Jamie Chadwick recently experienced the thrill of piloting a Formula 1 machine for the first time, an opportunity provided by the Williams team at the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal. The British driver, who also serves as a Williams ambassador and a Sky Sports F1 analyst, described the outing as "the best day of my life so far." During the session, Chadwick completed 32 laps in a 2025-spec Williams car under the sport's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations, giving her a taste of the speed and precision that define the pinnacle of motor racing.
At 28, Chadwick joins a very short list of women who have ever gotten behind the wheel of an F1 car. She follows Doriane Pin, the 2023 F1 Academy champion who tested a 2021 Mercedes at Silverstone earlier this year, and she becomes the first British female driver to do so since Jessica Hawkins piloted an Aston Martin in 2023. Chadwick's relationship with Williams dates back to 2019 when she was appointed a development driver, and her résumé since then reads like a checklist of groundbreaking achievements. She swept all three seasons of the all‑female W Series, and in 2024 she broke new ground by winning a road‑course event in the American Indy NXT series, becoming the first woman to do so.
Reflecting on the experience, Chadwick said, "It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience. 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." She added that the chance to drive for the Atlassian Williams F1 Team was a dream come true, recalling how watching former Williams driver Susie Wolff step into an F1 car as a teenager had inspired her own ambitions.
"I would love to be able to do the same for the next generation," Chadwick explained, emphasizing that the data she collected and the personal insights she gained will not only benefit her own racing career but also help mentor younger drivers coming through the ranks. Williams team principal James Vowles praised Chadwick, stating, "Jamie Chadwick is an inspiration for millions of women and girls, breaking records at every level, and she 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 Portimao next year, and her feedback and performance were impressive as we knew they would be." Vowles highlighted that Chadwick's involvement demonstrates a clear pathway for women to compete at the highest echelons of motorsport, and he looks forward to seeing how she leverages the experience to advance her own driving and advise Williams' junior talent.
In preparation for the test, Chadwick described a rigorous regimen that extended far 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 told Sky Sports. "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." She revealed that her fellow driver George Russell assisted with the physical preparation, pushing her neck exercises to the point where she could barely move her head the morning after a session.
"It’s incredible when you realise what they are going through in terms of not just the car, but also the training that they have to do for the necks at the moment. It's crazy," she laughed. Chadwick was no stranger to the Algarve circuit, having previously tackled it in the European Le Mans Series.
She noted that fellow drivers consider the track mentally demanding because of its undulating layout and constant flow of corners. "Ollie Bearman said mentally it's one of the toughest tracks, actually.
The flow is very undulating, there’s a lot going on. In the mind it’s very busy," she recounted. Despite the challenge, the consensus among her peers was to enjoy the experience, a sentiment Chadwick echoed.
Beyond the personal thrill, Chadwick believes her involvement in Formula 1 enriches her broader motorsport career. Working as a pundit for Sky Sports has given her a deeper understanding of F1 technology and strategy, knowledge that she can apply to her Le Mans and Indy NXT commitments. "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," she said, adding that the recent test represents an "extreme" step up from her usual responsibilities.
The historic context of women in F1 adds further weight to Chadwick's achievement. The last woman to take part in a Friday practice session was Susie Wolff, who completed four sessions across the 2014 and 2015 seasons for Williams. Before Wolff, Italian driver Lella Lombardi remains the most recent woman to start a Grand Prix, doing so in 1976.
Chadwick's test therefore continues a slow but steady re‑entry of women into the sport's top tier, signaling to aspiring female racers that the barrier is not insurmountable. Looking ahead, the 2026 Formula 1 season is already underway, with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku kicking off a triple‑header of races. Fans can follow the action live on Sky Sports F1, streaming via NOW with flexible, cancel‑anytime contracts. As the sport evolves, stories like Chadwick's illustrate how talent, determination, and institutional support can combine to create historic moments, inspiring a new generation of drivers to chase their own "best day" on the track.