The announcement comes after an unnamed sponsor of W Series has failed to deliver crucial payments which would have funded the championship’s North American leg.
The Telegraph has reported that W Series also owe large sums of money to Whisper, a creditor founded by David Coulthard, and Velocity Experience, W Series’ hospitality provider. Several other partners claim to have gone unpaid, with invoices reportedly totaling thousands of pounds.
The series claims to be in a startup phase and has reassured drivers and fans that W Series will likely return in 2023. W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir has written a lengthy statement on the unfortunate news.
“As a start-up in only our third season of racing, we are always working hard to ensure regularity of funding… but due to recent unforeseen circumstances outside of W Series’ control, we had not been in receipt of contracted funds due to us,” she wrote.
“Having set up W Series in 2018, I am acutely accustomed to the relentless work that goes on to not only keep our business operational, but also acquire the fundraising and sponsorship to grow our business further, supporting our talented drivers and hard-working personnel who put their heart and soul into driving W Series and our mission forward. We are grateful for the continued support of our incredible and growing fanbase, and we hope to share positive news regarding the future of W Series in the coming weeks.”
The season’s early end will also confirm Jamie Chadwick as a three-time W Series champion. After winning five of the season’s six races, there was little doubt that she would hold on to the title. The rumor mill has been spinning, and Chadwick seems set to move on to either Formula 3 or Indy Lights, a move which would see her become the first W Series driver to graduate into a higher formula.