Jamie Chadwick has hailed her recent Formula 1 test as the pinnacle of her racing career, joining an elite group of women who have piloted a car at the sport’s highest level. The 28-year-old British driver completed 32 laps at Portugal’s Portimao circuit, a track confirmed to be on the F1 calendar starting in 2027.
Chadwick, who previously served as a development driver for Williams in 2019, is one of the most decorated female drivers in motorsport history. Her resume includes winning every season of the all-female W Series and becoming the first woman to claim victory in a road race within IndyCar’s feeder championship.
Describing the experience, Chadwick told BBC Sport that driving an F1 car sits at the very top of her bucket list. “It was pretty surreal,” she said. “It’s kind of everything I imagined, but more. The feeling you get from a car like that is pretty incredible. And then at a track like Portimao, it’s a proper rollercoaster.”
To prepare for the physical demands of the test, Chadwick underwent a rigorous training regimen alongside current grid drivers, focusing heavily on neck strengthening. She noted that the G-forces experienced during acceleration are intense, causing the head to slam into the headrest, and compared the resulting muscle soreness to having “been in a fight with Mike Tyson.”
The test places Chadwick among 13 women who have driven an F1 car. However, the transition from testing to a race seat remains a significant hurdle. Only five of those women have officially entered an F1 Grand Prix weekend, and just two have participated in a race. The last woman to start a grand prix was Italy’s Lella Lombardi, who finished sixth in the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix—marking a 50-year gap.
Susie Wolff, who drove for Williams at the 2014 British Grand Prix and is now managing director of F1 Academy, was cited by Chadwick as a key inspiration. Wolff has been instrumental in creating pathways for female drivers, a sentiment echoed by Chadwick’s belief that women are capable of competing in F1.
Despite this conviction, Chadwick acknowledged the extreme difficulty of breaking into the sport. With only 22 seats available globally and fierce competition from champions in F2 and F3, she admitted the talent pool for female drivers is even narrower. Nevertheless, she remains optimistic that initiatives supporting women in motorsport will eventually lead to a race seat.
Great test, but let’s be honest—the infrastructure just isn’t there yet for her to race.
Inspiring to see her so open about the physical toll. That Mike Tyson comparison is terrifying!
Portimao sounds brutal for the neck! Hope the training paid off as well as the laps did.
Fifty years without a female race starter is shocking. How much longer will it take?
Absolutely stunning performance. Chadwick handled those G-forces like a true champion.