Jamie Chadwick recently had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the very first time, doing so with the Williams team at the Algarve International Circuit in Portimão, Portugal. The British driver described the experience as "the best day of my life so far," a sentiment that captures both the thrill of the moment and the significance of the milestone. The test took place under the FIA's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations, which allow teams to run older chassis for data‑gathering purposes.
Chadwick completed 32 laps in the 2025 Williams car, a machine that currently sits on the podium in the championship. The session was held on a Monday, giving the team a chance to collect valuable telemetry ahead of next year's return to the circuit. At 28 years old, Chadwick becomes the second woman to drive an F1 car this season. The first was Doriane Pin, the 2023 F1 Academy champion, who piloted a 2021 Mercedes at Silverstone in April.
Chadwick also marks a historic moment for British women in the sport, being the first from the United Kingdom to test an F1 car since Jessica Hawkins took an Aston Martin out on track in 2023. Chadwick's relationship with Williams stretches back to 2019, when she first joined the outfit as a development driver.
Since then, she has built a résumé that includes three consecutive W Series championships and a groundbreaking win in the 2024 Indy NXT road‑course event – the first time a woman has taken victory in that series. Her success on the European Le Mans Series grid, where she competes in the LMP2 class, further demonstrates her versatility across different types of machinery. Reflecting on the test, 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 the opportunity was made possible thanks to the support of the Atlassian Williams F1 Team, noting how she had watched former Williams driver Susie Wolff step into an F1 car as a youngster and how that moment inspired her own career path.
"I would love to be able to do the same for the next generation," Chadwick explained. "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." She concluded that the day would remain a vivid memory for years to come, calling it "the best day of my life so far." The history of women in Formula 1 provides context for Chadwick's achievement. Susie Wolff remains the most recent female driver to take part in a Friday practice session, having done so in 2014 and 2015 for Williams. The last woman to start a Grand Prix was Italian racer Lella Lombardi, who entered the 1976 Spanish Grand Prix.
These milestones underline how rare such opportunities have been, making Chadwick's test all the more noteworthy. 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 detailed the preparation that went into the day.
She spent half a day in the simulator to familiarize herself with the car's layout, seat ergonomics, and procedural checklists. More physically demanding was the neck training, a crucial component for handling the extreme lateral forces experienced in 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, noting that after an intense neck‑training session she could barely turn her head. Chadwick also reflected on her prior experience at Portimão, having raced the circuit in the European Le Mans Series.
She mentioned conversations with other drivers, including Ollie Bearman, who described the track as mentally demanding due to its undulating flow and constant changes of direction. "In the mind it's very busy, but most have just said to enjoy it," Chadwick recalled.
Beyond the personal thrill, Chadwick believes her involvement in Formula 1 enriches her broader motorsport career. Her role as a Sky Sports F1 pundit provides daily exposure to the sport's technical and strategic nuances, knowledge that she can translate into better performance in her own racing endeavors. "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. "But I think this is going to take a new, extreme one from that." The test also fits into the larger narrative of the 2026 Formula 1 season, which continues to be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
This week, the championship moves to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, kicking off a triple‑header of races. Fans can stream the action via NOW, with flexible subscription options that allow cancellation at any time. Overall, Jamie Chadwick's maiden F1 test represents a blend of personal achievement, historic progress for women in motorsport, and practical data collection for Williams as they prepare for future outings at the Algarve circuit. Her enthusiasm, preparation, and gratitude underscore the significance of the day, and her words suggest that the experience will echo throughout her racing career and inspire the next wave of female drivers.