Racer Jamie Chadwick tests a Formula 1 car for the first time in Portugal — The Japan Times

British racing driver Jamie Chadwick got behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car for the first time, testing last year's Williams FW47 at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. According to The Japan Times, the 28-year-old athlete completed 32 laps of the track in the Algarve region on Monday.

The second woman to drive for Williams

Chadwick became the second woman to test a Formula 1 car for the Williams team. The first was former racing driver Susie Wolff, who tested a car for the British outfit in 2015. Wolff is now managing director of the women's racing series F1 Academy.

Chadwick called her drive in the Williams an experience she will remember for a long time and said it was the best day of her life so far. She also recalled being inspired by Susie Wolff's test in her youth and expressed a desire to inspire the next generation in the same way.

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A career in endurance racing

Chadwick won the now-defunct women's W Series three times and is a Williams ambassador. She also works as an adviser to F1 Academy, currently competes in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans Series, and has raced open-wheel cars in North America.

This year, she became the first woman to complete a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe during the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a hypercar, serving as a reserve driver for Hyundai's Genesis Magma team. Chadwick has said that she sees her future in sports car racing. Williams team principal James Vowles called her a role model for women and girls and noted that the experience she gained would help her develop her career and work with the team's young drivers.

According to the publication, women have not started a Formula 1 Grand Prix race for 50 years. Earlier this year, Frenchwoman Doriane Pin, last season's F1 Academy champion, became the first woman to drive a Mercedes Formula 1 car.