“You don't have excuses like 'she's in a better team, that's why she's faster’”

The W Series, the women's racing class that has been active since 2019, will host races during Formula 1 weekends next year. Beitske Visser, the Dutch racing driver who finished the first season with a second place, doesn't think the atmosphere between the drivers will change there.

In 2019, the W Series performed a support function for the DTM. The plan was to do the same for the United States and Mexico Formula 1 Grands Prix in 2020, but due to the coronavirus, the W Series season of 2020 was cancelled.

This is now scheduled for next year. Apart from the expected higher viewing figures, Visser does not think there will be much change in the atmosphere between the W Series drivers.

"The difference is that we all drive for the same team, with the same setup, and we can all see each other's dates. So you don't have excuses like 'she's in a better team, that's why she's faster'. That also has an influence on the atmosphere. In the end, we can separate what happens inside and outside the track, that's the most important thing," says Visser in conversation with Autosport.com.