Jamie Chadwick - First competitive female driver in F1?
Discussion
LukeBrown66 said:
female drivers available are maybe not quite good enough as the talent in FE is pretty high level.
This. There's a smattering of ex F1 talent across the grid as well as high profile drivers from other series alongside up and coming drivers. It's a high talent grid. The type of car should theoretically remove some of the challenges an F1 car would present but you still need to be very very fast; would be interesting to see just how close JC could get in one of these.
vaud said:
F1 teams wary of an accident so close to the start of the season a la Pascal Wehrlein?
Yup, Bottas the only current F1 driver in this year’s lineup. Professional teams are all very wary about such events after Wherlein, not a good look to see your driver get injured doing something silly, before the season even starts! Joey Deacon said:
RB Will said:
Next competitive outing
Seriously, that was the best the UK could field?I’ve always quite enjoyed ROC, a bit of fun and you see some drivers out of their normal comfort zone.
Don’t think there’s much risk of injury, unless the precious F1 drivers fall over in the snow, or their egos get dented. Conditions will clearly suit the Scandinavian rally drivers.
I know someone who worked with one of the support companies last year, and he said that the atmosphere and camaraderie amongst the drivers was really relaxed and friendly - some were there with their families, all mixing with each other and having a laugh.
Bit like racing in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I suppose
Last year Chadwick did ok for her first time on ice - beat Hakinen and Schumacher and looked like she was going to beat Herta, until she hit a snow drift.
Don’t think there’s much risk of injury, unless the precious F1 drivers fall over in the snow, or their egos get dented. Conditions will clearly suit the Scandinavian rally drivers.
I know someone who worked with one of the support companies last year, and he said that the atmosphere and camaraderie amongst the drivers was really relaxed and friendly - some were there with their families, all mixing with each other and having a laugh.
Bit like racing in the ‘60s and ‘70s, I suppose
Last year Chadwick did ok for her first time on ice - beat Hakinen and Schumacher and looked like she was going to beat Herta, until she hit a snow drift.
Castellet said:
I’ve always quite enjoyed ROC, a bit of fun and you see some drivers out of their normal comfort zone.
Don’t think there’s much risk of injury
https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a1818696...Don’t think there’s much risk of injury
Had the pleasure of going to RoC a few years ago (Michael Schumacher was competing and I sat next to Seb V when he wasn't very well known to give an idea of time). A very relaxed fun environment, from what I was told by a competitor (who shall remain nameless 
) the senior pros really go for it and party whilst the younger folks take it a bit more seriously, perhaps as a platform to get some exposure if they go well.
) the senior pros really go for it and party whilst the younger folks take it a bit more seriously, perhaps as a platform to get some exposure if they go well.Good interview with Jamie on competing in the Indy NXT series.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/64547308
"I don't want to close the door on Europe at all, if I have success and the opportunity does come around then I'd love to race in F3 [Formula 3] or F2 but at the moment I need to develop, I need to progress, I need to have seat time and my best chance of that is in the States"
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/64547308
"I don't want to close the door on Europe at all, if I have success and the opportunity does come around then I'd love to race in F3 [Formula 3] or F2 but at the moment I need to develop, I need to progress, I need to have seat time and my best chance of that is in the States"
alisdairm said:
Good interview with Jamie on competing in the Indy NXT series.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/64547308
"I don't want to close the door on Europe at all, if I have success and the opportunity does come around then I'd love to race in F3 [Formula 3] or F2 but at the moment I need to develop, I need to progress, I need to have seat time and my best chance of that is in the States"
Good piece, although it’s sad that Williams have been taking her money for three years now, roll her out to speak at their car launches and PR events as a champion of women in motorsport - but still haven’t fitted her for a seat in the actual F1 car. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/motorsport/64547308
"I don't want to close the door on Europe at all, if I have success and the opportunity does come around then I'd love to race in F3 [Formula 3] or F2 but at the moment I need to develop, I need to progress, I need to have seat time and my best chance of that is in the States"
Best of British to her in the NXT Series.
I do not know if you are aware but Williams and PR have not really had the best few weeks.
Their teams were embroiled in a lot of incident in Esports over the last few weeks.
And this CHadwick situation I find very odd, she is a great driver, what would be the harm in getting her out in a car once or twice, to not make that effort as you say is very poor, I do not know if she is paying for this, iof she is her manager needs to stop as it is achieving little.
Their teams were embroiled in a lot of incident in Esports over the last few weeks.
And this CHadwick situation I find very odd, she is a great driver, what would be the harm in getting her out in a car once or twice, to not make that effort as you say is very poor, I do not know if she is paying for this, iof she is her manager needs to stop as it is achieving little.
LukeBrown66 said:
And this CHadwick situation I find very odd, she is a great driver, what would be the harm in getting her out in a car once or twice
Its likely a few things. Cost, if she smashes the car. And experience the step from W series to F1 is huge.Potentially speed. If she's say 3 seconds slower than say Sargeant in the sim, because of the physicality if it puts her another 1.5 behind, it's not going to look great or do her any favours.
I personally wonder if NXT was the way to go. In license terms it's not a step although the cars or more powerful. I'm surprised they didn't get her in Super Formula or regionals if not putting her in F3 as I guess they're thinking F2 is too bigger jump too.
TikTak said:
LukeBrown66 said:
And this CHadwick situation I find very odd, she is a great driver, what would be the harm in getting her out in a car once or twice
Its likely a few things. Cost, if she smashes the car. And experience the step from W series to F1 is huge.Potentially speed. If she's say 3 seconds slower than say Sargeant in the sim, because of the physicality if it puts her another 1.5 behind, it's not going to look great or do her any favours.
