Jamie Chadwick drove 130 laps in the Williams FW46 at Portimão on December 19, becoming the first woman to test a Formula 1 car in more than a decade. The 24-year-old British driver, currently a Williams brand ambassador and Andretti Autosport Indy NXT driver, ran consecutive sessions in clear conditions on Pirelli demonstration tires. Williams described the test as part of Chadwick's ongoing development program, though no race seat timeline was disclosed.
The test follows Chadwick's three consecutive W Series championships (2019, 2021, 2022) and her current campaign in Indy NXT, where she sits 14th in the standings with a best finish of seventh at Mid-Ohio. Williams signed her as an academy driver in 2019, then elevated her to development driver in 2022 before shifting the relationship to a brand ambassador role in 2023. The Portimão outing marks her first F1 test since a private session at Silverstone in 2021, though no lap times from that day were published. Thursday's test was conducted as a promotional filming day under F1's Technical Regulations Article 10.2, which permits 200 kilometers on demonstration tires without counting against a team's allocated testing days.
The timing matters for two constituencies. For sponsors, Chadwick's test generates coverage in a dead-zone week between the Abu Dhabi finale and the New Year, when F1 teams typically go dark. Williams' primary backers—Kraken ($65 million annually), Duracell, and Vast Data—each target consumer segments where women's sports consumption is rising faster than men's. Kraken's Q4 marketing materials reference "the next generation of motorsport fans," a phrase that pairs cleanly with footage of Chadwick in the FW46. For team operators, the test signals Williams' willingness to allocate track time and engineering resources to a driver with no clear path to the grid. The team currently fields Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz Jr. for 2025, with both contracts extending beyond 2026. Reserve driver role remains open, though that seat typically goes to a driver with existing F1 mileage.
What separates this from routine PR is the lap count. 130 laps at Portimão equals roughly 750 kilometers, nearly four times the 200-kilometer filming-day maximum. Williams clarified the session was split across multiple filming-day allocations, a maneuver that suggests deliberate investment rather than a half-day photo opportunity. The team has not disclosed whether Chadwick will receive additional test days in 2025, though team principal James Vowles told media in Abu Dhabi that Williams intends to "create pathways, not gestures." Translation: expect more tests if Chadwick's Indy NXT results trend upward in the first half of 2025.
The last woman to test an F1 car was Susie Wolff, who drove for Williams in 2014 and 2015 free practice sessions before retiring from racing. Wolff now manages the F1 Academy, a junior series launched in 2023 with $6 million in prize funding and direct feeder agreements to F2 and F3. Chadwick has not entered F1 Academy, which is restricted to drivers under 25, though she remains eligible through the 2025 season. Her current IndyCar pathway appears separate, with Andretti reportedly exploring full IndyCar seat options for 2026 if her Indy NXT campaign improves.
Watch for Chadwick's 2025 Indy NXT results in the first half of the season—anything inside the top eight in the championship would justify additional Williams test days. Also watch Kraken's Q1 ad spend; if Chadwick footage appears in Super Bowl adjacencies or March Madness rotations, the test was always about reach, not race prep. Williams has not confirmed its reserve driver for 2025, with an announcement expected before pre-season testing in Bahrain.
The lap count tells you what the press release won't: Williams gave Chadwick enough mileage to learn the car, not just photograph it.
The takeaway
Chadwick's 130-lap Williams test signals brand play for Kraken's reach or genuine talent pathway—watch her Indy NXT first-half results.
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