Jamie Chadwick completes 32-lap Formula 1 test at Portimao

Jamie Chadwick said testing a Formula 1 car during a session at the Portimao circuit in Portugal was the highlight of her motorsport career after she completed 32 laps, she told BBC Sport in an article published on 26 September 2026. She described the experience as a bucket-list moment and said it was the top of her list.

The 28-year-old first joined Formula 1 team Williams in 2019 as a development driver and has won all three seasons of the all-female W Series. Chadwick has also been the first female driver to win a road race in IndyCar's feeder series. Her test at Portimao came after a period of simulator practice and targeted physical preparation.

Describing the on-track sensation, Chadwick said: "It was pretty surreal. It's kind of everything I imagined, but more. The feeling you get from a car like that is pretty incredible. And then at a track like Portimao, it's a proper rollercoaster." She said the experience exceeded her expectations and delivered an intense physical and sensory challenge.

Chadwick detailed the preparation that preceded the run, saying she practised in a simulator beforehand and took part in a detailed programme of gym work, which included neck strengthening sessions, with some of the drivers on the F1 grid. "I train my neck anyway for what I do, but it's that times 10. Just the sheer level of strength that's required in the neck is huge," she said. "I can't really put it into words the G-force and the feeling on your neck. As soon as you accelerate out of the pit-lane, your head hits the back of the headrest because it's so aggressive. You wake up the next morning like you've been in a fight with Mike Tyson. It feels like you've been beaten about a bit, but it's an incredible feeling."

There are now 13 women who have driven an F1 car; five of those have officially entered a F1 Grand Prix weekend and only two have gone on to actually take part in a race. Maria Teresa de Filippis was the first female to take part in an F1 Grand Prix in 1958, finishing 10th, and Lella Lombardi competed in a record 17 grands prix and finished sixth in the 1975 Spanish GP, becoming the first and so far only woman to score points. Susie Wolff made the first female appearance in an official F1 session for more than two decades when she drove a Williams car at the British Grand Prix in 2014 and is now the managing director of the all-female series F1 Academy; Chadwick named Wolff as one of the "inspirations" behind her wanting to drive an F1 car.

Chadwick noted recent developments involving female drivers, including Doriane Pin, who won the F1 Academy title in 2025 and became the first female to drive a Mercedes in April. She also pointed to the longer-term picture in F1, saying women are "capable of competing in Formula 1" but that there "shouldn't be a timeline on it." "I definitely believe the talent is out there," she said, adding: "And I'm excited."

Acknowledging the scarcity of opportunities at the top level, the article noted there are only 22 race seats in Formula 1. Chadwick said: "You're looking at F2, F3 champions not getting seats and you realise that there's more talent than there are seats often available. Then you narrow it down to a female driver and it's even tougher and an even smaller talent pool. But I genuinely believe with everything that we're doing now to support female talent it's only going to lead in a positive direction."

The Portimao circuit will be on the F1 calendar in 2027, and Chadwick concluded by linking her test to longer-term ambitions: "Me doing this test and Williams giving opportunities to female drivers for example, will hopefully lead to a race seat one day."