The British Jamie Chadwick recently became the 13th woman in history to pilot a Formula One single-place, doing it for Williams months after Dorianne Pin had the same opportunity in a Mercedes.
© Williams
29/09/2026
by
Sthere are rare cases of women who have driven Formula 1 single-places. Recently, Jamie Chadwick became the 13th in history to have that opportunity.
At 28, the British Williams piloted last year's FW47 at the Algarve International Autodrome, completing 32 laps. It was a job that allowed Grove's team to gather information to prepare for next year's GP in Portugal.
In 2026, Jamie Chadwick is competing in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) for the second consecutive year, as well as remaining linked to Williams as a development pilot. It also features championship tickets such as the Indy NXT (the second division of the IndyCar Series), W Series or European Regional Formula.
In a statement, the British commented: “It was a phenomenal day and an incredible experience. Few things can prepare you to drive a high-speed Formula One car on a track like Portimão, but that's all I imagined and ten times more. I am incredibly grateful to Williams’ team for this opportunity.”.
This isn't the first time Williams has given a woman the opportunity: Susie Wolff even joined Grand Prix free training, something she did for the first time in 2012 marking the return of women to official sessions more than two decades later.
More recently, last April, Dorianne Pin also had the opportunity to fly an F1 – behind the wheel of a 2021 Mercedes W12 on the Silverstone circuit.