Sainz come out ahead of Perez. Looks like, thanks to everyone else two stopping, their strategy has paid off.

And, they're not the only ones stopping. Back at the front Hamilton comes in for a new pair of boots as well as an attempt to undercut Alonso. The following lap the Spaniard reacts and dives into the pit lane. He comes out on hards, ahead of Hamilton. The undercut didn't work. But, the Mercedes is on the mediums. A softer tyre to the hards. Could Alonso's 2nd place be under threat? The next time around Verstappen reacts to cover off Alonso. But his lead was never really under threat, as he returns to the track, retaining the race lead.

Ferrari, content with how their race is playing out, reiterates to Leclerc that Sainz won't attack him. It looks as if the Scuderia are using team orders to protect their 4th and 5th positions from Perez who, if anything, is starting to drop away from the Ferraris.

Hamilton is now starting to close in on Alonso but the Aston Martin driver responds by setting the fastest lap of the race. On lap forty eight, Hamilton takes over two seconds out of the gap to Alonso. Replays show that he (Alonso) made a mistake at turn eight. He's also been asked by his team to lift and coast. Alonso, not overly content with this, tells the team; "I want to win this race."

Lap fifty one and McLaren's race seems to be unravelling a tad. Norris still has his five second penalty, which will be applied at the end of the race. He is currently fighting Bottas for the final point. Piastri, who has visited the pits for a second time, sits in 13th. Points may be difficult for the team from Woking today.

Another DRS train starts to form in the midfield with Russell in the midst of things. He slows on the back straight with his Mercedes team advising him to retire the car. Team radio tells us that his "break wear is too high." With Russell's retirement, Norris and McLaren are promoted back into the points.

The gap between Alonso and Hamilton is shrinking with just over a second between them. Mercedes inform their driver that Alonso has a brake issue in which he is nursing. But, by lap sixty three, Alonso is given the go-ahead to push and starts to pull away, increasing the gap to two seconds.

Perez seems to be another driver who has a problem. This time it's tyre wear. Since his first, and only, pit stop sometime ago, he hasn't managed to get anywhere near the Ferraris and instead has dropped further back. He currently sits in 6th with no threat from behind.

Creeping towards the end now and race leader, Verstappen, makes a mistake which he calmly chuckles about over team radio. His lead is up to 8 seconds. Which isn't quite as much as previous races.

The podium places now seem to be set with Verstappen leading Alonso leading Hamilton. Further back, however, a battle is brewing between Albon, Ocon and Norris. Norris tells his team that the rear wing is going to fall off the Alpine of Ocon. For the record, it doesn't. Albon, who's tyres are pretty tired, has some breathing room while Ocon and Norris battle it out, with the latter trying several moves on the Frenchman.

With a free pit stop in hand, Perez dives into the pits on the penultimate lap for a set of softs. This indicates he's going for the fastest lap and that all important bonus point.

The final lap and it's all kicking off. Norris is still trying to find a way past Ocon. They come to final chicane but Norris has to bail out of that one, running across the run off. Not too far behind, as they come to the line, Stroll pips Bottas by milliseconds for 10th and the final point. But at the front, it's Verstappen who takes the chequered flag first, claiming his 6th victory in 2023. This is also Verstappen's 41st victory overall, equalling the great Ayrton Senna.

Alonso and Hamilton come home in 2nd and 3rd, respectively, with Leclerc and Sainz taking 4th and 5th for Ferrari. Perez, who knabbed the fastest lap, takes 6th and is followed in by Albon, Ocon, Stroll and Bottas. Norris would have finished 9th but is relegated out of the points due to his five second penalty.

So, there we have it. Maybe not as exciting as the Canadian Grand Prix can be, at times, but still thrilling in places, nevertheless, with battles up and down the field.

Next up is a trip to Spielberg in Austria, the home of Red Bull. Can they continue their dominance next time out? I expect so, but stay tuned.

Opinion: Was the 2011 Canadian GP One of the Greatest Races of All Time?

The 2011 Canadian Grand Prix will be one Formula One race that will always be an integral part of F1 history. And, as we go into the 2023 Canadian Grand Prix weekend, I have to ask the question. "Was the 2011 race one of the greatest F1 races of all time?"

Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it's the greatest but it has to be up there. And, year after year we are reminded of just how great it was.

So, here's a quick recap. There was drama and it was wet. Very wet. In fact, a two hour delay in proceedings meant that this race holds the record for the longest race in F1 history at over 4 hours long.

The race began behind the safety car with Sebastian Vettel eventually pulling an early lead on Fernando Alonso. Later on, McLaren drivers; Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button, would collide on the start/finish straight, resulting in a second safety car which reduced Vettel's lead. The rain continued to fall and gain intensity and on lap twenty six, the race was red flagged. Two hours passed before the cars graced the circuit once again.

On lap thirty seven, it would be Button that was involved in yet another incident. This saw him fall to last place, as well Alonso's retirment. However, it wasn't over yet for Button. The Brit climbed from the back of the pack up into second, all by lap sixty seven. Button would continue to set consistent fastest laps before trailing Vettel by only 0.9 seconds as they went into the last lap. Things were tense and, with a drying track that was still damp in places, Vettel went wide at turn six giving Button the lead. He managed to hold off Vettel for the remainder of the final lap, taking the chequered flag and giving him his first win of the 2011 season.

So, there you have it. The longest race in Formula One history. Are you starting to understand the reasoning behind this article? Maybe this next part will help.

Of course, as we've already established, this was the longest race in F1 history. But don't expect to see any other race break this record any time soon. This is because the maximum time allowed for a race, including suspended periods such as red flag, has been shortened to three hours. That is why in recent times we've seen the races timing out rather than running out of laps.

Now, let's forget about it being the longest race and focus purely on the driving. Surely this was one of Button's greatest drives during his F1 career? The McLaren driver started 7th before getting tangled in numerous incidents before falling to the back of the grid. He recovered well and won the race. Of course, he was on a different strategy to the rest of the field by this point but nothing should take away from the fact that he went from last to first in the blink of an eye. And, to make it sound ever so more impressive, he managed this during the era which saw Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull dominate.

And, then we have the weather. The safety aspect in Formula One has become so dominate in recent years that wet races like these are pretty much non-existent. Putting it simply, we'll most likely never see a race of this calibre in these type of conditions again. Or, in the near future at least.

In hindsight, the 2011 Canadian Grand Prix definitely has the factors to qualify for the list of greatest races. And, obviously, there are probably people out there who disagree with me but I think that it's everything that Formula One no longer is which, in short, makes it great.

What do you think?