Chadwick says driving F1 car 'top of bucket list'

Jamie Chadwick, one of the world's most accomplished female racing drivers, described testing a Formula 1 car as the pinnacle of her motorsport career. The 28-year-old British driver, who currently competes in the all-female W Series, recently had the opportunity to take part in 32 laps of the F1 car at the Portimão circuit in Portugal.

Chadwick, who joined Formula 1 team Williams in 2019, has won all three seasons of the W Series and was the first female driver to win a road race in IndyCar's feeder series. She told BBC Sport that driving an F1 car is "definitely the top" on her dream list, describing the experience as surreal and incredible. Chadwick trained extensively for the test, including a specialized neck strengthening program to cope with the immense G-forces experienced in an F1 car.

Despite the progress made by women in motorsport, no woman has yet started an F1 race since Lella Lombardi in 1975. Chadwick expressed her belief that women are capable of competing at the highest level of Formula 1, but acknowledged the extremely competitive nature of the sport and the limited number of seats available.