Alice Powell earns home W Series victory

Photo: W Series

Alice Powell took advantage of a late mistake from long-time leader Fabienne Wohlwend to take her second W Series win of the season at Silverstone.

Wohlwend made an excellent start to pass slow-starting pole-sitter Alice Powell through Abbey, pulling ahead into Village. She looked comfortable in front, maintaining a gap of up to a second until Miki Koyama’s stranded car brought out the safety car.

Wohlwend made a strong restart but coming into Vale at the end of the lap she locked up, allowing Powell to pass into Club. Wohlwend ran wide and was never able to re-challenge Powell. Nevertheless, second represents Wohlwend’s best-ever finish in the W Series.

Pre-race championship leader Jamie Chadwick had a quiet race in third. She dropped back quickly from the lead battle between Powell and Wohlwend, explaining that she simply “did not have the pace to challenge”.

Chadwick also said she had never experienced the atmosphere that a full-attendance Silverstone was providing, with Alice Powell elated at scoring a home win to move back past Chadwick at the top of the standings.

Behind the podium finishers there were a number of close battles for places but little overtaking with Emma Kimilainen and Nerea Marti coming home fourth and fifth.

Beitske Visser made a poor start, dropping from fourth on the grid to seventh at the start. On the penultimate lap, she was able to take advantage of a small mistake from Sarah Moore at Abbey. The two ran side-by-side before Visser completed the pass for sixth into Brooklands.

W Series debutant Abbi Pulling had to settle for eighth ahead of Abbie Eaton and Jessica Hawkins.

Race results (16 laps)