Caitlyn Jenner buys W Series team for 2022 season

The American former racing driver will run a team in the all-female championship’s third season, consisting of support races at eight Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends.

Jenner will oversee the day-to-day running of the team, which joins the grid at the series’ season opener in Miami in May.

She first competed in motorsport in a celebrity race at the Long Beach Grand Prix, California, USA, in 1979.

Less than a year later, Jenner drove in the 24 Hours of Daytona race as part of Jim Busby’s team, before going on to compete professionally in the IMSA Camel GT Championship as a factory driver for the Ford Motor Company and Jack Roush for the next six years, making a total of 57 starts.

Her first victory came in the 1986 12 Hours of Sebring alongside co-driver Scott Pruett, finishing first in their class and fourth overall. She finished second in the IMSA GTO Championship that year.

Jenner said: “As a believer in fair competition, a lover of motor racing, and a supporter of all women in sport from the grassroots to elite level, W Series ticks every box for me and is a fusion of the different aspects of my career.

“A championship dedicated to inspiring young girls and giving women the chance to succeed in roles throughout what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, W Series is changing the face of motorsport.

“As the series continues its rapid expansion with a truly international cast of drivers and races, this was the perfect time to come on board.

"W Series had a global reach of more than half a billion viewers in 2021, and I am going out to the market to acquire sponsors that align with mine and W Series’ joint missions.

“I watched on with great excitement last year when W Series made its American debut in Austin, Texas, USA, where its drivers entertained 400,000 fans over the weekend at the Circuit of the Americas.

“In May, I will be beaming with pride when my Jenner Racing team starts its bid for W Series glory on motor racing’s greatest stage at the first race of season three in Miami, USA, in support of Formula 1.

"As has always been the case, I’m in it to win it.”

CEO Catherine Bond Muir said: “W Series exists to promote women in motorsport, believing that they can compete equally with men if given the same opportunities.

"We are determined to give females a platform and a pathway to succeed in our sport, and when I first met Caitlyn Jenner, it was clear that she is as committed to that mission as all of us at W Series are.

“She has performed at the highest level in sport, is a proven winner and a complete petrol-head, and I know that her passion for sport and motorsport will inspire everybody at W Series.

"We continue to rethink racing and I am excited to see how the Jenner Racing team performs this season. With one of the world’s greatest athletes supporting them, the sky is the limit.”

Last week, 15 prospective drivers attended a W Series test at the Inde Motorsports Ranch, Arizona, in a bid to secure spots on this season’s grid.

The top eight drivers from the 2021 season have all been given the opportunity to race again next season, but Powell and Chadwick have both said they are unlikely to return to the championship in 2022, with both having taken part in November’s World Endurance Championship rookie test with Richard Mille Racing Team.

The series’ 2022 calendar was confirmed last month, featuring its first ever Asian round and visiting five new venues.