Exclusive: Jess Hawkins on competing for a British GT title with Aston Martin, her Le Mans dream, stunt driving in a Bond film and more!
Jess Hawkins is one of the most fascinating and versatile British racing drivers. She has been a driver ambassador for Aston Martin since 2021, and is one of the only women to have completed an official F1 test. She is currently competing for the British GT GT4 championship with Aston Martin, and was a stunt driver in the James Bond film, No Time To Die.
In this exclusive interview with DIVEBOMB's Owen Bradley, Hawkins speaks about her British GT championship campaign, Le Mans 24 Hours dream, stunt driving and her experience at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where she drove Aston Martin's 2025 F1 car up the hill climb.
Alongside her role as Aston Martin Driver Ambassador, she is also their Head of F1 Academy, an all-female series. Aston Martin sponsor Matilda Paatz in the championship, with Hawkins working closely alongside her in driver development. Hawkins draws on years' worth of experience in order to assist Paatz, who currently sits 8th in the F1 Academy standings.
Hawkins is going into the final round of the British GT championship at Brands Hatch, just six points down on the championship leaders. With one final race remaining, there is a significant chance of her becoming the British GT GT4 Drivers' champion alongside her co-driver, Will Orton.
Hawkins and Orton have been ruthlessly consistent during their 2026 British GT campaign, frequently finishing on the podium and securing finished in the top five. However, unfortunately for the pair, they have not yet won a race this season. Despite not taking a victory in the season so far, they arrive into the final race of the season just six points down on the leaders, and hold a strong and realistic chance of taking the crown.
Speaking about her 2026 season and main goal, Hawkins said: "It's been really great for me, off the back of a few tough years, it's nice to be back fighting for podiums and championships, that's been really nice. Helping Matilda is always a pleasure, overall it's been a very nice season so far!
She added: "I would like to win the British GT Championship, it's not going to be easy by any means, it's very competitive this season. I've been with Aston Martin about five or six years, so to be fighting for a championship with them is a real honour."
The Brit has taken numerous podiums in the British GT championship this season, however the No.21 MK Racing Aston Martin squad have their work cut out ahead of them, with two rival competitors in the championship standings, both tied on 127 points going into the final race. Hawkins currently sits on 121 points, with one other team also in contention for the title just behind her, on 116.5 points.
Asked what it will take to win the title, Hawkins stated: "Because there's a small amount of rounds in the championship, one bad round or one DNF can hinder your chances of being able to pull it back from there, so consistency is key for sure. There's no margin for error. Consistency is going to be what wins it."
Hawkins also drove Aston Martin's 2025 F1 car at the Goodwood Festival of Speed earlier this year, driving the car up the hill climb and doing donuts to the joy of many fans. The run was on wet tyres and is purely a showcase run of the car to fans at Goodwood.
It was also Aston Martin's first proper F1 showcase at the Festival of Speed, with Hawkins partnered with Jak Crawford in taking up the driving responsibilities at the iconic event held in Chichester. The Festival of Speed has grown significantly over the past decade, and the 2026 event was headlined by MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi and F1 champion, Lando Norris.
Speaking about her Goodwood experience, she said: "It was our first Goodwood here at Aston, so I had to make sure not to break anything! But it's all about having fun and putting on a show for the fans. Driving a Formula One car is enough to make anybody happy, even on one of their worst and darkest days."
The 31-year old has also become one of the most versatile British racing drivers, having driven various different cars. She has driven an F1 car, competed in other single seater cars, raced in the GT World Challenge in an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, currently races a GT4 car and has also raced in the British Touring Car Championship.
Other drivers often struggle to adapt between different cars, however the best drivers are often also the most versatile. F1 champion Max Verstappen competed at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring earlier this year, and competed in several other GT3 events where he was often the fastest driver.
However, being able to adapt between multiple different machines is often not straightforward or easy for a racing driver. Earlier this year, Lance Stroll competed in the GTWC Europe, with his debut GT race ending in total disaster as the team picked up multiple penalties. Hawkins' ability to go from driving an F1 car to racing a GT4 car, alongside her previous efforts in the BTCC and GTWC Europe, is an impressive skill.
Asked how she is able to adapt between the different cars, she revealed: "Switching from one to the other is not too difficult, it's the same feeling just in a slightly different way. The F1 car is so wildly different to a GT car, so it's not too difficult to keep those separate, it's not like I could get confused!
She added: "In my career, I've kind of had an experience in everything. From front-wheel drive cars, rear-wheel drive cars, GT cars, single seaters, tin tops and touring cars. I think one of my strengths is being quite adaptable, changing from one car to another. Throughout my career, with whatever championship I'm racing in, I've always had to adapt quite quickly, usually because I haven't had much testing, so I think adaptability is one of my strengths."
Many drivers, especially when they are younger, focus on the goal to reach Formula One. However, with only 22 slots on the grid, inevitably some talented drivers are forced to look elsewhere to continue their journey as a racing driver. Hawkins has followed a similar career trajectory, competing in several different championships and racing different types of machinery.
