The W Series’s Tatuus T-318 race car is being used for the first time during four days of testing in Almeria, Spain, this week, ahead of the launch of the female-only single-seater motor racing championship.
The tests are determining who of 28 drivers will be placed in the 18-car grid for the W-Series’s first race at Hockenheim, Germany, in May. The championship has a prize fund of US$1.5m – including US$500,000 for the overall winner.
W Series racing director Dave Ryan said, “It is much more of a race-focused program than before. We’ll consider their rate of improvement throughout the test, and the ability of each driver to work technically and productively with engineers and mechanics, in addition to their stamina and consistency over longer runs.”
The Tatuus F3 chassis features side impact panels, front and rear carbon impact structures, wheel tethers, an extractable seat, and the new Halo system. The car uses a four-cylinder turbocharged 270hp engine tuned by Autotecnica Motori, a Sadev SL-R 82 6-speed gearbox and ECU and data acquisition by Magneti Marelli.
The cars will feature the new W Series livery, which allows space for the prominent future positioning of the driver’s name and national flag, as well as her own race number, as specifically chosen by each driver, once the final grid has been finalized.
The first day of testing starts in Almeria on March 23, and the final successful drivers will be announced on March 28.
