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W Series Bond CEO Muir Ready for Sport continues to grow


Jamie Chadwick led the field in the W Series Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.

Jamie Chadwick led the field in the W Series Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.
image: Francois Neel (beautiful pictures)

When I talk to W . series CEO Catherine Bond Muir before the start of 2022 season, she is optimistic. The sport has signed to ESPN as an American broadcaster and is about to host its season-opening event in Miami. I had the opportunity to interact with Bond Muir, with just over half a season in my pocket, to ask how things are going – and what will happen next.

According to Bond Muir, the W Series only needed one thing to add momentum to the sport: Exposure.

Bond Muir said: “The highlight of the season for me was the one million UK viewership at the Silverstone race. “But I make no secret of the fact that I want the United States to be our biggest audience.”

Bond Muir points to the growth of women’s sport around the world as an indication that the W Series has potential, but for now, there’s been a bit of a stretch in developing the series. to engage both motorsport fans and female sports fans.

“We only have one American driver at the moment. We need to increase that number,” said Bond Muir, noting that a good portion of the grid currently includes British riders. “We want to get more girls involved at the grassroots level [of motorsport] in the states.

“It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, because it’s the old adage, if you can see someone doing something, you’ll start to see more of them. Just look at what Serena [Williams] have done in tennis. “

However, the discussion about drivers led me to a big question.

“Are you worried by Jamie Chadwick’s dominance?” I ask. Chadwick, who has won both W Series championships before and looks set to finish a third this year, has become the star of the movie. It was that dominance that became a sticking point for casual viewers; Can the W Series really showcase talent if a racer far and wide is the best?

“Does everyone ask the same question as Tiger Woods?” Bond Muir asked. “Have people asked the same question to Lewis Hamilton over the past seven years? Have people asked the same question to Michael Schumacher?

“I mean, I don’t know if that’s a sexist comment or not, but you get sportsmen who dominate in all sports. It’s not without competition, but I think it’s great that we have a female superstar. “

Furthermore, Bond Muir points to the coming of Chadwick Indy lamp test as an indication that the W Series pipeline is working. The women of the sport are moving forward – and as an added bonus, they can head to the US, where their very presence could boost the W Series’ roster among expectant audiences. Bond Muir’s most wanted.

However, for a new sport with only its third year of active competition, the outlook is very good. Of course, there could be more global partners or a larger audience – but perspective is key. In the first season, the races were not easy to watch and took place on a much smaller scale; now, with many prestigious TV deals and a safe place as an opening act for the famous international circus Formula 1, the sport has demonstrated a level of insight that few sports could have dreamed of in their young years. All things considered, the W Series is doing well.

The next round of the W Series will be the sport’s first in Asia, as it hits the track as part of the Singapore Grand Prix over the weekend of September 30 to October 2. In the US , you can check out ESPNU.



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