Jamie Chadwick on 'carrying responsibility' for female drivers with F1 dreams - EXCLUSIVE

Jamie Chadwick is well-versed in the highs and lows of flying the flag for female participation in motorsport. The 23-year-old, who has been part of the Williams Racing Driver Academy since 2019, has lofty ambitions to kick on from W Series dominance to the star-studded F1 grid. But the road to the top is somewhat more complicated when there are only 20 seats up for grabs, four of which are already held by world champions past and present, in a male-dominated arena.

Chadwick has been on motorsport fans' radars for some time, and her 100 per cent record of two championships in two W Series seasons is a testament to her immense talent behind the wheel. Many were surprised to see her return to the W Series for a crack at a third title rather than make the natural step up to F3, but funding issues have made life difficult in a complex and lucrative sport.

The path to the F1 grid is a tough one to tread at the best of times, but Chadwick proudly plugs away with extra eyes in her direction and weight on her shoulders due to the hope that she can break the female F1 duck. Indeed, the Bath-born star will need no reminding that Lella Lombardi was the last woman to line up for a Grand Prix way back in 1976, and the sport is crying out for diversity.

"If I make it, [the added attention] is a good thing, if I don't then it's not," she told Express Sport. "I shouldn't be carrying the weight of women in the sport. If I do go into F3 or F2 and don't succeed then that should not reflect on women in the sport and their ability.

"I can guarantee there are many talented young drivers coming through that deserve the opportunity every bit as much as I do. In that sense, I shouldn't be carrying that responsibility. But as someone trying to