Photo: Andretti Autosport
Jamie Chadwick, the reigning W Series champion who managed to win three consecutive titles in the series, will move on in 2023 to the Indy NXT. Chadwick has signed a deal with Andretti Autosport, and she will be behind the wheel of the No. 28 Indy NXT entry.
The Briton will carry sponsorship from DHL, a longtime partner of Andretti Autosport, and has already tested with the team at Sebring. Despite entering the Indy NXT series, Chadwick will remain a member of the Williams Driver Academy, which builds on an existing relationship with the British team.
In the case of the Williams deal, Chadwick had been named Williams F1's reserve driver back in 2019. Despite having that role, she did not get any closer to entering Formula 1. However, Chadwick has proven herself in W Series, and her Dallara open-wheeled racing car should have her in a familiar cockpit, but on different tracks.
Over the years, Andretti's Indy NXT team has turned out five champions, and the outfit hopes to add more names to their list. Even if Chadwick does not become the next Indy NXT champion in 2023, which would be an outstanding accomplishment on her debut season in the series, it does not mean that she does not gain valuable racing experience.
In time, the W Series is expected to continue to bring forward more and more talented female racers. Formula 1 wants to have another female-only series that will give an extra chance to even younger talent, while the W Series exists for racers who have already gathered some experience, but cannot fund their racing any further.
Both supporting championships are meant to bring female racers into Formula 1, as the sport is notorious for its lack of women in racing cars, while teams are often criticized for limited diversity when it comes to their members.
In time, the world should have several talented female racers battling for a spot in Formula 2 and Formula 1, as well as in other racing series. The latter has not happened since 1976, back when two female racers were entered in the same F1 race, but failed to qualify.
Historically, there have been women who competed in Formula 1, with the most experienced being Lella Lombardi, who gathered 17 entries and 12 starts in the 1970s. Meanwhile, Desire Wilson is the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind, back in the British Aurora F1 championship on April 7, 1980. The result has landed Wilson a grandstand at Brands Hatch named after her.
The first woman to have competed in Formula 1 is Maria Teresa de Filippis, who entered back in 1958 and 1959, with three entries and the best finish of tenth place in a Grand Prix. The behavior and comments of some officials in the era, including the race director, are believed to be the reason de Fillipis did not continue any further.
The last woman to have an attempt at qualifying an F1 car for a race was Giovanna Amati, and she entered three races, but failed to qualify further. Things went South for Amati after her sponsorship failed to materialize.
Amati's replacement was Damon Hill, who failed to qualify in six of the eight races of that season. Fortunately for the Briton, he continued competing for seven more years and won the Driver's World Championship title in 1996.
In the case of the Williams deal, Chadwick had been named Williams F1's reserve driver back in 2019. Despite having that role, she did not get any closer to entering Formula 1. However, Chadwick has proven herself in W Series, and her Dallara open-wheeled racing car should have her in a familiar cockpit, but on different tracks.
Over the years, Andretti's Indy NXT team has turned out five champions, and the outfit hopes to add more names to their list. Even if Chadwick does not become the next Indy NXT champion in 2023, which would be an outstanding accomplishment on her debut season in the series, it does not mean that she does not gain valuable racing experience.
In time, the W Series is expected to continue to bring forward more and more talented female racers. Formula 1 wants to have another female-only series that will give an extra chance to even younger talent, while the W Series exists for racers who have already gathered some experience, but cannot fund their racing any further.
Both supporting championships are meant to bring female racers into Formula 1, as the sport is notorious for its lack of women in racing cars, while teams are often criticized for limited diversity when it comes to their members.
In time, the world should have several talented female racers battling for a spot in Formula 2 and Formula 1, as well as in other racing series. The latter has not happened since 1976, back when two female racers were entered in the same F1 race, but failed to qualify.
Historically, there have been women who competed in Formula 1, with the most experienced being Lella Lombardi, who gathered 17 entries and 12 starts in the 1970s. Meanwhile, Desire Wilson is the only woman to win a Formula One race of any kind, back in the British Aurora F1 championship on April 7, 1980. The result has landed Wilson a grandstand at Brands Hatch named after her.
The first woman to have competed in Formula 1 is Maria Teresa de Filippis, who entered back in 1958 and 1959, with three entries and the best finish of tenth place in a Grand Prix. The behavior and comments of some officials in the era, including the race director, are believed to be the reason de Fillipis did not continue any further.
The last woman to have an attempt at qualifying an F1 car for a race was Giovanna Amati, and she entered three races, but failed to qualify further. Things went South for Amati after her sponsorship failed to materialize.
Amati's replacement was Damon Hill, who failed to qualify in six of the eight races of that season. Fortunately for the Briton, he continued competing for seven more years and won the Driver's World Championship title in 1996.
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