With the rise of young talent, and so many drivers subsequently not reaching F1, the young drivers have played a significant role in adding to the validity and competitivity of other championships, specifically Sportscar championships such as the World Endurance Championship, European Le Mans Series and the aforementioned GTWC.
For some, not reaching F1 can be crushing. Arthur Leclerc revealed to DIVEBOMB's Owen Bradley in an exclusive interview earlier this year, that he struggled to get over his F1 dream, but has since managed to re-focus his career efforts on making it to the WEC and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Speaking about her initial racing dream when she was younger, Hawkins said: "My goal since I was young was just to make it as far as I can. When I was 10 years old, I genuinely thought I would be in Formula One. F1 was always the dream, especially when I was winning a lot, when I was younger. I don't think it was ever a realistic achievement, but my aim now is just to make it as far as I can, keep racing for as long as I can and try to keep enjoying it. Once I stop enjoying it, that's when I'll stop. But sadly, here I am still enjoying it!"
Throughout the history of Formula One, only two women have ever competed in the sport. Lella Lombardi is the most successful female F1 driver, and competed in 12 Grands Prix between 1975 and 1976. She was also the first woman to score points in an F1 race.
There have been a select number of women who have driven in an official F1 test, and Jess Hawkins is one of the few women to have completed this huge milestone. She completed 26 laps at the Hungaroring circuit in Hungary back in 2023, testing Aston Martin's AMR21 from the 2021 F1 season.
Asked about the highlight of her career, she revealed: "Probably in 2023 back when I first drove an F1 car, for a proper test. Growing up, like many people, you aspire to make it to F1, but when you get older, you realise your chances get smaller and smaller. To be given that opportunity for the first time was amazing, it still is the best moment of my life, anything else will be hard to top it!"
Aston Martin entered the Hypercar class of the WEC in 2025 with the Valkyrie. With Hawkins' role as a Driver Ambassador, and her driving various different cars over the years, the road to competing in a World Championship may now be open to her.
Asked what her ultimate career goal is now, Hawkins said: "Goals have changed throughout my career, and every time I achieve certain goals, it's not about enjoying the moment too much, it's about focusing on the next one. I'd love to make it to Le Mans, just even to race there in the first place, and obviously to win it. It's a long and difficult road to get there, but I think it's possible in the right circumstances."
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is a major highlight for many drivers, although it can be a somewhat difficult journey to reach the iconic endurance race. Many drivers that compete in the WEC and at Le Mans, also race in other regional or world championships.
With Hawkins' experience in GT racing, a path to the LMGT3 class could be the most likely option, although many drivers consider the Hypercar class to be the peak of Endurance racing.
The support for female racing drivers has been developing over the last few years, but ultimately it is still relatively early in its' development. For drivers such as Hawkins, Jamie Chadwick and several others, they are currently the faces of female motorsport. However, with the empowerment of women in motorsport only occurring in recent years, these drivers are only now being given opportunities.
Some other drivers, such as Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi, compete in professional racing through their 40's, with Rossi racing in the GTWC at 47 years old currently. These drivers have an incredible amount of passion for motorsport, and are often reluctant to retire from the sport.
Asked if she could see herself having a long and extended career in motorsport, Hawkins said: "Racing is always going to be in my heart, maybe I'll always do the odd race here and there if I get the chance, but there will come a point where my priorities change. There will be one day when all of this isn't so important to me, but certainly for the near future, I'm happy with what I'm doing. I love racing as much as the day I first started, there's no sign that that's going to change anytime soon!"
With the recent support of women in motorsport, it has led to some of the drivers having opportunities that were once not even considerable. Recently, Jamie Chadwick became the first woman since Hawkins to test an F1 car, with Chadwick testing the Williams FW47 from the 2025 season.
Hawkins' career has gone to unexpected places since she first started, becoming affiliated with an F1 team, racing for a national championship crown and even becoming a stunt driver in the James Bond film, No Time To Die, which released in 2021.
Asked what her younger self would have made of her life now, Hawkins revealed: "I've done things that I'd never even considered I'd be able to do, like Fast & Furious, stunt driving in James Bond, I never even knew that'd be a possibility. If someone told me about this when I was younger, I'd have probably said 'No, I don't want to do that, racing is more important' but actually, it's one of the best things that I've ever done.
She added: "I've learned that it's not always about the destination, I think we put so much pressure on ourselves to get somewhere and achieve things, but it's all about the process getting there. I'm not exactly where I want to be, I'm proud of where I am, but there's still things I want to achieve. It's not always about the destination, genuinely my journey getting to where I am, has been an absolute blast! I would say I've learned to enjoy every second and try to worry less."
Hawkins will be competing for the British GT GT4 championship crown at Brands Hatch, alongside her role in assisting the Aston Martin F1 team and continuing to work with Mathilda Paatz in F1 Academy.
Comments