The 28-year-old Briton became the first woman in more than a decade to test a Williams F1 car, taking the team's 2025 challenger around Portimao under the championship's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations. Chadwick completed 32 laps during the session, marking a significant moment in her career and another milestone for women in modern Formula 1 machinery.
Key Highlights:
- Jamie Chadwick completed 32 laps in Williams' 2025 F1 car during her maiden Formula 1 test at Portimao.
- The 28-year-old became the first woman to test a Williams F1 car since Susie Wolff more than a decade ago.
- Chadwick called the experience "very surreal" and said her appreciation for Formula 1 had now "gone through the roof".
- Doriane Pin and Jessica Hawkins are among the other women to have tested modern F1 machinery in recent years.
Chadwick's Surreal Williams F1 Experience
Chadwick admitted the opportunity felt almost dreamlike once she finally climbed into the Williams.
"Very surreal. It all went far too quick, honestly," Chadwick told Sky Sports F1. "It was a day or half a day that just went by so fast, but I'm so glad, because you dream of things like this, and you dream of days like this."
The Williams ambassador said the reality of driving an F1 car exceeded even her expectations.
"Often with things like that, you never know how you're going to feel on the day, or how it's actually going to be, and the reality of it was what I expected times ten," she added.
Chadwick completed 32 laps at Portimao as part of F1's Testing of Previous Cars (TPC) regulations, getting her first taste of a Williams F1 machine in a formal test environment.
'My Appreciation for Formula 1 Has Gone Through the Roof'
The experience also gave Chadwick an even greater appreciation for what it takes to compete in Formula 1.
"Now my appreciation for this sport, and for Formula 1 in particular, has gone through the roof," she said. "The car is phenomenal. The circuit was also phenomenal. I'm very, very grateful to Williams for the opportunity."
For Chadwick, the session was not simply about completing laps. It offered a rare chance to experience first-hand the machinery at the centre of the world's premier single-seater championship.
Chadwick Follows Susie Wolff's Williams Milestone
Chadwick also reflected on the significance of becoming the first woman to test a Williams F1 car since Susie Wolff more than 10 years ago. Wolff, now F1 Academy managing director, was the last woman to test a Williams F1 car before Chadwick's Portimao outing.
"I mention it in the feature, but I really clearly remember the day Susie did her day," Chadwick said. "It feels quite surreal, 11 years later, to be hopping inside a car like that, and having the privilege to drive it. So, very grateful to everyone that's part of it."
More Women Making Their Mark in Modern F1 Machinery
Chadwick's test also adds to a growing list of women who have driven modern Formula 1 machinery. Doriane Pin, the 2025 F1 Academy champion, tested the Mercedes W12 at Silverstone in April 2026. Aston Martin ambassador Jessica Hawkins previously drove the team's 2021 F1 car at Silverstone in 2023.
For Chadwick, however, the focus remains on appreciating a rare opportunity to experience a Williams F1 car first-hand — a day she described as one she had dreamed of and will not soon forget.
