Jamie Chadwick has described her first Formula 1 test at Portimao as the highlight of her career after completing 32 laps in a Williams car. For a driver who has already built a strong reputation across junior and women’s motorsport, it was a moment that carried real meaning.
Chadwick, who joined Williams as a development driver in 2019, said the experience felt like a dream come true. She also became part of a very small group of women to have driven an F1 car, with only 13 women having done so and just two ever taking part in a race.
A dream that lived up to the build-up
Chadwick said the test sat at the top of her motorsport achievements. “In terms of a dream or a bucket list item, it's definitely the top,” she said. That is a striking verdict, but it fits the scale of the occasion.
She added that the day was more intense than she had imagined. “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.”
That matters because Formula 1 machinery is a different level of physical demand, even for an experienced racer. Chadwick has won all three seasons of the all-female W Series, but driving an F1 car is a separate test entirely.
The physical challenge behind the glamour
Chadwick was also candid about how hard the car was on her body. “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.
She went on to describe the raw force of the experience in vivid terms. “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.”
Her final assessment said plenty about both the pain and the reward. “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.”
For Chadwick, the test was not just a symbolic outing. It was a rare official run in Formula 1 machinery, and one that placed her in a very small list of women to have experienced it. Since Lella Lombardi last started an F1 race, no woman has lined up on the grid.
What it means for women in Formula 1
There is also a wider context to the day. Maria Teresa de Filippis took part in the Belgium Grand Prix in 1958, Lella Lombardi finished sixth in the Spanish GP in 1975, and Susie Wolff drove a Williams car at the British Grand Prix in 2014 in the first female appearance in an official F1 session for more than two decades.
Earlier this year, Doriane Pin became the first female to drive a Mercedes, underlining that more women are getting opportunities around Formula 1 again. Chadwick’s run at Portimao adds another notable step, particularly with the track set to return to the F1 calendar in 2027.
For Chadwick, though, the central point remains simple. This was a personal milestone, a rare opportunity, and the clearest sign yet of how far she has come since joining Williams in 2019.
