Jamie Chadwick has completed her first Formula 1 test with Williams, driving the team’s 2025 car for 32 laps at Portimão in Portugal.
The test made Chadwick the second woman to drive a Williams F1 car, following Susie Wolff in 2015. Williams said its ambassador and F1 Academy adviser gathered data to help the team prepare for Formula 1’s return to Portugal in 2027.
“It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience,” Chadwick said after driving the FW47. She recalled watching Wolff test a Williams when she was younger and said she hoped the occasion could inspire another generation.
Chadwick prepared through simulator sessions, gym work and a seat fitting before taking to the circuit. Her career has included single-seaters, W Series, Indy NXT and sportscars, but this was her first opportunity to drive a Formula 1 car for the team she has represented since 2019.
Team principal James Vowles said she supplied valuable feedback and called her performance impressive. The test is a significant personal and sporting milestone, although Williams has not announced a Formula 1 race seat for Chadwick.
It also raises a question bigger than a single day on track: how can more women move from junior categories and professional racing into meaningful Formula 1 opportunities? Chadwick now has first-hand knowledge of the car to share with the younger drivers she advises. Footage from the test is due to appear across Williams and Sky F1 social channels during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix weekend.
