W Series today announces full details of the 2019 prize money roster and some important initial details of the 2020 season.

US$500,000 for 2019 W Series winner

All W Series drivers to receive prize money, down to US$7500 for lowest-placed finishers

Top 12 drivers in 2019 W Series to receive automatic entry to 2020 W Series

Drivers below top 12 have option to reapply for 2020 W Series

FIA Superlicence points to be awarded in 2020 W Series

The total prize fund for 2019 is US$1.5 million, to be distributed as follows:

1st place US$500,000 2nd place US$250,000 3rd place US$125,000 4th place US$100,000 5th place US$90,000 6th place US$80,000 7th place US$70,000 8th place US$60,000 9th place US$50,000 10th place US$40,000 11th place US$30,000 12th place US$25,000 13th place US$20,000 14th place US$15,000 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th places US$7500 Reserves US$7500

The provisional 2019 W Series money list is as follows, with two races still to run (Assen [Netherlands] on July 20th and Brands Hatch [UK] on August 11th), so all W Series drivers will be pushing as hard as they can at Assen and Brands Hatch to gain places and boost their prize money earnings:

Four drivers are in contention for the US$500,000 top prize: Jamie Chadwick, Beitske Visser, Marta Garcia and Fabienne Wohlwend.

The drivers who finish in the first 12 places in the final 2019 W Series points standings will automatically be invited to enter the 2020 W Series. Drivers who finish below the first 12 places will be permitted to apply to enter the driver selection programme for the 2020 W Series. The details, timings and location(s) of that driver selection programme are yet to be finalised. Drivers who have not taken part in this year’s W Series may apply to enter the driver selection programme for next year’s W Series, as long as they (a) are female and (b) possess an FIA International C licence (or better).

The 2020 W Series will be eligible for FIA Superlicence points. The FIA is currently determining the number of points that will be awarded, and the number of drivers who will receive them.

W Series CEO, Catherine Bond Muir said:

“The inaugural season of W Series is proving to be a roaring success. The racing is close and competitive, and three drivers have won races so far [Jamie Chadwick, Beitske Visser and Marta Garcia]. With two points-scoring races still to go, at Assen [Netherlands] and Brands Hatch [UK], four drivers can still become W Series champion [Jamie Chadwick, Beitske Visser, Marta Garcia and Fabienne Wohlwend]. There will be prize money for all our drivers, all the way down to last place, but those four will be pulling out all the stops at Assen and Brands Hatch in their efforts to scoop the US$500,000 top prize.

“Building on the ongoing success of W Series this year, next year’s W Series will be open to the top 12 points-scoring drivers in the final 2019 W Series points table, and we’re already receiving plenty of expressions of interest from other drivers who haven’t taken part in W Series so far. The competition for the opportunity to race in 2020 W Series alongside the 2019 top 12 will be fierce but that’s what W Series is all about: a highly competitive race series in which the best female racing drivers in the world race one another in state-of-the-art Tatuus T-318 Formula 3 cars, on iconic racetracks, and thereby gain crucial on-track experience which will enable them to progress their careers on and up to more senior single-seater formulae, where they can race – and beat – their male rivals. And from 2020 onwards they’ll be earning Superlicence points as they do so.”