New all-female W Series: Yay or Nay?

When it comes to women in motorsport, the overriding feeling I have is annoyance that for every great trailblazer – from Pat Moss, Maria Teresa da Filippis, Michele Mouton, Janet Guthrie, Lella Lombardi, Jutta Kleinschmidt through to Danica Patrick – we haven’t seen the next wave of talent to come through. Instead of their prominence being the catalyst for a new wave of female racers, I’d have to say it’s only really in top-level U.S. drag racing where it’s truly become the norm. It currently has women in all four of its classes, and has Shirley Muldowney to thank for breaking the gender barrier in the 1960s. Key to that was Muldowney’s regular successes – winning Top Fuel titles in 1977, 80 and 82. The NHRA can boast double figures of women who’ve won at its highest levels in recent years, and I can only see that trend continuing. Good on them! So there’s empirical proof for argument that says until women are regular, proven winners in high-level motorsports, then that true snowball effect won’t follow on. I know a lot of people wince at the new W Series concept, shouting “segregation isn’t what we need” – but my reply would be at least it gives a platform to prove their talent. In an ideal world, we’d have a ton of Ana Carrascos tearing up the world’s circuits, but it’s simply not the case. Is this new initiative ideal? Probably not. Yet someone had to do something, so let’s give it a chance. Charles Bradley, Global Editor in Chief [motorsport.com]( E D I T O R ' S C H O I C E [W Series: Yay or Nay?]( Motorsport Network's Julia Piquet reports on the creation of the new all-female racing series, as women voice their opinions on the new category. J O N A T H A N N O B L E [Coulthard: Existing racing structures not working for women]( Former grand prix driver David Coulthard says motor racing's structure needs a "fundamental" change like the new W Series if women are going to make a breakthrough in Formula 1. L E W I S D U N C A N [Carrasco expects to stay in WSS300 to defend title]( Ana Carrasco has told Motorsport.com she expects to remain in the World Supersport 300 championship in 2019 to defend her historic title. J O N A T H A N N O B L E [Raikkonen defends Verstappen over driving approach]( Kimi Raikkonen says Max Verstappen is not the kind of driver who would deliberately drive a rival off track, despite their clash at the Japanese Grand Prix C H R I S T I A N N I M M E R V O L L [Wehrlein turned down Formula E chance to focus on F1 return]( DTM driver Pascal Wehrlein missed out on a Mercedes-backed long-term drive in Formula E because he is focused on making a Formula 1 return, says HWA boss Ulrich Fritz. A U T O C L A S S I C S . C O M [Porsche unveils 911 GT1 retro liveries for Petit Le Mans]( After its Le Mans success with two retro paint jobs, Porsche is at it again with two 1998-inspired liveries for America's endurance classic. M O T O R S P O R T J O B S . C O M [Renault Sport Racing is seeking a Wind Tunnel Project Engineer]( As Renault continue to grow as a team, they are looking for a highly talented individual to join the Aerodynamics division, as a Wind Tunnel Project Engineer. Get the Motorsport PRIME app today! Because you deserve the best. Available on Copyright © 2018 Motorsport.com, Inc., All rights reserved. Top news of the week Our mailing address is: Motorsport.com, Inc. 5972 NE 4th AvenueMiami, FL 33137 [Add us to your address book]( Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. Copyright © MOTORSPORT NETWORK. All rights reserved.