Jamie Chadwick Becomes Second Woman to Test a Williams F1 Car
Williams announced that Jamie Chadwick completed a Testing of Previous Cars session in the FW47 at Portimão, Portugal, covering 32 laps. She became the second woman to drive a Williams F1 car, following Susie Wolff in 2015, and the first British woman since 2023 to drive a modern F1 car. Chadwick called it the best day of her life, and team principal James Vowles praised her performance and technical feedback.
The test marked a significant milestone in Chadwick's already decorated career, which includes three consecutive W Series championships from 2019 through 2022 and a pioneering run in INDY NXT with Andretti Autosport. Her 2025 European Le Mans Series victory made her the first woman to win an LMP2 class race, and she continues with IDEC Sport this season. The FW47 she drove had earned three podiums for Williams during the 2025 campaign.
Chadwick's session also carried strategic value for Williams, as the team gathered data ahead of Portimão's return to the Formula 1 calendar in 2027. In addition to her driving duties, she serves as a Williams team ambassador and advises F1 Academy drivers, a role that echoes the inspiration she drew from watching Susie Wolff test for Williams in 2015.
This milestone could resonate well beyond motorsport's immediate fanbase, offering young women and girls a tangible example of progress toward Formula 1's highest level. Chadwick's visibility as a Williams ambassador and F1 Academy adviser may help normalize female participation in elite motorsport, potentially influencing grassroots participation and sponsorship interest. While a single test does not guarantee a race seat, it may signal shifting attitudes within teams about evaluating female drivers on merit, which could gradually reshape the sport's pipeline and inspire broader cultural change in a traditionally male-dominated arena.