The second season of the W Series is set to feature at least six events across Europe with the release of a partial 2020 calendar.

Russia will host the opening event of the year in May in St Petersburg, before the year comes to a conclusion at Assen in the Netherlands four months later.

In between, there are stops in Anderstorp (Sweden), Monza (Italy), Norisring (Germany), and Brands Hatch (UK).

All six events will again form part of the support card to the DTM series.

“We at W Series are thrilled to announce two exciting and important new countries in which W Series will race in 2020: Russia and Sweden,” said W Series CEO Caterine Bond Muir.

“Our Swedish race, at Anderstorp, will take W Series to the Nordics for the first time, a region that’s home to our Finnish driver Emma Kimilainen, who was one of the stars of the 2019 W Series championship, winning at Assen (Netherlands) last year, as well as one of our new-for-2020 drivers, our recently announced Norwegian driver Ayla Agren.

“Our Russian race, at St Petersburg, will be the home fixture for the youngest driver in the 2020 W Series championship, 16-year-old Irina Sidorkova, from Petrozavodsk, which is also in Russia albeit 266 miles (428km) north-east of St Petersburg.

“Both Sweden and Russia represent important new territories for W Series, powerful economies both, appealing to fans, media and sponsors alike.

“We’ll announce the complete 2020 W Series championship calendar as and when we’ve finalised it.”

W Series racing director, Dave Ryan, added: “I don’t yet know a huge amount about the newly built St Petersburg circuit, having never been there before, but the DTM drivers who’ve visited it have been very complimentary about it, describing it as fast and technical, finishing with an exciting uphill final sector consisting of a series of quick-fire corners, a hairpin and a long straight.

“By contrast I know a lot about Anderstorp, having been a member of the McLaren Formula 1 team when we raced there in the 1970s. It was and still is an unusual circuit, containing several banked turns, including the very long 180-degree Karusell right-hander, and it often therefore delivered unpredictable results.

“We’re absolutely delighted to be able to announce that W Series will be racing on two such exciting circuits.”

The majority of the 2020 field was confirmed last month following a selection event in Spain.

Among them is Abbie Eaton who was one of six new drivers set to join the top 12 from the 2019 competition.

A further two drivers are yet to be selected to bring the field to a total of 20 entrants.

W Series 2020 calendar

St Petersburg (Russia): May 29-30 2020
Anderstorp (Sweden): June 12-13 2020
Monza (Italy): June 26-27 2020
Norisring (Germany): July 10-11 2020
Brands Hatch (UK): August 22-23 2020
Assen (Netherlands): September 4-5 2020