W Series has gone into administration

W Series has officially entered administration, nine months after the series hit financial problems which saw the final three races of the 2022 season cancelled.

Established in 2019, the championship aimed to give racing opportunities to female drivers and encourage more women into motorsport.

It took a hiatus in 2020 as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but returned the following year as inaugural champion Jamie Chadwick claimed her second title.

Chadwick - the series’ most successful driver, having won 11 of the 21 races W Series ran over three campaigns - was leading the standings again in 2022 when it was abruptly brought to a halt. She was declared champion for a third time, and has since moved on to the Indy NXT single-seater series which feeds IndyCar.

Bosses had hoped that W Series could be revived for 2023, but they’ve been unable to find enough financial support and while reports suggest that the administrators will do everything they can to keep W Series alive, its future now looks bleaker than ever.

“I am sad to learn of the news of W Series entering administration,” said former race-winner Alice Powell. “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.

“I have many great memories from racing in the championship, including my win at the British GP in 2021, which will stay with me forever.

“Thank you to Catherine [Bond Muir] and everyone behind W Series for the memories.”

While W Series has been battling its financial issues, F1 established its own female-only series in the shape of the F1 Academy, which is currently nine races into its first season. And last week the Iron Dames project nearly produced the first all-female, class-winning Le Mans team since 1975, its #85 entry narrowly missing out on the podium having led the GTE Am category at various stages of the race.