Jamie Chadwick marked a historic milestone when she took the wheel of a Williams Formula 1 car at Portugal’s Algarve International Circuit, describing the experience as "the best day of my life so far." The 28‑year‑old British driver, who also serves as a Williams ambassador and a Sky Sports F1 analyst, completed 32 laps in the team’s 2025 chassis under the FIA’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme on Monday. The test was not just a personal triumph for Chadwick; it also placed her among a very select group of women who have ever driven an F1 machine. Earlier this year, Doriane Pin, the reigning F1 Academy champion, piloted a 2021 Mercedes at Silverstone, becoming the first female driver to test an F1 car in 2023 after Jessica Hawkins took an Aston Martin out of the garage. Chadwick’s outing makes her the second woman to test an F1 car in 2024 and the first British female to do so since Hawkins’ 2023 run.
Chadwick’s relationship with Williams stretches back to 2019, when she first joined the outfit as a development driver. Since then, she has built an impressive résumé: she swept all three seasons of the all‑female W Series, and in 2024 she broke new ground by becoming the first woman to win a road‑course event in the U.S.‑based Indy NXT championship. Those achievements set the stage for her historic test, and she did not shy away from expressing how meaningful the day was. "It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience," she told reporters.
"Few things can prepare you for driving a Formula 1 car at speed around a track like Portimao, but it was everything I imagined and ten times more." Chadwick also paid tribute to the pioneers who inspired her path. She recalled watching former Williams driver Susie Wolff take a lap in a Williams F1 car during her teenage years, a moment that sparked her own ambitions. "I’m incredibly grateful to Atlassian Williams F1 Team for this opportunity," Chadwick said.
"I remember being young and watching Susie Wolff step into a Williams F1 car and how much that inspired my own journey. I'd love to be able to do the same for the next generation, and the experience I gained today will make a real difference both to my own racing and to what I can pass on to the drivers coming through." Team principal James Vowles echoed the sentiment, highlighting Chadwick’s role as a role model for women and girls worldwide. "Jamie Chadwick is an inspiration for millions of women and girls who has broken records at every level, and she has thoroughly earned this F1 test opportunity with Atlassian Williams F1 Team," Vowles said.
He added that Chadwick’s data collection was valuable as the sport prepares to return to Portimao next season, and praised her feedback and performance as "impressive as we knew they would be." Vowles concluded, "This clearly shows there is a path for women to compete at the top level, and I look forward to seeing how Jamie uses this experience to advance her own driving and advise our young drivers on what it takes to drive an F1 car." In the lead‑up to the test, Chadwick described a rigorous preparation regime that went beyond the usual simulator work. "I did half a day in the sim, the seat fit and all the kind of procedural stuff that you do beforehand," she explained to Sky Sports. "And then I have actually been upping the neck training a lot.
Obviously racing LMP2, I train my neck anyway, but that is naturally stepped up for an F1 test. George Russell’s been helping me a little bit with the preparation. I woke up the next morning after the first proper day of neck training I did with him, and I could barely move my head!" The physical demands of an F1 car are extreme; drivers routinely endure lateral forces of up to 5 g in corners, which places a huge load on the neck and core.
Chadwick noted how eye‑opening it was to experience that first‑hand. "It’s incredible, actually, when you realise what they are going through in terms of not just in the car, but also the training that they have to do for the necks at the moment.
It’s crazy," she said. Having previously raced the Algarve circuit in the European Le Mans Series, Chadwick was familiar with the track’s undulating layout. She relayed comments from fellow drivers, noting that Ollie Bearman described Portimao as "one of the toughest tracks mentally" because of its flowing, constantly changing corners. "In the mind it’s very busy," Chadwick added, but she also emphasized the importance of enjoying the challenge.
"Most have just said to enjoy it." Beyond the raw speed, Chadwick believes her stint in an F1 car will enrich her broader motorsport career. Her role as a Sky Sports analyst gives her a unique perspective on the technical and strategic aspects of the sport, which she says has already helped her in other racing categories. "I feel like I learn a huge amount from Formula 1 just generally in the role that I have with Sky Sports, which has helped me a lot in all the other stuff that I’m doing.
But I think this is going to take a new, extreme one from that," she reflected. The day concluded with Chadwick declaring it the best day of her life to date, a sentiment that resonates with the legacy of women who have broken barriers in Formula 1.
The last woman to take part in a Friday practice session was Susie Wolff in 2015, and the final female Grand Prix starter remains Lella Lombardi, who raced in 1976. Chadwick’s test adds another chapter to that lineage, underscoring the growing opportunities for women in top‑level motorsport.
As the 2026 Formula 1 season continues, fans can follow the action on Sky Sports F1, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix kicking off a triple‑header weekend. The race weekend will be streamed via NOW, offering a flexible, contract‑free viewing option for those eager to see the next generation of drivers, including trailblazers like Jamie Chadwick, push the limits of speed and skill.