Chadwick reacts to W Series return criticism, blames funding for lack of step up

The double champion confirmed 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.”

PLUS: Why Chadwick's u-turn poses a problem for W Series

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.

Jamie Chadwick

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

“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