Jamie Chadwick – motor racing's woman of the year
Race, Modern
Damien Smith
The 2019 season was hugely significant for women in motorsport, and most specifically for Jamie Chadwick, who became the inaugural champion of W Series, the all-female single-seater series that launched amid a cacophony of both enthusiasm and criticism in equal measure.
The critics were concerned that this was a form of segregation, in a sport that should allow women to compete on an equal footing with men. But for the drivers, none of that mattered. All they saw was an opportunity to race, without having to find sponsors to do so, to gain significant exposure from a high level of media interest – and to earn big prize money. In that context, why wouldn't they sign up?
For Chadwick, the pre-season question posed often to her was that she had the most to lose, given that she was the best-known name on the entry list, following her historic race victory in British F3 in 2018 – the first for a woman at this level. But she had a convincing answer, and it's one that is still relevant going into season two, during which she will defend her hard-won crown.
"A lot of people said to me 'do you not feel you have the most to lose', and I said yes, but I also have the most to gain," says the 21-year-old. "And it's very much the same going into this year. If I can win the championship for a second year that really marks me out as someone who deserves the support to go to the next level. Although the exposure in the first year has been absolutely incredible, I haven't quite managed to secure the support to get to the FIA F3 Championship."
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Chadwick's profile, along with those of her most significant rivals Beitske Visser, Emma Kimilainen, Marta Garcia and Alice Powell, shot sky high during 2019 as the six-round W Series caught attention and gained respect as the competition improved race by race. Chadwick got off to a flying start, winning the Hockenheim season opener, as she was expected to. But it's notable that only one other victory followed, at Misano, as her rivals clawed their way into contention. By the Brands Hatch finale in August, she was forced to drive for points to secure her title and the $500,000 first prize, as fellow Brit Powell stole some of the limelight with a strong drive to victory.
On that evidence, isn't the risk of getting beaten in 2020 and undoing some of the great work she put in to win that first title weighing on her mind? Chadwick's a little defensive on the suggestion she now has a target on her back. "Everyone asks me that," she says. "Last season was much more competitive towards the tail end, so naturally going into the beginning of 2020 everyone is going to hit the ground running. I don't see it that I have a target on my back. I know what I want to achieve out of W Series. If I can hit the ground running and drive as well as I can, that's all I can do."
She also believes W Series has more to offer her. Two extra races are planned to be added to the 2020 schedule, although neither is yet confirmed. Perhaps more significantly, the series will now be eligible to earn drivers points for an FIA Superlicence, which is what anyone needs if they aspire to race in Formula 1. "That's part of the reason why I'm doing it for a second year," says Chadwick. "The series is changing, adapting and they are learning as well. It's an exciting time."
She admits that without W Series her career would look very different right now. As for so many drivers, a lack of funding had threatened to stall her progress, until this new initiative gave her a much-needed injection of seat time, experience and exposure.
"There were phone calls I wouldn't have had if it wasn't for W Series," says Chadwick. "For me now, the focus is on driving as much as possible. There is no substitute for seat time. W Series was unbelievable in terms of exposure and experience, but from a seat time perspective I would have liked to have done more, so that's what I'm looking for now to give myself the best opportunity to go further in the sport."
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Could one of those seats she's looking to climb into in 2020 be in a Formula 1 car? During 2019, the other significant breakthrough Chadwick made, beyond winning in W Series and also representing Aston Martin in GT racing, was the deal she signed to join Williams as a development driver. Simulator work has been her main opportunity in these times of limited testing in F1, but that is not to be underestimated.
"The Williams relationship has been really good," says Chadwick. "The role predominantly has been development work and simulator-based, but towards the end of this year I got a lot more involved in weekend race support which I really enjoyed because it had a direct correlation to what they were doing at the track.
"In terms of getting in the car, that's an ongoing discussion. We're pushing as hard as we can but they have got bigger things to worry about than me at the moment."
She was "really pleasantly surprised" how much work Williams put into her development. So does a future in F1 feel within reach now?
"To be honest, it feels further away," she states. "Young drivers would underestimate massively the level of F1 and how high it is in comparison to junior series. Not in a bad way, but in a refreshing way I now know what I need to learn in the next few years. I'm not going to rush that or try to cheat it.
"Last season I got comments on social media asking if I was going to replace [Robert] Kubica. In my head, even if I had the super-licence points that was not realistic. If I get to F1 I want to be the best possible driver to make my mark rather than being there a year or two too early."
That level-headed point of view sums up Chadwick's admirable sense of realism. She knows she has a way to go and there's no shame in admitting it. In fact, it shows strength of character – and there's clearly an inner belief that she has what it takes to grow.
After a successful and satisfying 2019, in which she was also nominated for the Autosport Aston Martin BRDC Young Driver Award, Chadwick is all set to go again. The new season will arguably be even more crucial than her stellar 2019 campaign. On the face of it, she does indeed have it all to lose – but in her mind, she also has much more to gain.
Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.
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