Caitlyn Jenner, the former racing driver and Olympic champion, has launched a new team - Jenner Racing - which will compete in the third season of the W Series in 2022.
Jenner was hailed as 'the world's greatest athlete' by Time magazine after winning the decathlon at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada, by setting a third straight world record. Now, she has set her sights on further success with Jenner Racing.
The W Series consists of Formula 1 support races at eight Grand Prix weekends and will start in Miami in May. The series had a global reach of more than half-a-billion viewers in 2021 when it began its partnership with F1.
In her role as team principal, Jenner will oversee the day-to-day running of Jenner Racing. Driver line-up, car livery, and the acquisition of sponsors who are aligned with her mission of promoting women in sport and creating a platform for them in motorsport.
Jenner is no stranger to motorsport or F1 having first won a celebrity race at the Long Beach Grand Prix, California in 1979. Less than a year later, she debuted as a professional racing driver at the 24 Hours of Daytona race as part of Jim Busby's team.
Jenner went on to compete professionally in the IMSA Camel GT Championship as a factory driver for the Ford Motor Company and Jack Roush for the next six years, making a total of 57 starts.
She came back in the 1986 12 Hours of Sebring alongside co-driver Scott Pruett, to whom Jenner would finish runner-up in the championship that year.
"As a believer in fair competition, a lover of motor racing, and a supporter of all women in sport from the grassroots to elite level, the W Series ticks every box for me and is a fusion of the different aspects of my career," Jenner said.
"As a championship dedicated to inspiring young girls and giving women the chance to succeed in roles throughout what has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, the W Series is changing the face of motorsport.
"As the series continues its rapid expansion with a truly international cast of drivers and races, this was the perfect time to come on board.
"I watched on with great excitement last year when the W Series made its American debut in Austin, Texas, where its drivers entertained 400,000 fans over the weekend at the Circuit of the Americas.
"In May, I will be beaming with pride when my Jenner Racing team starts its bid for W Series glory on motor racing's greatest stage at the first race in Miami, in support of Formula 1. As has always been the case, I'm in it to win it."
