After a two-month hiatus, the W Series returns to action with their first visit to the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore.
Jamie Chadwick enters round seven of the 2022 W Series season with her first chance to claim the title. While we third consecutive championship is all but guaranteed, she would need the perfect set of results to leave Singapore with the crown. Given this will be her first time at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, as is the case for nearly all the grid, you wouldn’t fault Chadwick for taking a cautious approach. She simply needs to finish in the points for the next two rounds and she would arrive in Mexico as the 2022 Champion.
Tereza Babickova suffered a back injury earlier this month at a Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) event. She was forced to pull out of Formula 3 testing and will miss out on this weekend’s Singapore race. Ayla Agren will step into her seat for the PUMA team alongside Emma Kimiläinen. Argen drove in eight races in the W Series last season but was forced to take a reserve role this year. Speaking on her return she said,
“Somewhere like Marina Bay is the best place to be making my comeback, because it’s a new circuit for W Series and none of the drivers will have a big advantage. I’ve driven the circuit on the simulator and done some video analysis too, and it looks like a busy one. I think we’ll see the track change quite a bit over the weekend in terms of grip. It will be bumpy too, but I might have a small advantage there having driven lots of street courses, like Detroit and Nashville, in the USA.”
The Circuit – Marina Bay Street Circuit:
As Formula 1 returns to Singapore, the W Series will feature as the support series for the first time. In fact, this will be the W Series’ first trip to Asia. The circuit runs 5.063km and features 23 turns. It is a track known for its difficulty and should prove quite the challenge for the grid most of whom will have never driven on it beyond the simulator. Only Bianca Bustamante has experience racing on any portion of the circuit, albeit in a karting series. With tight corners and little margin for error expect indicates on race day.
Current Standings:
Chadwick has a 75-point advantage with just 100 points to go. While it’s unlikely she could click yet another W Series Championship this weekend. The battle behind her has intensified as now only three points separate second through fourth. There is a similarly tight battle between fifth through seventh (only six points).
- Jamie Chadwick – 143 points
- Alice Powell – 68 points
- Beiske Visser – 68 points
- Abbi Pulling – 65 points
- Belen Garcia – 46 points
Ayla Agren back in the driving seat for #WSeriesSingapore 🇸🇬@aylaagren will make her 2022 #WSeries debut at the @F1NightRace, replacing Tereza Babickova.
Full update below ⬇️
— W Series (@WSeriesRacing) September 27, 2022
Race Predictions:
Last time out in Hungary Alice Powell ended Jamie Chadwick’s perfect run through the 2022 season. And while Chadwick remains the favorite at any track the W Series travels to, this is the first trip to the Marina Bay Street Circuit. With the weather demands in Singapore anything could happen so I would not be surprised to see shuffling in qualifying and a surprise name on the podium. Visser has been solid this season, this could be her week. And I expect Belen Garcia to bounce back after missing out on the points in Hungary for the first time this season.
- Beiske Visser
- Jamie Chadwick
- Belén García
How to Watch the W Series (EDT):
- Practice: Friday 9/30 – 7:45 am on W Series YouTube Channel.
- Qualifying: Saturday 10/1 – 4:40 am on ESPNews / ESPN Deportes.
- E-Prix: Sunday 10/2– 4:40 am on ESPN2 / ESPN Deportes.
Note: All three events will be available on demand following its conclusion.
For viewers outside of the US, visit the W Series’ Where to Watch page for local coverage.
