Jamie Chadwick completes F1 test with Williams at Portimao
"I'd go as far as saying it's been the best day of my life so far." - Jamie Chadwick added another chapter in her record-breaking career on Monday, becoming the latest woman to drive a contemporary Formula 1 car during a private test in Portimão, where she completed 32 laps in the Williams FW47.
Jamie Chadwick added another chapter in her record-breaking career on Monday, September 21, becoming the latest woman to drive a contemporary Formula 1 car during a private test at the Algarve circuit in Portimão, Portugal. The three-time W Series champion and IndyNXT race winner completed 32 laps of the circuit in the Williams FW47, gathering data and providing technical feedback to the team while gaining a unique first-hand perspective of what it takes to drive a modern Formula 1 car at speed.
The test represented another milestone in Chadwick's long-standing relationship with Williams, which dates back to 2019, and made her only the third woman to drive a latest generation F1 car, after Jessica Hawkins drove the Aston Martin in 2023 and Doriane Pin completed a test for Mercedes earlier this year.
Chadwick, who had previously driven historic Williams F1 machinery at Goodwood Festival of Speed, becomes the second woman to drive a Williams Formula 1 car after Susie Wolff, who remains the last female driver to have entered a F1 weekend in an official practice session in 2015.
Only two women have taken the starts in F1 races, Maria Teresa de Filippis and Lella Lombardi, who remains the only woman to score points in a Formula 1 GP.
For Chadwick, the opportunity came after an extensive preparation programme at Williams' Grove headquarters, including gym work, simulator running and an F1 seat fitting. The preparation was designed to ensure she was ready for the physical and technical demands of the FW47, a car that scored three podium finishes during the 2025 season and helped Williams achieve its best Constructors' Championship result since 2017.
Chadwick subsequently impressed the team during her running at Portimão, both through her pace and the quality of her technical feedback. Her data and observations will also provide Williams with valuable information ahead of Formula 1's return to the Algarve circuit in 2027, when Portimão is set to return to the World Championship calendar.
"It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience," said Chadwick. "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."
"It's an experience I'll remember for a very long time," Chadwick said. "I'd go as far as saying it's been the best day of my life so far."
The 28-year-old also reflected on the influence of Susie Wolff's own Williams F1 test, which she witnessed as a young driver, and the possibility of now providing a similar source of inspiration for the next generation.
"I remember being young and watching Susie Wolff step into a Williams F1 car and how much that inspired my own journey," Chadwick continued. "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."
Alongside her racing career, Jamie currently serves as the Williams team's F1 Academy Adviser, using her own experience to mentor and support the development of its young drivers. Her latest F1 experience will now give her another reference point from which to advise the next generation on the demands involved in progressing towards the top level of single-seaters.
Williams Team Principal James Vowles praised Chadwick's performance and highlighted the wider significance of the opportunity: "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," said Vowles. "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."
The test represents the latest chapter in a career that has now spanned 14 years across single-seaters, sportscars and international championships. Chadwick became the first female British GT Champion in 2015 before winning three consecutive W Series titles between 2019 and 2022, and subsequently moved into Indy NXT with Andretti Autosport.
Her full-time Indy NXT campaign made her the first woman in 13 years to compete in the series, while she subsequently became the first woman in 14 years to stand on an Indy NXT podium and the first in 15 years to win a race. In 2024, she in fact became the first female driver to win an Indy NXT race on a road course.
Chadwick has continued to expand her experience beyond single-seaters in recent seasons. In 2026, she is competing in the European Le Mans Series with IDEC Sport in LMP2 and has already become the first female driver to win an LMP2 class race in the championship. She also made further history at the 24 Hours of Le Mans Test Day by becoming the first woman to drive a Hypercar in the event's top class, while she currently serves as a reserve driver for Genesis Magma Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Her career outside the cockpit has increasingly focused on creating opportunities for other young drivers as well. Chadwick remains a prominent advocate for women in motorsport and founded the Jamie Chadwick Series, a karting platform designed to provide girls aspiring to compete in motorsport with an accessible route into racing and an opportunity to develop their skills from an early age.
