Spa W Series: Chadwick takes pole after horrific six-car crash at Eau Rouge
Jamie Chadwick took W Series pole position ahead of title rival Alice Powell at Spa in a qualifying session overshadowed by a serious multiple-car crash.
The reigning champion took the front spot on the grid for Veloce Racing by seven-tenths of a second from Powell (Racing X), with the pair having tussled for the lead in the standings all season.
But the session was red flagged after five minutes after a crash at Eau Rouge, with six cars involved in the horrific collision – Sarah Moore, Abbie Eaton, Belen Garcia, Fabienne Wohlwend, Ayla Agren and Beitske Visser.
Moore was first into the corner before the other cars collided into the barriers, with Eaton sent upwards after being hit side-on, while Visser was sent rolling upside-down and others crashing into each other.
W Series organisers have confirmed all drivers involved were undergoing medical assessment with Agren and Visser taken to hospital for further checks.
"All drivers involved in the incident are undergoing medical assessment and two of the drivers – Ayla Agren and Beitske Visser – have been transferred to hospital for further checks," a W Series update read.
W Series Academy driver Nerea Marti qualified in third place, 1.163s behind Chadwick, with Puma’s Caitlin Wood in fourth and Emma Kimilainen (Ecurie W) in fifth.
Moore was first out on track for Scuderia W, with Bunker Racing’s Wohlwend setting an early fast time, with a 2m23.208s, including first and last purple sectors.
Following the collision, the session resumed after a 30-minute break, with Kimilainen taking the top spot with a 2m23.058s.
With 15 minutes to go, Kimilainen set a 2m21.728, tussling for the top spot with Chadwick, who was six-tenths behind, before taking provisional pole with a 2m21.439s.
The yellow flags were waved in sectors two and three with 12 minutes to go, with Bruna Tomaselli ending up in the gravel after running wide.
With eight minutes to go in the session, Chadwick went quickest by almost 2.5s on her previous lap, setting a 2m18.870s, with Kimilainen in second with a 2m21.728s.
As the times tumbled towards the end of the session, Powell moved up into second place, with Marti in third and Wood in fourth, pushing Kimilainen back to fifth.
Powell closed in on Chadwick, getting within 0.01s of her rival, before the reigning champion found an extra tenth on her time.
It is not yet known whether all 18 cars will start on the grid tomorrow after such extensive damage was suffered, with a limited supply of spare cars to use.
The series organisers have said a full update on the incident will be issued shortly.
W Series - Spa Qualifying Results
| Cla | Drivers | Laps | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Jamie Chadwick |
12 | 2'18.074 | |
| 2 | Alice Powell |
12 | 2'18.795 | 0.721 |
| 3 | Nerea Martí | 12 | 2'19.201 | 1.127 |
| 4 |  Caitlin Wood |
12 | 2'19.237 | 1.163 |
| 5 |  Emma Kimilainen |
11 | 2'19.558 | 1.484 |
| 6 |  Marta Garcia |
12 | 2'19.826 | 1.752 |
| 7 | Jessica Hawkins |
12 | 2'20.092 | 2.018 |
| 8 |  Vicky Piria |
12 | 2'20.093 | 2.019 |
| 9 |  Miki Koyama |
12 | 2'20.161 | 2.087 |
| 10 |  Bruna Tomaselli |
11 | 2'20.254 | 2.180 |
| 11 |  Sabre Cook |
12 | 2'20.640 | 2.566 |
| 12 |  Gosia Rdest |
12 | 2'20.816 | 2.742 |
| 13 |  Fabienne Wohlwend |
2 | 2'23.208 | 5.134 |
| 14 |  Ayla Agren |
2 | 2'25.087 | 7.013 |
| 15 |  Beitske Visser |
2 | 2'25.536 | 7.462 |
| 16 | Abbie Eaton |
2 | 2'25.602 | 7.528 |
| 17 | Sarah Moore |
2 | 2'26.405 | 8.331 |
| 18 | Belén García | 2 | 2'29.671 | 11.597 |
| View full results | ||||
Related video
Spa W Series: Chadwick tops practice from Wohlwend
W Series drivers Agren and Visser transferred to hospital after Spa crash
Daytona 24: WTR Acura tops heavily interrupted FP1
Five red flags disrupted the first practice session for this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours, while Filipe Albuquerque put the Wayne Taylor Racing Andretti Autosport Acura on top.
Pedrosa to make KTM MotoGP wildcard outing in Spanish GP
Dani Pedrosa will make his first MotoGP race start since the 2021 Styrian Grand Prix with a wildcard entry for KTM at this year’s Spanish GP in April.
House of Lords peer criticises "discourteous and unprofessional" Ben Sulayem
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem has been criticised by a House of Lords peer for being "deeply discourteous and unprofessional" in failing to reply to human rights concerns.
LMP2 drivers question move to slow class for Daytona 24 Hours
Leading LMP2 drivers have questioned the need for the secondary class to be slowed ahead of this weekend's Daytona 24 Hours, given that the new top-class GTP cars are running similar lap times to their DPi predecessors.
How Chadwick's u-turn poses big questions for W Series
With two W Series titles under her belt, Jamie Chadwick appears to be the perfect candidate to break into FIA Formula 3. But a shock return to the series in 2022 appears a curious move – not just for her, but for the all-female series too
How W Series' standout star took the challenge to its champion
Heading into 2021, much of the discussion around W Series centred on Jamie Chadwick and her fight for a second crown. Chadwick duly won out, but only after a season-long battle with Alice Powell, who came into the final double-header level on points and almost stole the show
How Chadwick’s second W Series title poses more questions than answers
Jamie Chadwick successfully defended her W Series title as the series returned after a year out due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She saw off a fierce fight from Alice Powell to keep the crown but with both looking to climb the motorsport ladder, what is next for both the two star drivers and series itself?
How W Series can confront its biggest enduring issue
Two-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick finds herself in a predicament. The Williams F1 development driver has more than proven herself in the all-female series and has little to gain from returning. But where should she go next? And how will the series move forwards if she elects to take up her reserved slot on next year's grid? Whatever she decides, it poses important questions for the series' future
The nightmare season of a W Series title favourite
She came into 2021 as a W Series title contender, but Beitske Visser has had a frustrating season, marred by a horrific crash at Spa and floundering in 12th place in the drivers’ standings. After misfortune and on-track clashes, the Dutch driver wishes the season was just starting now
The rational brain of W Series' outside title bet
As the only mum in W Series, Emma Kimilainen has a different perspective than many of her rivals. After her swashbuckling drive to victory at a sodden Spa, the Finn now has a real chance of getting into the title fight, and can call on an approach that has been a boost through myriad past disappointments
The comeback trail Brit making the most of a second chance
After four years of making only irregular race appearances, Alice Powell had good reason to believe that her dreams of becoming a professional driver were over. But W Series has provided a second chance that she has firmly grasped, Powell's popular home win at Silverstone prompting the new series leader to look ahead to a bright future
Why W Series' champion is taking nothing for granted ahead of its return
W Series is back this weekend after a year away. This time it’s supporting F1, and reigning champion Jamie Chadwick is up for the challenge of taking another title - but knows with higher stakes will come even more motivated opposition
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.