WSeries certainly provided F3 Women drivers moments to remember at Race 5 of the newly launched F3 Championship at Assen in the weekend. Not only did racing provide fans 4th change of Overall P1 on race-day but also treated the 18 drivers plus 2 reserves a non-Championship points race -reverse grid on Sunday which proved equally exciting.
Taking the 4th change of P1 in WSeries 6 Race Championship was Finnish driver Emma Kimilainen, claiming pole in qualifying followed by Overall Race win. Emma’s victory was all the sweeter given #7 had missed Races 2 and 3 at Zolder and Misano due to injury at Opening Race 1 at Hockenheim in May.
British driver Alice Powell claimed P2 Overall revitalizing the 26 year old run of tough luck finishes at Race 3 and 4, pushing her Overall standings to 4th, 11 points shy of Race 4 winner Marta Garcia.
Championship leader Jamie Chadwick held 3rd from Dutch rival Beitske Visser through-out entire race, consolidating points standings over 2nd place Visser heading into WSeries Final Race 6 at Brands Hatch in 2 weeks.
Stand-out racing for less experienced drivers was the reverse grid race- non-Championship points on Sunday. Not only were standings order reversed placing last place Megan Gilkes on pole, but the young, tenacious 18 year old claimed her moment and held off highly charged attack from Powell to win by sheer 0.003 seconds.
WSeries CEO Catherine Bond Muir confirms: “We all know why Megan was on the pole – the grid was formed in reverse order of the current championship positions – but she kept her head while all about her were losing theirs’.
‘And she was the only driver on the front three rows of the grid not to slip back into the clutches of the quicker drivers coming through from the grid slots behind. As the youngest driver in W Series, at just 18, she deserves enormous credit for that, especially as she came under tremendous pressure from first Jess and then Alice in the final laps.”
With extra race-time giving WSeries drivers what is needed to learn, improve, develop racing techniques, Sunday’s race also proved curve-ball for those accustomed to lead straight off grid.
That has to be game changer for realising potential of up-coming F3 Women drivers- all beit at 18 years of age.
Words: Sharon Cox.
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