While Jamie Chadwick remains the favourite going into the next W Series race on the calendar at Silverstone, there could be a strong challenge posed by two drivers who have been singled out as ones to watch. Chadwick is leading the championship after scoring a hat-trick of victories at the first three events of the season, but faced pressure last time out in Barcelona from Abbi Pulling, who finished a close second at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir has been left hugely impressed by 19-year-old Pulling, and expects her to be strong on home soil, along with fellow Briton Alice Powell. "Abbi Pulling's got the speed," Bond Muir told media, including RacingNews365.com , when asked which drivers besides Chadwick had impressed most in 2022. "She couldn't pass in Barcelona, and I think that is Barcelona as a circuit. But I hope that, given that Silverstone is a much easier place to overtake, [she can challenge]. "Jamie has always been absolutely brilliant in quali[fying], and I wouldn't be surprised if Jamie was front of the grid at the race. "But I do suspect Abby to give her a good push, and, obviously, Alice will be there. She won last year, she beat Jamie. It will be an unbelievably competitive race."
Coulthard predicts Silverstone will provide "fantastic opportunity"
David Coulthard – who has been involved with the development of W Series since its first season in 2019 – has also backed Pulling to impress. "I think that what's been impressive with Abby is her age, as well," Coulthard said. "To have the speed is one thing, but to have the maturity as well, and to see that developing is something that's impressive." However, Coulthard is hopeful that Silverstone can provide a good opportunity for all of the drivers on the grid. "In the end, I don't want to put too much of a highlight on any one individual," the former F1 driver continued. "Because the reality is we create the platform, [but] we can't drive the car for them. It's in their hands to show their skills and to show their development path, and entertain us along the way. "I'm just hoping that whoever's having the most difficult season so far, I hope that they get their act together at Silverstone, whether it's just in the racing gods or whether it's been some bad decisions in the end."
Drivers who have had a difficult start need to find form, warns Coulthard
For those who have had a tough start to the campaign, Coulthard has stressed the importance of turning this around. "I know what the journey is like as a race driver," he added. "It's an emotional one at times, but at various points in your career, the penny drops and something clicks, and then you find your form. "So for those that have had a difficult start, they need to be finding their form. Otherwise, the writing is on the wall for the longer-term. That's just the harsh reality of the world we live in. "They've all got a fantastic opportunity to be at Silverstone during a British Grand Prix weekend, with zero cost in doing so. They've earned the right to be there on talent. "If they cannot find a happy place in their mind to deliver a result, then, I'm sorry, I don't know what more we can do to give them a platform to perform." Watch the fourth race of the 2022 W Series season live from Silverstone on Sky Sports and Channel 4 on Saturday 2 July.
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