Written by Alejandra Guajardo Lozano, Edited by Vyas Ponnuri
Women have played an influential role throughout the history of motor racing. Many have taken to the wheels of motorsport machines, while numerous figures have worked tirelessly on the sidelines in various roles, shaping the racing world to the present day. Woman Spotlight Wednesday aims to take a look at the tales of these superwomen, who have surpassed various hurdles to reach where they are today.
Today’s story dives into the career of a W Series legend, one who is a development driver for a renowned Formula One team, and currently races in IndyNXT, the premier feeder series to IndyCar. She is one of the biggest names among females racing in motorsport today.
Jamie Laura Chadwick is one of the most influential women in the racing world. She discovered her love for Motorsports at the age of 11, after following in her brother Oliver’s footsteps into the sport. She went on to take numerous wins and podiums at the club level in the Junior series, earning herself a Ginetta Junior Scholarship in 2013, having showcased her undeniable natural talent behind the wheel of a racing machine.
In 2015, Jamie became the first woman to win the British GT Championship, driving an Aston Martin Racing V8 Vantage GT4 for Beechdean Motorsport, and securing the title in only her debut season. Following some stunning performances, she was selected to be part of the Aston Martin Racing Driver Evolution Academy.
In 2016, Chadwick stayed in British GT, driving in the GT4 pro class for Generation AMR SuperRacing, during the first, second and sixth rounds, before returning to Beechdean Motorsport. She raced the pro-am class for the latter, alongside ‘Bake Off’ TV celebrity Paul Hollywood for the final three races of the season. She juggled her racing career while completing her A-level studies at Cheltenham College.
In 2017, Jamie moved to single-seaters, joining Double R Racing to compete in the 2017 BRDC British Formula 3 Championship. She started her rookie season with a podium in the fifth race of the season, at Rockingham, and finished ninth in the Championship. For 2018, she remained in the series, moving to Douglas Motorsport, and later became the first-ever woman to win a British F3 race, claiming her maiden win at Brands Hatch. Later that year, Chadwick took part in the MRF Winter Series, racing at three venues: Dubai, Bahrain, and Chennai, claiming the title in January 2019.
2019 was Chadwick’s year. She was announced as one of the entrants for the W Series, and claimed the title for the inaugural season. She later participated in the three opening races of the 2019 F3 Asian Championship, and was announced as an official junior driver for Aston Martin Racing. She also drove for a class-winning team at the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring in Germany.
It was in 2020 when Chadwick was finally awarded the points to qualify for a FIA Super Licence, having finished fourth in the F3 Asian Championship. Following the cancellation of the 2020 W Series season due to the pandemic, Chadwick was slated to be one of Prema Powerteam’s four drivers, in the 2020 Formula Regional European Championship
In 2021, Williams announced Chadwick’s continuation as a development driver for the 2021 season, while Jamie also reclaimed her title in the W series, after a close fight for it with Alice Powell. In addition, Jamie also competed as Veloce Racing's female driver in Extreme E, and claimed a second place finish at the Ocean X-Prix in Senegal.
In 2022, Chadwick raced for Jenner Racing, claiming her third W series title, later announcing her move to race in Indy NXT for Andretti Autosport, in 2023.
Jamie has had an outstanding career in Motorsports, becoming the role model to many young girls having the burning desire to step into racing. Chadwick still has a lot ahead of her, and as her racing record states, she is truly an outstanding driver, who has contributed a lot to the Women in Motorsports movement. Chadwick has made records as a woman, and left her mark in the racing world. She surely knows how to race like a superwoman.
