W Series racing – the all-women single-seater formula – heads for a bigger stage this year with the USA and Mexico races scheduled alongside the Formula 1 race at each venue on the weekend.
W Series’ USA race will take place at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, October 24 and W Series’ Mexico race will take place at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez in the capital, Mexico City, on Saturday, October 31.
The two all-new W Series races – with South Africa’s Tasmin Pepper as part of the field – will form an exciting championship-deciding ‘double header’, held on consecutive weekends, and will be rounds seven and eight of the eight-race 2020 W Series championship.
The full 2020 W Series championship calendar
| Race 1 | St Petersburg, Russia | May 30th |
| Race 2 | Anderstorp, Sweden | June 13th |
| Race 3 | Monza, Italy | June 27th |
| Race 4 | Norisring, Germany | July 11th |
| Race 5 | Brands Hatch, UK | August 23rd |
| Race 6 | Assen, Netherlands | September 5th |
| Race 7 | Austin, USA | October 24th |
| Race 8 | Mexico City, Mexico | October 31st |
Catherine Bond Muir (Chief Executive Officer, W Series) says: “We at W Series are absolutely delighted that, in only our second season, our championship has been welcomed by Formula 1 and we are utterly thrilled the final two races of the 2020 W Series season will therefore take place as part of the Formula 1 platform.
“Our two all-new races will follow six races on the DTM platform, making a very varied, extremely exciting and truly international eight-race championship, in eight countries across the globe. I’m particularly pleased that W Series will now stage races outside Europe, and the USA and Mexico are of course both very important new territories for us.
“Interest in and enthusiasm for W Series was enormous in our first season, 2019, among media and fans alike, and the addition of two all-new W Series races on the Formula 1 platform will inevitably increase that enthusiasm and interest.
“Commercially, too, following the successful recent announcement of W Series’ new multi-year sponsor-partnership with ROKiT Phones, the fact W Series will be even bigger and even better in 2020 than it was in 2019 will make the return on investment for our future sponsor-partners better and bigger, too.”
Dave Ryan (Racing Director, W Series) added: “Following the six W Series races that will be run in 2020 alongside DTM, who remain an excellent partner of ours, W Series’ two new Formula 1 support races in Austin and Mexico City will cap what looks set to be a brilliant second season for us.
“The Circuit of the Americas is a superb racetrack. Sector one is particularly spectacular, featuring an extremely steep uphill run into Turn One, and I’m sure that the W Series drivers will find it exciting yet challenging.
“Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is also a fantastic circuit, older than the Circuit of the Americas of course but impressively updated, having hosted the Mexican Grand Prix since the race was reintroduced to the Formula 1 calendar in 2015 but having previously been the venue for Mexican Grands Prix as long ago as 1963.”
Ross Brawn (Managing Director, Motorsport at Formula 1) says: “We are delighted to welcome W Series to two such spectacular events of the 2020 FIA Formula 1 World Championship such as those in Austin and Mexico City.
“In just one year, W Series has contributed significantly to increasing interest in the topic of diversity and inclusion in motor sport.
“We are convinced our sport must offer equal opportunities for men and women to compete together – it is no coincidence that improving the diversity of the F1 grid by supporting and promoting driver talent from under-represented backgrounds is one of our strategic objectives.
“The ability for the great crowds who traditionally attend the Austin and Mexico City Grands Prix to see these talented female drivers up close will definitely further raise the awareness of the importance of inclusion and diversity in motor sport.”
