SPIELBERG, Austria -- Alice Powell won an eventful season opener to the 2021 W Series on Saturday.
The British driver, who was also fastest in Friday’s practice and qualifying, led from start to finish in the race full of collisions and spins on the track of Formula One’s Styrian Grand Prix.
Sarah Moore of Britain and Fabienne Wohlwend of Liechtenstein finished second and third, respectively.
Powell won the last race of the inaugural W Series two years ago at Brands Hatch to finish third in the drivers’ standings.
SPIELBERG, AUSTRIA - JUNE 26: Race winner Alice Powell of Great Britain and Racing X (27), second placed Sarah Moore of Great Britain and Scuderia W (26), and third placed Fabienne Wohlwend of Liechtenstein and Bunker Racing (5) celebrate on the podium during the W Series Round 1 race at Red Bull Ring on June 26, 2021 in Spielberg, Austria. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)
Getty Images
The second race is scheduled on the same track in the Austrian Alps next Saturday, a day before F1’s Austrian GP.
The W Series is an all-female championship, aimed at promoting women in motorsports as drivers and engineers. It started in 2019 with Jamie Chadwick winning the inaugural series championship, but last season was canceled because of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Moore became the first openly LGBTQ driver to score a podium during a Grand Prix weekend, according to the W Series.
A P2 finish for @smgirlracer26 means this podium is even more notable than most.
— W Series (@WSeriesRacing) June 26, 2021
Sarah Moore has become the first openly LGBTQ+ driver to stand on a podium during a Grand Prix weekend.
Representation matters. 🌈#WSeriesStyria 🇦🇹 #WSeries #F1 pic.twitter.com/vhyiDUFRbV
Chadwick finished seventh, having started eighth after a technical issue in qualifying.
Chadwick had to restart 16th after she was hit from behind on Lap 2 by Jess Hawkins, an incident that was under investigation by stewards.
I’m feeling mixed emotions after that race. Firstly, I’m happy to get points on the board but massively disappointed at the same time, I had a really good start and first lap but then got spun around.
“We got a bit lucky with the carnage that unfolded after the safety car but I think it was damage limitation today given the circumstances we found ourselves in. Our potential was much more than that this weekend. Luckily there isn’t long to wait so we’re already looking ahead to the next race.”
Chadwick, 22, also is racing in the Extreme E Series this season and secured a developmental deal with Williams F1. She has credited the W Series having “professionalized women’s motorsport overnight” in helping propel her career.
“I was surprised it took off so much as well, to be honest,” Chadwick told NBC Sports in March. “Massively. I was skeptical when it first started. I didn’t feel it was necessarily the best way to approach the situation.
“But in retrospect giving that many women that kind of opportunity and a platform, everyone bought into it and gave it this popularity that was completely unexpected. But also for sport and women’s sport, it was far greater than anything we’ve seen in recent years.”
