Jamie Chadwick recently experienced a milestone that she describes as "the best day of my life so far" after completing her inaugural test behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the Williams team at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, Portugal. The 28-year-old British driver, who also serves as a Williams brand ambassador and a regular pundit for Sky Sports F1, was given the chance to run 32 laps in the team's 2025 chassis under the FIA's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme on a Monday morning.
The session marked a historic moment for several reasons. Chadwick became the second woman to pilot an F1 machine this calendar year, following Doriane Pin—who had driven a 2021 Mercedes at Silverstone in April after clinching the F1 Academy title.
Moreover, Chadwick is the first British female driver to test an F1 car since Jessica Hawkins took the wheel of an Aston Martin in 2023. Her involvement underscores the growing presence of women in the sport's upper echelons.
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: three consecutive championships in the all‑female W Series, a historic victory in the 2024 Indy NXT road‑course event that made her the first woman to win such a race in the United States, and a regular seat in the European Le Mans Series where she competes in the LMP2 class. All of these achievements have paved the way for her historic F1 test. "It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience," Chadwick said after the run.
"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 how 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." The significance of Chadwick's test is amplified when placed alongside the few women who have previously taken part in an F1 weekend.
Susie Wolff remains the last female driver to appear in a Friday practice session, having completed four runs for Williams across the 2014 and 2015 seasons. Italian pioneer Lella Lombardi, who entered the 1976 German Grand Prix, is still the most recent woman to start a World Championship race. Williams team principal James Vowles praised Chadwick's achievement, 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 the lead‑up to the test, Chadwick explained her preparation routine to Sky Sports. She spent half a day in the Williams simulator to familiarize herself with the car's ergonomics, seat fit and procedural checks. More physically demanding was the neck‑strength training, a crucial element for handling the high G‑forces typical of an F1 car.
"Obviously racing LMP2, I train my neck anyway, but that is naturally stepped up for an F1 test," she said. She credited fellow Williams driver George Russell for assisting with the conditioning program. "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," she added. Chadwick was no stranger to the Portimão circuit, having previously raced there in the European Le Mans Series. She reflected on conversations with other drivers about the track's character: "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. But most have just said to enjoy it." She noted that her role as a Sky Sports analyst has deepened her understanding of F1 technology and strategy, which she believes will translate into better performance across her other racing 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.
But I think this is going to take a new, extreme one from that," she remarked. The test comes at a busy time for the sport, with the 2026 Formula 1 calendar already in full swing. Sky Sports will broadcast the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix, the first leg of a triple‑header that also includes races in the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Fans can stream the coverage via NOW with a flexible, no‑contract subscription.
Overall, Jamie Chadwick's Portimão outing not only adds another impressive chapter to her already remarkable career but also serves as a tangible sign of progress for gender diversity in motorsport. Her performance, the data she collected, and the inspiration she provides to aspiring female racers all point toward a future where more women will see themselves behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car, perhaps even on the grid as full‑time competitors.