Jamie Chadwick becomes one of only a dozen women to drive an F1 car after completing Williams test in Portugal

From the Newshound archive · first published 25 September 2026 · last updated 26 September 2026.

Bath-born Jamie Chadwick, 28, completed 32 laps in a Williams F1 car at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal, joining a group of just twelve women ever to have driven a Formula 1 car in an official capacity. She described it as the 'best day of my life so far' and said the experience 'can't really compare to anything I've ever driven before.' Williams team principal James Vowles said she had 'thoroughly earned' the opportunity and praised her feedback and performance as 'impressive.'

A three-time W Series champion, Chadwick has had Williams backing since 2019, and the test made her only the second woman to pilot a Williams F1 car.

Her hero Susie Wolff drove for Williams in 2015 — and Chadwick's father had actually been present at that test, obtaining Wolff's autograph addressed to his then-14-year-old daughter.

Vowles said the test 'clearly shows there is a path for women to compete at the top level' ahead of F1's scheduled visit to Portimão next year.