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W Series Silverstone: Powell passes Wohlwend for second win of 2021

Alice Powell snatched victory in the W Series race at Silverstone, passing Fabienne Wohlwend for the lead just five minutes before the chequered flag to retake the championship lead.

Race winner Alice Powell celebrates

Race winner Alice Powell celebrates

Andy Hone / Motorsport Images

The Brit took the top step of the podium at her home race with a 1.3 second advantage for Racing X, her second win of the season after taking victory at the season opener in Austria.

Powell started on pole but Wohlwend took the lead off the line, leading for most of the race.

But Powell snatched back the top spot with minutes to go after the Bunker Racing driver locked up into the first part of the Club complex, causing her to run wide on the exit and allowing the Briton up the inside.

However second was still Wohlwend’s highest ever finish in the series, with her previous best a third place at the Red Bull Ring.

Reigning champion Jamie Chadwick completed the podium for Veloce Racing, with Emma Kimilainen (Ecurie W) in fourth, W Series Academy member Nerea Marti in fifth and 2019 championship runner-up Beitske Visser in sixth.

Before the race got underway, Visser was forced to make a last minute engine change in her M Forbes Motorsport due to a mechanical issue.

The Dutch driver had a bad start from fourth, slipping back to seventh, while Miki Koyama (Sirin Racing) stalled on the grid before eventually getting off the line as marshals ran to help her.

Wohlwend was into the lead after the first few turns, with Powell down to second and Chadwick sitting comfortably in third.

Alice Powell

Alice Powell

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

Series debutante Abbi Pulling was on the back of Visser by the fourth lap, with Abbie Eaton, driving for Ecurie W, also heaping pressure on Belen Garcia (Scuderia W) for ninth.

With ten minutes of the half-hour race completed, Powell was following close behind Wohlwend, with a four second gap behind her to Chadwick.

But by lap nine, Wohlwend appeared to be struggling, as Powell began to close in. The brewing fight was interrupted when Koyama came to a stop in the run off area on the outside of Village with a technical issue, ending her race and prompting a full safety car.

As the safety car ended with seven minutes to go, Wohlwend initially maintained her lead over Powell, only to make the error that allowed the local driver through further around the restart lap - gifting Powell back the lead in the standings over Chadwick and Sarah Moore.

Kimilainen was right on the gearbox of Chadwick in the challenge for third, but the Finn was unable to pass.

Visser, Moore and Pulling tussled for sixth with seconds to go, with Visser eventually emerging in front ahead of Moore in seventh and Pulling in eighth.

Garcia was out on the last lap, suffering damage to her rear suspension after making contact with Hawkins.

Cla Drivers Laps Time Gap
1 United Kingdom Alice Powell 16 32'39.244  
2 Liechtenstein Fabienne Wohlwend 16 32'41.163 1.919
3 United Kingdom Jamie Chadwick 16 32'43.274 4.030
4 Finland Emma Kimilainen 16 32'45.028 5.784
5 Nerea Martí 16 32'47.727 8.483
6 Netherlands Beitske Visser 16 32'48.334 9.090
7 United Kingdom Sarah Moore 16 32'49.735 10.491
8 Abbi Pulling 16 32'50.332 11.088
9 United Kingdom Abbie Eaton 16 32'51.389 12.145
10 United Kingdom Jessica Hawkins 16 32'53.235 13.991
11 Italy Vicky Piria 16 32'53.739 14.495
12 Brazil Bruna Tomaselli 16 32'54.266 15.022
13 Spain Marta Garcia 16 32'55.131 15.887
14 United States Sabre Cook 16 32'55.733 16.489
15 Irina Sidorkova 16 32'56.346 17.102
16 Ayla Agren 16 33'09.467 30.223
17 Belén García 15 30'52.092 1 Lap
  Japan Miki Koyama 8 16'32.116 8 Laps

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