Reporting note: this article draws on Sky Sports; Score808 Live provides the summary and editorial framing.
Chadwick Logs 32 Laps in Williams Formula 1 Machinery
Three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick completed her first official Formula 1 test on Monday, running 32 laps at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão, Portugal. The private test was conducted with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team under the sport's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations.
Chadwick, a long-serving Williams development driver and ambassador who currently competes in the European Le Mans Series, transitioned to the higher aerodynamic downforce and mechanical grip of modern Grand Prix machinery on the demanding 4.653-kilometer circuit. The Portuguese track, known for severe elevation changes and high-speed vertical load compressions, subjected both driver and chassis to extreme physical parameters across the 32-lap program.
Physical Preparation and Lateral Load Management
To cope with the immense lateral G-forces and rapid kinetic shifts generated through Portimão's flowing sweeps, Chadwick underwent targeted conditioning ahead of the test. Her program integrated simulator calibration, seat fitting, and specialized neck training alongside Mercedes driver George Russell to withstand the severe deceleration and cornering forces typical of F1 load profiles.
“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,” Chadwick stated. “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.”
Data Collection and Future Program Impact
Williams Team Principal James Vowles emphasized that the outing served a tangible engineering purpose in addition to driver development, with the team gathering setup baseline data ahead of Formula 1's planned return to the Algarve venue next season.
“Jamie gathered important data for the team as F1 prepares to return to Portimao next year, and her feedback and performance were impressive as we knew they would be,” said Vowles. “This clearly shows there is a path for women to compete at the top level.”
Chadwick becomes the latest woman to pilot contemporary F1 machinery, following recent TPC runs by Doriane Pin for Mercedes at Silverstone and Jessica Hawkins for Aston Martin in Hungary. Williams previously fielded Susie Wolff during four Friday free practice sessions across the 2014 and 2015 campaigns, while Lella Lombardi remains the last woman to start a World Championship Grand Prix, dating back to 1976.