I personally wonder if NXT was the way to go. In license terms it's not a step although the cars or more powerful. I'm surprised they didn't get her in Super Formula or regionals if not putting her in F3 as I guess they're thinking F2 is too bigger jump too.
I mean, c'mon... W series cars are based on F3 and are about the closest to F3, if winning W series three times doesn't line someone up for an F3 seat then honestly what is the point!?
W Series cars are Formula Regional cars, not F3. it is also pretty evident that as a competition it isn't even close to being up to snuff with the other Formula Regional series. F3 has 3.4l V6 engines with 380hp, FR cars like the W Series' one has a 1.8l engine with 270hp. They're built to different specifications and are not even remotely comparable. When FR champions move up to F3 and almost always struggle in their first year, the gaps in performance should not be underestimated.
I'm sure a F3 team would have her, assuming she splashed the more than adequate cash she has from both existing wealth & the W Series prize funds, the problem appears to be the quality of drive she expects vs the drives on offer considering she hasn't exactly set the racing world alight at Formula Regional level.
William's other academy drivers O'Sullivan, Gray & Colapinto are all also going to be in F3 this year so I guess the intention was for Chadwick to do the same before she turned the drive down.
Why ultimately would Williams risk putting her in the young driver test? The drivers put in to the young driver tests are usually F2 drivers, not drivers 2 levels below F2. I guess they will have to put one of them in considering their academy now only features drivers in F3 or below, unless a Merc young driver gets parachuted in. Both Gray & O'Sullivan are both far better candidates to get the opportunity, but even then being in F3 means there is still a big gap.
I'm sure a F3 team would have her, assuming she splashed the more than adequate cash she has from both existing wealth & the W Series prize funds, the problem appears to be the quality of drive she expects vs the drives on offer considering she hasn't exactly set the racing world alight at Formula Regional level.
William's other academy drivers O'Sullivan, Gray & Colapinto are all also going to be in F3 this year so I guess the intention was for Chadwick to do the same before she turned the drive down.
Why ultimately would Williams risk putting her in the young driver test? The drivers put in to the young driver tests are usually F2 drivers, not drivers 2 levels below F2. I guess they will have to put one of them in considering their academy now only features drivers in F3 or below, unless a Merc young driver gets parachuted in. Both Gray & O'Sullivan are both far better candidates to get the opportunity, but even then being in F3 means there is still a big gap.
My point here is not that she might be any good in F3 or in a Williams.
The point being she has been a member of that team for years and has never even sat in a modern F1 car. What#s the point of her being there?
Is she simply there to tick a box for Williams that they are involved with perhaps the best female racer of her time, without ever allowing her to get into any kind of F1 car worth a damn?
I think so.
I do not think she has the talent to get anywhere near F1, but employing someone on that so called ladder and then not ever putting her in a car even for publicity's sake seems utterly pointless, unless you want to tick a marketing box for inclusion then do nothing with it whatsoever.
The point being she has been a member of that team for years and has never even sat in a modern F1 car. What#s the point of her being there?
Is she simply there to tick a box for Williams that they are involved with perhaps the best female racer of her time, without ever allowing her to get into any kind of F1 car worth a damn?
I think so.
I do not think she has the talent to get anywhere near F1, but employing someone on that so called ladder and then not ever putting her in a car even for publicity's sake seems utterly pointless, unless you want to tick a marketing box for inclusion then do nothing with it whatsoever.
LukeBrown66 said:
My point here is not that she might be any good in F3 or in a Williams.
The point being she has been a member of that team for years and has never even sat in a modern F1 car. What#s the point of her being there?
Is she simply there to tick a box for Williams that they are involved with perhaps the best female racer of her time, without ever allowing her to get into any kind of F1 car worth a damn?
I think so.
I do not think she has the talent to get anywhere near F1, but employing someone on that so called ladder and then not ever putting her in a car even for publicity's sake seems utterly pointless, unless you want to tick a marketing box for inclusion then do nothing with it whatsoever.
It's not pointless to tick a box, as you know, it has some marketing and PR benefits.The point being she has been a member of that team for years and has never even sat in a modern F1 car. What#s the point of her being there?
Is she simply there to tick a box for Williams that they are involved with perhaps the best female racer of her time, without ever allowing her to get into any kind of F1 car worth a damn?
I think so.
I do not think she has the talent to get anywhere near F1, but employing someone on that so called ladder and then not ever putting her in a car even for publicity's sake seems utterly pointless, unless you want to tick a marketing box for inclusion then do nothing with it whatsoever.
However, I also think that she should ideally go to F3. I accept it is a meaningful step up from W series but it's still a perfectly reasonable next step. But she's not interested.
Put both things together, and we have an F1 team happy to have her notionally on the books, and she is happy to no longer progress towards F1, apparently. So we can assume that despite not giving us fans what we might like to see, for both parties involved, they're perfectly happy with things as they are - and feel they're both getting something out of it, which they probably both are.
This is what W series has delivered. A woman great enough to win it three times, who still can't/won't progress further. Apparently that will somehow motivate a new generation of girls to go karting, presumably so that they too can one day not make it into the main series and instead spend the next 5 years or so racing in lesser watched series to make bank, pay off the mortgage. I think Jamie actually said something along the lines of wanting to buy a house rather than 'risk' money by pursuing a career towards F1.
There's a chunk of mindset missing I think, perhaps revealing part of why it is proving endlessly impossible to get a serious female competitor into F1?
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