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 | ||||
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