W Series Qualifiers: Alice Powell takes mainstay as Jamie Chadwick starts in fifth

Powell put on a strong performance in both practice and qualifying to cement himself at the front of the grid for Saturday’s race; Chadwick is tasked with fighting back from fifth to win the championship; Watch the W Series race live on Sky Sports F1 at 1.20pm on Saturday

Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player

Alice Powell takes a stellar spot with championship leader Jamie Chadwick only fifth ahead of the Hungarian GP

Alice Powell took pole position at the Hungaroring with Jamie Chadwick finishing in fifth after her worst Qualifier session of the season.

With two minutes left, Powell sealed 1:42,986, Beitske Visser and Nerea Marti finished within four tenths of the lead to put them second and third.

In an unusual setting for the W Series, Chadwick failed to improve with her final lap and will start her seventh race in fifth place, meaning she will have to struggle across the court to secure guarantee not only a race victory but also a potential championship.

Visser soon set the pace around Hungaroring, scoring 1:44,353 within the first 10 minutes of the session, Emma Kimilainen just +0.099 seconds behind her.

However, their time at the top didn’t last long before Powell and Chadwick took first and second on the timesheet, the championship lead establishing itself just behind Click2Drive driver Bristol Street Motors only +0.060 seconds.

When Kimilainen then returned to the top of the timesheets, less than a second separated the top 12 drivers as they all crossed the bounds of the track dubbed ‘Monaco without walls’.

Chadwick, who was bidding for a third consecutive crown, was the first to enter the 1:43 half but Visser and Nerea Marti, less than a minute later, mimicked the Jenner Racing star’s timing.

As the clock ticked, they were all dethroned by Powell, who continued his run from practice to put himself in the lead for the final W Series race before the summer break.

Earlier on Friday, Lewis Hamilton went to W Series teams to meet drivers and discuss their racing experience since the competition was founded in 2019.

Sky Sports F1 is your home for every race this season, and here’s the full schedule for the Hungarian Grand Prix with the W Series Race live from 1:20pm on Saturday.

Hungary GP fixtures live on Sky Sports F1

Saturday
9:55 am: F3 sprint race
11:45 am: Practice session 3 of Hungarian GP (practice starts at 12 noon)
1:20 p.m.: W Series Race
2:30pm: Build Hungary GP Qualifier
3pm: HUNGARIAN GP QUALIFYING
4.55pm: F2 Sprint
6 p.m.: Ted .’s Standard Notebook

Sunday
9am: F3 . Feature Race
10.25am: F2 . Feature Race
12:30pm: Sunday Grand Prix: Hungarian GP Build-up
2pm: THE HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX
4pm: Checkered Flag: Hungarian GP Reaction
5 p.m.: Ted’s Notebook