Jamie Chadwick creates history with maiden Williams F1 test

Jamie Chadwick has created history by becoming the first woman in more than a decade to test drive a Williams Formula 1 car. 

The 28-year-old Briton completed a lifelong dream as she got behind the wheel of Williams’ 2025 challenger for 32 laps of the Portimao circuit in a private test run. 

Chadwick, a three-time W Series champion, is the first woman to drive a modern Williams F1 car since Susie Wolff in 2015. 

Wolff famously made history by becoming the first female driver to take part in an F1 race weekend in 22 years when she drove in first practice at the 2014 British Grand Prix. 

Unfortunately for Wolff, it was a shortened run, with her Williams only managing a total of four laps around Silverstone before a technical issue struck. 

Wolff also took part in the opening day of running at a pre-season test in Barcelona in 2015, but the outing ended with a high-speed crash following a collision with Felipe Nasr’s Sauber. 

Doriane Pin, Jess Hawkins and Tatiana Calderon are other women to be handed F1 tests in the past decade. 

"It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience," Chadwick reflected. "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 10 times more.

"I’m incredibly grateful to Atlassian Williams F1 Team for this opportunity. I remember being young and watching 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.”

Williams team principal James Vowles said: “Jamie 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.”

Chadwick’s history experience will be broadcast by Sky Sports F1 over the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.