Chadwick explains W Series return, responds to criticism

The double champion announced her return to the all-female championship with Olympic athlete Caitlyn Jenner’s new team Jenner Racing on Tuesday.

It prompted criticism on social media, including from 2021 runner-up Alice Powell, who said she felt “champions should move on.”

On Thursday, Chadwick acknowledged the frustration that she had been unable to move into FIA Formula 3 or 2, and said “in the short space of time that we had, we weren’t able to secure the funding that we needed.”

She said: “I know, I’ve read a lot of the comments, there is a lot of frustration that I haven’t been able to progress up into the next step in Formula 3 or Formula 2 and trust me, I hear it, I know.

“I also wanted to make that step and I made no secret of that when I won the championship last year.

“Of course it was something I wanted to progress into, but honestly, there are so many factors that go into getting a seat like that, particularly a competitive one.

“I think the predominant one is funding, and to be completely honest, in the short space of time that we had, we weren’t able to secure the funding that we needed.

“Of course, it means that I’m coming back to W Series, but I don’t see that as a backwards step, I think it’s still another opportunity to be racing, to be trying to raise the budget and the funding to go to the next step, which I still believe is possible.

“Even if not in Europe, in America, I think there is so many opportunities still, so yeah, I’m still very grateful for W Series.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t be racing in the first place without them, so the fact we can even have this discussion about me going to F3 or F2 is something two or three years ago I wouldn’t have had.”

Chadwick added: “It’s not the end, we’ve got a long term goal. Obviously this year is not going to be F3 or F2 but maybe next year it will.”

W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir defended Chadwick’s return on Wednesday, telling Motorsport.com there are “systemic problems in motorsport for women” and saying the most important thing was that Chadwick was in a race seat for the season.