2019 Hockenheim Race

The 2019 Hockenheim Race, otherwise known as the 2019 W Series Hockenheim Race or commercially as the #WRace1, was the opening round of the 2019 W Series Championship, staged at the Hockenheimring in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, on 4 May 2019. The race, staged in support of the DTM's opening round, would be the first ever race of the W Series to be held.

Qualifying for the first ever W Series race would see Jamie Chadwick secure a dominant pole position in wet conditions, claiming pole in the 25 minute session by 1.730s. Fabienne Wohlwend was best of the rest in second, a second ahead of Sarah Moore, while Emma Kimiläinen completed the second row.

The weather was a vast improvement for the race in the afternoon, although the circuit was still damp enough to cause concern, with the even side of the grid significantly wetter than the clean side. That advantage proved critical at the start, with Chadwick sprinting clear ahead of a charging Alice Powell, while Wohlwend picked up a lot of wheelspin and slipped to fifth.

She at least managed to get away, unlike Kimiläinen and Sabré Cook, who both stalled although while Cook was stranded, the Finn would get going ahead of Megan Gilkes. However, as Cook was dragged off the track, Gilkes would trigger a first lap Safety Car, sliding into the recovering Kimiläinen at the hairpin.

Moments before the SC was thrown Chadwick would make her first mistake of the weekend, sliding wide to gift the lead to Powell. However, it was Chadwick who aced the restart, sprinting past Powell as the field charged into the first corner, while Marta García dived past Moore for third.

The top three soon began to ease clear, while a three way fight for fourth emerged between Beitske Visser, Moore and Wohlwend ahead of an off-pace Esmee Hawkey. Indeed, Hawkey's queue would produce the next incident of the race, as Miki Koyama spun Vicky Piria at the hairpin, sending her spinning down the field. Koyama would eventually elbow her way past Hawkey in the closing stages, before setting a succession of fastest laps in a bid to catch the fight for fourth.

Out front, meanwhile, Chadwick would run unopposed to the chequered flag, for Powell had to fend off the attentions of García in the closing stages. Visser was next having escaped from Moore and Wohlwend, while Koyama fell a second shy in seventh behind the Liechtensteiner. Tasmin Pepper was next having risen from sixteenth in Koyama's wake, while Gosia Rdest and Caitlin Wood completed the scorers.

Entry List
The full entry list for the is displayed below:

Results
The final qualifying result for the are outlined below:

Results
The final classification of the is displayed below:
 * Bold indicates a driver started from pole.
 * Italics indicate that a driver set fastest lap.

Milestones

 * First W Series Championship race to be staged.
 * First race for all drivers.
 * Maiden pole position for Jamie Chadwick.
 * Chadwick claimed her first W Series victory.
 * Also Chadwick's first podium and points finish.
 * Alice Powell and Marta García claimed their maiden podium and points finishes.
 * First points for Beitske Visser, Sarah Moore, Fabienne Wohlwend, Miki Koyama, Tasmin Pepper, Gosia Rdest and Caitlin Wood.
 * Maiden fastest lap recorded by Koyama.

Standings
Jamie Chadwick claimed the Championship lead at the opening round, securing 25 points after claiming the first ever race win. Alice Powell was next, seven off the lead ahead of Marta García, while Beitske Visser had secured fourth after the opening bout. Sarah Moore, Fabienne Wohlwend, Miki Koyama, Tasmin Pepper, Gosia Rdest and Caitlin Wood were the other scorers in Hockenheim. Only point scoring drivers are shown.