Chadwick storms to historic Veloce Racing pole position for Round 2 of W Series
Jamie Chadwick claimed Veloce Racing’s first-ever pole position for Round 2 of the 2021 W Series championship at the Red Bull Ring in Spielberg, Austria (2 July).
After a turbulent first round just six days ago, the 23-year-old bounced back in spectacular style to claim the top spot in an ever-changing session that saw Veloce Racing team-mate Bruna Tomaselli also topping the timesheets for a time.
Ultimately, Chadwick took the honours by just over one tenth of a second (1:28:473) ahead of 2019 runner-up Beitske Visser as the pair reignited their rivalry, trading blows for the fastest time in the latter stages of the session.
Tomaselli, meanwhile, turned more than a few heads in the paddock on only her second outing in the series. The Brazilian rookie recorded the fourth-fastest time before being promoted to third following a penalty for Emma Kimiläinen.
Now the Veloce Racing pairing will look to convert their grid positions in tomorrow’s race, but if last weekend’s chaotic season-opener is anything to go by, that is going to be no mean feat.
Jamie Chadwick, Driver, Veloce Racing said: “What a turnaround! We obviously had a tough start to the season last weekend, so this is exactly what we needed to bounce back from that. Bruna has backed it up with P3 on the grid so it is a brilliant result for Veloce Racing as well.
“This is the team’s first-ever pole position so I’m really happy to be able to get that result for them. Now we switch our focus to the race, obviously that is when the points are dished out and we need to be there when it counts.”
Bruna Tomaselli, Driver, Veloce Racing: “What an amazing qualifying. To be fighting for the top times in only my second W Series race is just a fantastic feeling. I’m really pleased with how quickly I’ve got up to speed with the car, the track and the series itself.
“Jamie has set the benchmark today and as the reigning champion you’d expect her to be that fast. I think it’s going to be a really exciting race tomorrow and I can’t wait for those lights to go out!”
Rupert Svendsen-Cook, Team Principal, Veloce Racing: “This is a historic day for Veloce Racing. We only started competing in real-world motorsport this year and to already be taking a pole position is an unbelievable achievement for all involved.
“This has highlighted what Veloce is capable of – we are serious about success! Tomorrow is where it counts and it will be a proud moment to see the team go off the front of the grid in front of a sell-out F1 crowd. The focus is now to convert these grid slots into race results and to work towards our first podium.”
Catch all of tomorrow’s action live from 15:00 BST on Channel 4.
About Veloce
Veloce is a London-based organisation that focuses on disruptive areas of the sports and entertainment industries – specifically, esports, motorsport and sustainable, EV motorsport. The brand comprises established professional gaming organisation, Veloce Esports, Extreme E outfit, Veloce Racing and W Series team, Veloce Racing W Series, with all three falling under the overarching Veloce umbrella. As a whole, the business occupies the fastest-growing sectors in motorsport.
Veloce Racing was born from Extreme E’s vision of sustainability-focussed, content-rich and gender-equal sport. The team’s remarkable leadership line-up is spearheaded by legendary Formula 1 designer Adrian Newey and Formula E Champion and ex-Formula 1 driver Jean-Éric Vergne. They are joined by a host of other industry entrepreneurs and innovators who are eagerly awaiting the start of the inaugural 2021 season. Extreme E is an innovative new motorsport championship that sees electric SUVs going head-to-head in areas of the world that have been damaged by climate change or environmental issues.
Veloce Esports is the world’s leading esports and racing growth platform focused on innovation within the gaming, sport, media and entertainment sectors; comprising high-profile drivers, influencers and teams from across the globe. Among them are the official Mercedes F1, McLaren Racing, Alfa Romeo, Sauber and YAS HEAT esports programmes as well as YouTube sensations Tiametmarduk, Aarava, Xpertgamingtech and Lando Norris’ Quadrant channel to name but a few. The organisation’s digital broadcast network, across its various channels, generates in excess of 230 million views per month.
To learn more, please visit: veloce.gg
Sources: Izzy Hall/Veloce Racing PR