Is Jamie Chadwick A Future Formula One Driver?

Will Jamie Laura Chadwick become the second successful female F1 driver in the future? Based on her performance in the lower disciplines and the W Series, as well as the continued support she is receiving from Williams, she is one of the candidates with the most chance of achieving great things.

She signed onto the Indy NXT (formerly Indy lights) campaign with Andretti Autosport for 2023. If her performance is anywhere as good as in the past, she would seem to be a shoo-in to join F1 on a full-time basis. After her hard work, skill, and good nature, no one is more worthy of this reward.

Lewis Hamilton has played a big role in highlighting that white males are the dominant force in F1, and it is great to see the sport taking active measures to change the situation. In years to come, we expect to see a much broader representation of females and different nationalities participating at all levels.

1. Jamie Chadwick

Jamie is arguably the best active female racing driver. Based on her performance, she stands a real chance of being the first F1 driver of the current generation.

 In this article, we provide some background on this remarkable racing driver.

2. Where Is Jamie Chadwick From?

Jamie was born in Bath, England, on 20 May 1998, after which the family moved to the Isle Of Mann.

3. Jamie Chadwick’s Age

Being born on 20 May 1998 means that Jamie is 24.

4. Where Did Jamie Chadwick Go To School?

For her high school years, Jamie studied at Cheltenham College, a co-educational boarding and day independent school in the small town of Cheltenham in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom.

Jamie presently lives in London; however, this may change with her move to Indy NXT.

5. How Tall Is Jamie Chadwick?

Jamie’s height and weight are as follows.

• Height: 152 cm (5’3”)
• Weight: 57 Kg
• Age: 24 as in 2023

With an average F1 driver height of 1.76m, if Jamie makes it onto the F1 grid, this will make her the shortest and lightest driver in the line-up.

To find out all of the F1 drivers heights an weights click here

6. Jamie Chadwick Family

Jamie’s dad is Michael Chadwick, a property developer involved in real estate in the UK. Jamie’s mum is Jasmine Chadwick, a businesswoman in her own right.

Ollie Chadwick is Jamie’s older brother. When racing, he won the 2016 Ginetta GT5 championship.

Ollie has his rotary wing pilot’s license.

7. Jamie Chadwick Partner

At the time of writing, Jamie is in a relationship with Struan Moore, previously a racing driver.

Struan has previously competed in the GT World Challenge Series and British GT Championship for McLaren, Nissan, and Jenson Button’s GT3 team. Multiple race winner, 2018 British GT Silver Cup Champion, British Formula 4, Japanese F3, and LMP2.

He is now in driver management at Infinity Sports Management.

8. Jamie Chadwick Racing Career

As with all of the exceptional F1 drivers, Jamie started racing in go-karts when she was eleven.

Ginetta Junior Championship

In 2013 the all-around sportswoman was offered a trial with England’s under-18 hockey squad. She turned this down to start racing full-time.

On the weekend of the hockey trial (which she turned down), she participated in the Ginetta Junior scholarship weekend.

This is a one vehicle make, multi-event racing weekend held across England and Scotland for privately funded drivers aged between 14 and 17.

Jamie won the scholarship and raced for the 2013 season in the Ginetta Junior Championship. Jamie and her brother raced in the JHR Developments team and ended the season in 10^th place.

She continued racing in the series in 2014, achieved five podiums, and finished 8^th.

British GT Championship

In 2015 Jamie drove for Beechdean Motorsport, competing in the GT4 class. Her co-driver, Ross Gunn and Jamie, took two wins and five podiums in 2015.

This included winning the Silverstone 24-Hour race. She broke two records becoming the youngest and the first female champion of the British GT Championship.

In 2016 she stayed with the British GT Championship and achieved mixed results in 15^th place in the championship.

Jamie’s Single-Seat Career

Jamie joined the BRDC British Formula 3 Championship driving for Double R Racing in 2017.

She only achieved one podium and finished ninth in the championship.

In 2019 she drove for Douglas Motorsport and became the first woman to win a British F3 race. This happened in August 2018 in the reversed-grid race at Brands Hatch.

Jamie finished the season in eighth place.

In 2019 Jamie raced in the 2018-19 MRF Challenge season and achieved six first-place and three second-place podiums. In the process, she set another record by becoming the first woman to win the MRF Challenge.

Jamie’s W Series Career

Jamie was announced as one of the inaugural drivers for the “W” series. She also drove in the first three races of the 2019 F3 Asian Championship.

It was also announced that Jamie was to be appointed as an Aston Martin’s junior driver.

In the first race of the W series, Jamie fought a hard battle to become the winner. Two weeks later, at Zolder, she achieved second place.

