This British Racing Driver Just Made History As Second Woman to Drive Williams F1 Car

Jamie Chadwick made history last week when the Williams Racing Ambassador and F1 Academy Advisor test drove a Formula 1 car in Portimão, Portugal. The 28-year-old completed 32 laps in a Williams FW47 on Monday, Sept. 21, becoming only the second woman in history to ever test drive a Williams Formula 1 car (following in the footsteps of Susie Wolff, who first accomplished the feat in 2015). Though women are not barred from racing in Formula 1, there are no female drivers in the series.

“It’s a great thing for women to do these tests, but the power it has on a young female driver [is incomparable],” Chadwick, who is a three-time W Series Champion, says. “You look in the environment and you don’t see anyone that’s like you, and you think, ‘Oh, is it impossible?’ So then you see someone like Susie get in the car and do it, and for sure, that inspired my career early on.”

Mentoring young girls in racing

Chadwick, who started karting as a teenager before breaking into competitive car racing, became the youngest (and first female) champion of the British GT Championship when she was just 16. In 2024, she became the first female driver to win an Indy NXT race on a road or street course, and that same year, she took on her current role as an F1 Academy Advisor, in which she mentors young female drivers.

“I think this next generation is really the one we need to be excited about,” Chadwick, who shares her hands-on learnings and experience with the next generation of drivers, added of those who will come after her. “In my role with the [F1] Academy and everything, I see a lot of young female talent coming through. Far, far more talented than I ever was at that age and that makes me very excited.”

Jamie Chadwick | Courtesy of Atlassian Williams F1

While women are not prohibited from competing in Formula 1, only five women have entered an F1 Grand Prix event in the race’s history—with merely two women qualifying for and starting a race. When it comes to the future of Formula 1, Chadwick believes that seeing a female driver is not out of the question. In fact, her recent test drive only affirmed the possibility in her mind.

“I think we will eventually see a female driver,” Chadwick stated. “... I think if we can really focus on the grassroots level, really focus on this transition that we see from karting into cars and Formula 4 and onwards, and try and nurture talent into Formula 3 and Formula 2 in particular, and they have success there, then I think we can definitely see a woman in Formula 1.”

The F1 test drive and what’s next for Chadwick

So, what was it actually like driving an F1 car?

“The sheer level of performance and precision and everything with it. It’s so refined,” Chadwick says. “It kind of does everything you want. I don’t want to say it’s easy, but just in terms of physically driving the car ... Just the sheer performance—the braking is the biggest standout. You just breathe on the brake pedal and it comes to an instant stop.”

Earlier this summer, Chadwick also made history by becoming the first woman to drive a Hypercar at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day. And while she’s continuing to break barriers, she’s not slowing down any time soon. Fittingly, Chadwick’s next and final race of the 2026 season will also take place in Portugal, where she will participate in the 4 Hours of Portimão on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.

“I’m gonna have to readjust my references that I have from the Formula 1 car, otherwise I might not make it through turn one,” Chadwick quips. “Looking at next year, I obviously want to continue my career in endurance racing with Genesis [Magma Racing] as the reserve driver at the moment, but more outings in the Hypercar [too] as I want to ultimately move up into that in the future.”

Mentoring young girls in racing

The F1 test drive and what’s next for Chadwick

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