Chadwick wins historic W Series debut

Jamie Chadwick has claimed the historic first win of the all-new W Series as she recovered from an opening lap mistake to charge to victory at Hockenheim.

The British 20-year-old, who has already made history as the first female driver to win a BRDC British Formula 3 race last year, bolted from pole position into an early lead but in drying track conditions following heavy rain she ran wide at the hairpin on the opening lap to hand the lead to Sarah Moore.

Moore retained the lead behind in an early safety car period, following a first lap crash at the hairpin between Emma Kimilainen and Megan Gilkes which eliminated both drivers, but at the restart Chadwick wasted little time in regaining the lead with a move at Turn 2.

Alice Powell followed Chadwick through to take second place from Moore around Turns 3 and 4 as she looked to apply the pressure on her fellow Brit over the second half of the race.

But Chadwick kept up her impressive pace, having dominated in practice and qualifying, to move clear of Powell and take a famous win in the first-ever W Series race.

Moore dropped further down the order after going wide at the hairpin on Lap 6 which allowed Spaniard Marta Garcia and Fabienne Wohlwend through.

Garcia found a way past Wohlwend to take the final podium spot, while Wohlwend faded badly in the closing stages which allowed Beitske Visser to take fourth place ahead of Moore in fifth with Wohlend crossing the finish line in sixth.

Japanese driver Miki Koyama impressed charging from 17^th on the grid to finish in seventh place ahead of South African Tasmin Pepper, with Gosia Rdest and Caitlin Wood rounding out the top 10 points finishers.

The inaugural W Series is set to be contested over six rounds running under the DTM championship with round two taking place at Zolder in Belgium on May 17-18.