The 2022 W Series season could be in for an early finish after reports of cash flow issues have emerged, financial difficulties putting serious doubts on whether the final two races can be completed.
The series, currently in Singapore in support of Formula 1, will race on Sunday night, an announcement expected next week as to whether the penultimate round in Austin and final round in Mexico City will go ahead.
The difficulties were revealed on Friday by W Series founder Catherine Bond Muir, who revealed the collapse of a major deal had left the organisation scrambling in search of new backers.
“We are speaking to a huge number of people, which is why I’m not sleeping very much, to get more money in,” Bond Muir said.
“I am reasonably confident that that will happen. I hope that the last few races will go ahead.”
They have until just next week to determine if those rounds will go ahead, Bond Muir recognising that as the deadline for the freight process to begin should they make it to North America on time.
She also believes the financial struggles of W Series are representative of the general struggles women in sport face.
“You all know the stories about women sport,” she said.
The female rugby players go in economy, the men go in first class. There’s only equality and parity in tennis because Billie Jean King’s been fighting for 50 years for it. So I have no doubt that in the future, it will be a lot easier for us.
“But I think it’s not just a motorsport issue, I think it’s a female in sport issue. The reason why it just came to a head is that I was in San Francisco at the weekend and money that had been contracted to come in, didn’t come in. So that’s why it’s become a bit stressful.”
The Singapore Grand Prix was omitted from the 2022 calendar initially, added in July in place of the Japanese Grand Prix. Promoter support in Singapore has made this trip possible.
First run in 2019, the W Series was launched with an aim of providing females in motorsport equality whilst eliminating financial barriers which hamper many from competing competitively.
Jamie Chadwick has won both of the seasons run thus far, after the Covid 19 pandemic derailed 2020 racing, and looks set to make it three in a row with a 75 point lead heading into Singapore, just one point needed to secure the title.
