Jamie Chadwick makes history: first woman to drive a Williams F1 in 11 years

In a landmark moment for female representation in motorsport, Jamie Chadwick has become the first woman in over a decade to drive a contemporary Williams Formula 1 car. Completing a testing session at Portimao on Monday, September 21, Chadwick took to the cockpit of the Williams 2025 machinery for 32 laps, marking her debut in modern F1 technology.

While Chadwick has previously showcased historic Williams legends—including Nigel Mansell’s 1992 championship-winning FW14B and Keke Rosberg’s 1982 FW08 at Goodwood—this session represented her first true encounter with the complexities of current-era F1 machinery.

Breaking a Decade-Long Barrier

The significance of this test cannot be overstated. Chadwick is the first woman to drive a Williams F1 car since Susie Wolff, who participated in practice sessions for the team in 2014 and 2015.

For Chadwick, the experience was deeply personal. “It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience,” she remarked. “Few things can prepare you for driving a Formula 1 car at speed around a track like Portimao, but it was everything I imagined and 10 times more.”

Reflecting on the legacy of the team, she added: “I remember being young and watching Susie 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.”

Data-Driven Success and Future Pathways

The session was part of Williams' Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) programme, which allows teams to utilize pre-2026 machinery for up to 20 test days annually. Beyond the symbolic importance, the test served a technical purpose; James Vowles noted that Chadwick helped the team gather essential data ahead of F1’s return to the Portimao circuit in June next year.

Team Principal James Vowles praised Chadwick’s merit, describing her as an inspiration who has “thoroughly earned this F1 test opportunity.” He emphasized that the milestone proves a viable path exists for women to compete at the pinnacle of the sport.

With a CV boasting three W Series titles and victories in Indy NXT and the LMP2 class, Chadwick continues to be a pivotal figure in the paddock, also serving as a Williams ambassador and advisor to F1 Academy driver Jade Jacquet. She joins an elite group of only three women to drive an F1 car in the 2020s, alongside Doriane Pin and Jessica Hawkins.