British driver Alice Powell drew level in the W Series championship with fellow Brit Jamie Chadwick as the Racing X driver took the win at the Dutch GP.
Once again the race was delayed due to red flags during the F1 qualifying session, furthering the argument that the series should be moved to the Sunday like its male counterpart, but once all was sorted we were ready for a cracking race in the beautiful Dutch sunshine. It was a bad start for Brazilian Bruna Tomaselli who despite qualifying 14th, spun on the formation lap and had to start the race from the back of the field.
As the race got underway, Emma Kimiläinen made a flying start from pole to retain her lead at the end of lap. Both Powell and Jamie Chadwick were hot on her tail. It was a bad start for Abbi Pulling, who started fifth but lost three places in the early stages, promoting Jessica Hawkins, Abbie Eaton and Belen Garcia up the field.
With 23 minutes remaining in the race, Powell finally put a move on Kimiläinen to take the lead after setting the fastest lap of the race. It went from bad to worse as Chadwick also made her way past the Finn on the next lap. The front two now set about trading fastest laps as they began to pull away from the pack.
At the halfway stage, Powell led Chadwick by 2.2 seconds with Kimiläinen 4.1 seconds down the road. As the fastest laps kept coming Powell extended her lead by a second and kept that advantage all the way to the chequered flag. Powell and Chadwick are now neck and neck at the top of the championship as we enter the last two races of the season.
It was further down the grid the fiercest battle took place. Garcia and Pulling battled hard for seventh place. With Pulling looking to have made a successful overtake on the penultimate lap but Garcia survived until the final lap when Pulling managed to make a move stick and salvaging something from a poor start.
In a new fan initiative, Powell was named Star of the Track. The Brit received more votes from fans than any other driver at the end of the race.
The series will return for the American Grand Prix on the 23rd Ocotber.
On her race win, Powell said; “I’m so happy with that victory. It was a good move to get past Emma [Kimiläinen], I was quite pleased with that one. It’s the business end of season so I knew I had to move forward, and I knew I had the pace to do that because of what happened in qualifying when Emma just pipped us. It was a great job by the team today, so thanks to them for all their help. Hopefully there are more wins to come for me this season. I’m level on points with Jamie [Chadwick] now and the plan is the same as it’s been all season, I’ll just try to be consistent. It will be a hard fight with Jamie and Emma for the rest of the year and the gaps between the field are closing at every race, so you can’t rule out more people joining the battle at the front.”
Speaking about her second place Chadwick said; “That was a difficult race. Alice [Powell], Emma [Kimiläinen] and I all got a similar start and, after the first few laps, the three of us just went clear. I’m not sure what happened to Emma, but I managed to get past her. I couldn’t close up to Alice, so there was no opportunity to overtake her for the lead. It’s another solid result and good points for me in the title race, but I would have liked the win.”
Race Result
| Cla | # | Drivers | Laps | Time | Gap | Interval | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 |  Alice Powell |
20 | 31’53.483 | 25 | |||
| 2 | 55 | Jamie Chadwick |
20 | 31’56.354 | 2.871 | 2.871 | 18 | |
| 3 | 7 |  Emma Kimilainen |
20 | 32’03.396 | 9.913 | 7.042 | 15 | |
| 4 | 32 |  Nerea Martí |
20 | 32’05.640 | 12.157 | 2.244 | 12 | |
| 5 | 21 | Jessica Hawkins |
20 | 32’07.427 | 13.944 | 1.787 | 10 | |
| 6 | 44 | Abbie Eaton |
20 | 32’08.479 | 14.996 | 1.052 | 8 | |
| 7 | 49 | Abbi Pulling |
20 | 32’09.372 | 15.889 | 0.893 | 6 | |
| 8 | 22 | Belén García |
20 | 32’10.120 | 16.637 | 0.748 | 4 | |
| 9 | 26 | Sarah Moore |
20 | 32’10.840 | 17.357 | 0.720 | 2 | |
| 10 | 54 |  Miki Koyama |
20 | 32’14.426 | 20.943 | 3.586 | 1 | |
| 11 | 11 |  Vicky Piria |
20 | 32’15.420 | 21.937 | 0.994 | ||
| 12 | 95 |  Beitske Visser |
20 | 32’15.609 | 22.126 | 0.189 | ||
| 13 | 51 | Irina Sidorkova | 20 | 32’16.197 | 22.714 | 0.588 | ||
| 14 | 37 |  Sabre Cook |
20 | 32’24.962 | 31.479 | 8.765 | ||
| 15 | 17 |  Ayla Agren |
20 | 32’25.147 | 31.664 | 0.185 | ||
| 16 | 5 |  Fabienne Wohlwend |
20 | 32’34.911 | 41.428 | 9.764 | ||
| 17 | 97 |  Bruna Tomaselli |
20 | 32’41.723 | 48.240 | 6.812 | ||
| 18 | 19 | Marta Garcia |
20 | 32’42.945 | 49.462 | 1.222 |
Championship Standings
| Pos | Driver | Points |  |
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alice Powell |
109 | 25/1 | 4/8 | 25/1 | 18/2 | 12/4 | 25/1 | – | – |
| 2 | Jamie Chadwick |
109 | 8/6 | 25/1 | 15/3 | 25/1 | 18/2 | 18/2 | – | – |
| 3 | Emma Kimilainen |
75 | – | 15/3 | 12/4 | 8/6 | 25/1 | 15/3 | – | – |
| 4 | Nerea Martí |
53 | 6/7 | 6/7 | 10/5 | 15/3 | 4/8 | 12/4 | – | – |
| 5 | Fabienne Wohlwend |
40 | 15/3 | 1/10 | 18/2 | – | 6/7 | – | – | – |
| 6 | Sarah Moore |
38 | 18/2 | 12/4 | 6/7 | – | – | 2/9 | – | – |
| 7 | Irina Sidorkova | 34 | 4/8 | 18/2 | – | 12/4 | – | – | – | – |
| 8 | Belén García |
22 | 12/4 | 2/9 | – | 4/8 | – | 4/8 | – | – |
| 9 | Marta Garcia |
21 | – | – | – | 6/7 | 15/3 | – | – | – |
| 10 | Jessica Hawkins |
19 | – | – | – | 1/10 | 8/6 | 10/5 | – | – |
| 11 | Abbie Eaton |
19 | – | 8/6 | 2/9 | – | 1/10 | 8/6 | – | – |
| 12 | Beitske Visser |
18 | – | – | 8/6 | 10/5 | – | – | – | – |
| 13 | Miki Koyama |
13 | 10/5 | – | – | – | 2/9 | 1/10 | – | – |
| 14 | Bruna Tomaselli |
12 | – | 10/5 | – | 2/9 | – | – | – | – |
| 15 |  Caitlin Wood |
10 | – | – | – | – | 10/5 | – | – | – |
| 16 | Abbi Pulling |
10 | – | – | 4/8 | – | – | 6/7 | – | – |
| 17 |  Gosia Rdest |
2 | 2/9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 18 | Vicky Piria |
1 | – | – | 1/10 | – | – | – | – | – |
| 19 | Ayla Agren |
1 | 1/10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 20 | Sabre Cook |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
