The W Series is adding races in the United States and Mexico to its 2020 calendar, organisers of the all-female championship have announced.
The races at the Circuit of the Americas and the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez will form part of the weekend support package for the respective two Formula 1 Grand Prix events being held at the venues at the end of October.
It will be the first time that the W Series has ventured outside Europe, where this season it is set to run as alongside the DTM championship. Williams F1 development driver Jamie Chadwick is returning to defend her title.
The news was welcomed by F1’s managing director for motorsport, Ross Brawn, who said: “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.
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“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 motorsport.
“In just one year, W Series has contributed significantly to increasing interest in the topic of diversity and inclusion in motorsport,” he continued. “We are convinced that 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 addition of the two new races on October 24 and October 31 will give the W Series a high profile ‘double header’ over consecutive weekends as a climax to its second season of competition.
“We at W Series are absolutely delighted that, in only our second season, our championship has been welcomed by Formula 1,” commented W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir.
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