Jamie Chadwick experienced what she calls "the best day of my life so far" when she stepped into a Formula 1 car for the first time, piloting a Williams machine at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, Portugal. The 28‑year‑old British driver, who also serves as a Williams ambassador and Sky Sports F1 analyst, completed 32 laps in the team’s 2025‑spec car under the FIA’s Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme on Monday. Chadwick’s outing marks the second time a woman has tested an F1 car this season.
Earlier in April, Doriane Pin, the reigning F1 Academy champion, took a 2021 Mercedes‑powered car onto the Silverstone track. Before that, Jessica Hawkins broke new ground for British women in 2023 when she drove an Aston Martin at the same venue.
Chadwick, who first joined Williams as a development driver in 2019, has built an impressive résumé: she dominated the all‑female W Series for three consecutive seasons and, in 2024, became the first woman to win a road‑course race in the United States‑based Indy NXT series. "It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience," Chadwick said after the session. "Few things can prepare you for driving a Formula 1 car at speed around a track like Portimão, but it was everything I imagined and ten times more.
I'm incredibly grateful to Atlassian Williams F1 Team for this opportunity. I remember watching Susie Wolff step into a Williams car when I was a kid, and that moment inspired my own journey. I hope I can do the same for the next generation, and the knowledge I gained today will influence both my own racing and what I can pass on to up‑and‑coming drivers.
I'm so grateful and incredibly happy with how the day went – it’s an experience I’ll remember for a very long time, and I would go as far as saying it’s been the best day of my life so far." Susie Wolff remains the most recent woman to take part in a Friday practice session in F1, having completed four runs for Williams across the 2014 and 2015 seasons. The last woman to start a Grand Prix was Italy’s Lella Lombardi back in 1976.
Williams team principal James Vowles praised Chadwick, stating, "Jamie Chadwick is an inspiration for millions of women and girls. She has broken records at every level and has thoroughly earned this F1 test opportunity with Atlassian Williams F1 Team. Jamie gathered important data for the team as F1 prepares to return to Portimão next year, and her feedback and performance were exactly what we expected.
This clearly shows there is a pathway for women to compete at the highest 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 explained her preparation to Sky Sports. "I spent half a day in the simulator, got the seat fitted and took care of all the procedural stuff beforehand," she said. "Then I really upped my neck‑training. Racing in LMP2 already demands a strong neck, but an F1 test takes it to another level.
George Russell helped me a lot with the preparation. After the first serious neck‑training session with him, I woke up the next morning and could barely move my head! It’s incredible when you realise how much physical conditioning, especially neck strength, is required just to survive the forces in an F1 car." Chadwick had previously tackled the Portimão circuit in the European Le Mans Series, giving her a baseline familiarity.
She recounted conversations with fellow drivers: "Ollie Bearman told me the track is mentally demanding because of its undulating flow. There’s a lot happening at once, so the mind stays busy.
Most drivers just say you have to enjoy it." Beyond the raw thrill of speed, Chadwick reflected on how her role with Sky Sports has broadened her understanding of the sport. "I learn a huge amount from Formula 1 through my analyst work, and that knowledge feeds back into my own racing.
This test takes that learning to an extreme level," she added. The broader context of the day includes the upcoming 2026 Formula 1 season, which continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports F1.
This week, the championship moves to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, kicking off a triple‑header of races with the Baku event scheduled for Saturday at midday. Fans can stream Sky Sports via NOW, with flexible contracts and the ability to cancel at any time.
Chadwick’s historic test underscores the gradual but steady progress of women in top‑level motorsport. From Susie Wolff’s pioneering runs in the mid‑2010s to Lella Lombardi’s groundbreaking 1976 Grand Prix start, each milestone builds a pathway for future talent. Chadwick’s achievement not only adds a new chapter to that narrative but also provides tangible data for Williams as they refine their 2025 and 2026 cars for the next season.
Her feedback on tyre behaviour, aerodynamic balance, and cockpit ergonomics will be fed back to the engineering team, potentially influencing setup decisions for the team’s upcoming outings. Physical preparation, mental focus, and technical insight all converged on that sunny Portuguese afternoon. As the F1 community looks ahead to the next race weekend, Chadwick’s story serves as a reminder that perseverance, skill, and opportunity can combine to create moments that athletes describe as "the best day of their lives."