W Series Will Join Formula 1 In Austin, Mexico City

W Series made a "crucial" move in getting a woman into F1 after announcing it would race at two F1 races this year. As part of an eight-race calendar for '20, the final two W Series events of the season will be held in Austin and Mexico City during the F1 race weekends. It is expected that the 30-minute races will take place on Saturday, though it is "not clear" if it will be before or after F1’s qualifying session. W Series CEO Catherine Bond Muir said, "This will give our drivers a bigger and better platform to present themselves as their careers progress. A whole variety of other brands and series are looking very carefully at our drivers." It is understood that both the Australian and Singapore F1 GP have also "expressed an interest in hosting a W Series race" (LONDON TIMES, 1/16).

Meanwhile, Tata Communications ended its partnership with F1 after eight years working together on the sport’s digital transformation. F1 confirmed they were "no longer official partners." The deal ended on Dec. 31 (REUTERS, 1/16).