Jamie Chadwick recently had the chance to sit behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the very first time, taking part in a test session with the Williams team at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, Portugal. The British driver described the occasion as "the best day of my life so far," a sentiment that captures both the excitement of the moment and the significance of the milestone in her career.
The test was conducted under the FIA's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations, which allow teams to run older-spec machines for data‑gathering purposes. Chadwick completed 32 laps in the 2025 Williams chassis, a car that has already shown strong performance by finishing on the podium earlier in the season. The session took place on a Monday, giving the team a quiet environment to collect valuable information while giving Chadwick a rare opportunity to feel the raw speed and handling of an F1 machine. At 28 years old, Chadwick is only the second woman to drive an F1 car in 2024.
The first was Doriane Pin, the reigning champion of the FIA Formula 3 Academy, who piloted a 2021 Mercedes at Silverstone in April. Chadwick also becomes the first British female driver to test an F1 car since Jessica Hawkins took the wheel of an Aston Martin in 2023. Her involvement with Williams dates back to 2019, when she joined the outfit as a development driver, gradually earning the trust of the engineering team and the broader organization.
Chadwick's résumé is already impressive. She dominated the all‑female W Series, winning the championship in each of its three seasons, and in 2024 she broke new ground by becoming the first woman to claim a victory on a road‑course event in the Indy NXT series in the United States. These achievements have made her a prominent figure in the push for greater female representation in top‑level motorsport. 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 Portimão, but it was everything I imagined and ten times more." She added that she felt a deep sense of gratitude toward the Atlassian Williams F1 Team for granting her the chance. "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.
I'm so grateful and incredibly happy with how the day went. It's an experience I'll remember for a very long time – I'd go as far as saying it's been the best day of my life so far." Susie Wolff remains a historic reference point: she is the most recent woman to take part in a Friday practice session in F1, doing so across four outings in 2014 and 2015 for Williams.
The last woman to actually start a Grand Prix was Italian driver Lella Lombardi in 1976, underscoring how rare such opportunities remain. Williams team principal James Vowles praised Chadwick, stating, "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.
Jamie gathered important data for the team as F1 prepares to return to Portimão next year, and her feedback and performance were impressive as we knew they would be. 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 a pre‑test interview with Sky Sports, Chadwick explained how she prepared for the demanding physical requirements of an F1 car.
"I did half a day in the simulator, the seat fit and all the procedural stuff that you do beforehand," she said. "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!
So it's incredible, actually, 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." Chadwick had already raced at Portimão in the European Le Mans Series, giving her some familiarity with the circuit's demanding layout. She recounted conversations with fellow drivers, noting that Ollie Bearman described the track as mentally taxing because of its undulating flow and constant changes of direction.
"Most have just said to enjoy it," Chadwick said. She also highlighted how her role as a Sky Sports F1 pundit has deepened her understanding of the sport, providing insights that benefit her broader racing activities.
The test not only marked a personal triumph for Chadwick but also contributed to the data pool that Williams will use as it prepares for the 2026 season, when the team plans to return to Portimão. Her feedback on car balance, tyre behavior, and aerodynamic performance will be analysed alongside the team's engineers, potentially influencing setup choices for the upcoming year.
Beyond the technical aspects, Chadwick's appearance in an F1 car serves as a powerful symbol for aspiring female drivers worldwide. By following in the footsteps of pioneers like Wolff and Lombardi, she demonstrates that the barriers that once seemed insurmountable are gradually being dismantled. Her ambition to inspire the next generation is evident, and she hopes that her story will encourage more young women to pursue careers in motorsport, whether behind the wheel, in engineering, or in management. The broader context of the 2026 Formula 1 calendar adds further excitement.
This week, Sky Sports will broadcast the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the first race of a triple‑header that also includes a Saturday event in Baku. Fans can follow the action live via NOW, with flexible subscription options that allow cancellation at any time.