After Zolder, Jamie became the second driver to sign on at the Williams Driver Academy. This made her a development driver for the team.

Jamie finished the 2019 W series as the series champion.

Although the rule was that championship winners would not be allowed to race in future seasons, dispensation was given to Jamie.

Jamie had a dismal 2020 when the W series was cancelled due the COVID-19 pandemic.

She managed to reclaim the series championship in 2021.

Although the 2022 W series was cut short for financial reasons, Jamie was announced as the season champion.

Jamie Chadwick F1

Her goal has always to end up riving in an F1 team. Although she has broken so much ground in her motorsport career, by her own admission she may not make it to F1 because of her age.

This is a tremendous pity, as she is the one female driver who has had the skill and tenacity to break through barriers.

Jamie Chadwick Cars

Jamie’s history in cars is quite modest – the cars are listed below.

• Her first car was a Volkswagen Polo.
• This was followed by a Golf GTD (which she still drives)
• Jamie is regularly loaned cars by Aston Martin.

Her dream cars are.

• Porsche 911 Singer DLS
• Aston Martin DB5
• Aston Martin Valkyrie

Jamie Chadwick Super License Points

In 2020, after finishing fourth overall in the 2019–20 F3 Asian Championship,  Jamie was awarded the first 10 of the 40 points she needed to qualify for the FIA Super Licence (which she needed to join F1).

In 2021 she earned an additional 15 super license points for her victory in the W series.

Can Women Drive In F1?

With all the hype around needing to have equal representation, Jamie has questioned whether women have the stamina needed to compete at the pinnacle of racing – F1.

Jamie has said that to get into Formula One, drivers must move through the feeder series of F3 and F2, which is very physical.

F3, F2, and F1 cars do not have power steering and assisted brakes, making driving them a very physically difficult experience.

 “We like to think that women can make it – and I am happy to be the guinea pig and will do my best to push and explore the options to Formula One – but we don’t know.”

Jamie Chadwick

Our view is that there is no reason why women cannot drive – and thrive – in F1. 

Jamie, who is a development driver for Williams, is a little more cautious and has said that, realistically, several mechanical changes must be needed to assist women racers. Jamie mentioned some of the needed changes.

• Thinner steering wheels for smaller hands
• Removing restrictions on how close the pedals are
• Women with bigger hips will struggle to be comfortable in the narrow cockpit tubs.

“I would like to think in the next three to four years, we will see a female driver in F1,” concluded Chadwick. “There is a lot of younger talent than me coming through that could have great success, but there are details within the sport that have been a limiting factor previously. Trying to understand those and changing them – even if that is not for me but for the next generation coming through – is going to be important.”

Jamie Chadwick

Previous Women Formula One Driver

In formula one’s73 year history, only one woman has driven for a Formula One car for a significant period, in a live races.

Her name was Maria Grazia “Lella” Lombard, which raced in 17 events from 1974 to 1976, driving for Brabham, March, and Williams.

Other female F1 drivers are

• Maria Teresa de Filippis (5 entries, 3 starts)
• Divina Galica (3 entries no starts)
• Desiré Wilson (1 entry, no starts)
• Giovanna Amati (3 entries no starts)

References

Jamie has made a name for herself and marked a position in the history books. Although we hope that she becomes the first female F1 driver, even if she doesn’t she has set the groundwork for future generations.

Her work to prove that women have the tenacity and skill to achieve great things paces her amongst the greats.

Read About The Exciting F1 Female Drivers Academy here – link

Read About Other F1 Academy Drivers

• Bianca Bustamante – Future F1 Driver? (f1worldwide.com)
• Is Jamie Chadwick going to be the first female F1 driver (f1worldwide.com)
• Luna Fluxá: the First Female Driver in the Mercedes Junior Program (f1worldwide.com)
• Chloe Grant Scottish Racing Sensation (f1worldwide.com)
• Aurélia Nobels: A Future F1 Great? (f1worldwide.com)
• Will Abbi Pulling Be The First Female F1 Driver? (f1worldwide.com)
• Léna Bühler: The Rising Star Of The 2023 F1 Academy (f1worldwide.com)
• Hamda Al Qubaisi – The Rising Star of F1 Academy (f1worldwide.com)
• Will Lola Lovinfosse beat out the competition and het into F1? (f1worldwide.com)

References

F1 2023 Drivers’ Height And Weight – F1Worldwide.com

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jun/29/jamie-chadwick-aims-for-f1-but-not-sure-women-can-cope-with-physical-demands

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/interview/my-life-cars-jamie-chadwick

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jamie_Chadwick