Jamie Chadwick, one of the world's most decorated female racing drivers, has completed a test drive of a Formula 1 car at the Portimao circuit in Portugal, describing it as the pinnacle of her motorsport career. This milestone adds Chadwick to an exclusive group of only 13 women ever to have driven an F1 car and underscores ongoing efforts to increase female participation in motorsport's highest level.

Chadwick, 28, joined Williams as a development driver in 2019 and has won all three seasons of the all-female W Series, becoming the first female to win a road race in IndyCar's feeder series. She completed 32 laps and underwent intensive physical preparation including neck-strengthening training, experiencing G-forces so extreme that they caused significant soreness. Historically, only two women have raced in F1 Grand Prix events—Maria Teresa de Filippis in 1958 and Lella Lombardi in 1975, who remains the only female driver to score championship points—and no woman has started a race in 50 years. Chadwick expressed confidence that female talent capable of competing in F1 exists and hopes her test, along with Williams' ongoing support for female drivers, will eventually lead to race seat opportunities.