Latest news with #WSeries
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
F1 driver the 'most annoyed he's ever been' after what happened at Saudi Arabian Grand Prix
It has been spotted that a Formula 1 driver was the 'most annoyed he's ever been' during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. On Sunday evening, the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix took place around the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. After starting on pole, Max Verstappen was handed a 5-second penalty for an incident with Oscar Piastri at the first corner of the first lap. The Red Bull driver was adjudged to have gained an advantage off the track, but the decision did not go down well as Verstappen was left seething after the race. Piastri went on to win and, as a result, became the new leader of the driver's championship. Further down the pecking order, Racing Bulls currently have the only all-rookie lineup on the grid, with Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson as their drivers. New Zealander Lawson, who is out to prove a point after being dropped by Red Bull, finished 12th, with Hadjar coming home in 10th place. However, Hadjar was left frustrated by the Williams pair of Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon as the trio battled for position. Speaking about the Frenchman after the race, former Aston Martin strategist Bernie Collins said: "Interestingly, listening to Hadjar's radio, that was the most annoyed I've heard him on the radio when he was trying to get with the Williams, trying to figure out as a team how they were going to attack those two Williams, that was quite interesting.""I really enjoyed it" 💪Isack Hadjar is overall very happy with his race in Saudi Arabia 😀#F1 #SaudiArabianGP — Formula 1 (@F1) April 20, 2025 Meanwhile, three-time W Series winner Jamie Chadwick said of Hadjar: "He's been able to quietly go about executing his business, picking up points, and today was a great race. "He went long initially, and managed to sneak himself into the points, and then obviously he was battling with the Williams' at the very end, and I think the teamwork from the two Williams' kept him at bay. But still, to pick up a point for the Racing Bulls was a really impressive job." F1 will return next month with the Miami Grand Prix, which will take place on May 4.
The Independent
12-03-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
7 key questions dissected by Jamie Chadwick ahead of the 2025 Formula One season
The new Formula One season fires up in Melbourne this weekend with Max Verstappen bidding to claim a fifth-consecutive world title. Three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick, who has been unveiled as a Sky Sports pundit for the new campaign, dissects seven key questions for the PA news agency prior to Sunday's Albert Park curtain raiser. Who will be crowned world champion? Charles Leclerc. I am not sure if that is a bold prediction or not? Ferrari really came on strongly at the end of last year and Leclerc's relationship and footing in that team places him as a very good candidate to take the title. Who will run him close? Lewis Hamilton will be up there. He is never going to be far away from his team-mate. But Leclerc has been at Ferrari since 2019, has won eight times and he is very much part of the furniture. That will be an advantage for him. McLaren's Lando Norris is obviously another contender. It will be between Ferrari and McLaren for the championship. What about four-time world champion Max Verstappen? Even if Verstappen's Red Bull is not capable of fighting for the title, if he has an opportunity to win races and be competitive, he will. He cannot be ruled out. But if you look at the back end of 2024, and how pre-season testing went for Red Bull, it is not looking super-promising. Will George Russell and Mercedes be contenders? They will be in the mix and they might be able to claim the odd win, but they could struggle for consistency across the season to be serious contenders. Does Norris need to be more ruthless? Norris found himself in a high-pressure environment at the end of last year as he fought Verstappen for the championship. But the big difference between this season and 2024 is that he starts this year with a championship-winning car underneath him. He has won races now, too. I expect Norris to hit the ground running, with belief and confidence and that will provide him with a different mindset. How big a deal is Hamilton's move to Ferrari? It is the coolest transfer we have seen in F1. But I hope it is not just a one-year thing. I would love to see Hamilton win his eighth world title and I would love to see him do that in a Ferrari. But it will be a challenge. Over one lap, Leclerc is one of the quickest on the grid. Qualifying was a weak point for Hamilton last year. However, Hamilton's work ethic is so incredibly high that he will go into this season with qualifying as a focus and his race pace is one of the best out there. Who will be the surprise package? Williams. In Carlos Sainz – who has joined from Ferrari – and Alex Albon, Williams have one of the strongest driver pairings in F1. They finished only ninth of the 10 teams last season, but they should be much higher up the grid this year.
Al Arabiya
16-02-2025
- Automotive
- Al Arabiya
Exclusive Jaguar's Formula E rookie Jamie Chadwick inspiring female racing drivers
Jamie Chadwick has happy memories of racing in the Gulf. Her motorsport career has been punctuated by many pioneering moments and in 2019 she became the first female winner of the MRF Challenge – a single-seater series that held races at Dubai Autodrome and Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir. That same year, Chadwick also became the inaugural champion of the all-female W Series – a title she successfully defended in each of the next two seasons. She has gone on to break new ground in motorsport and just last year became the first woman to take an Indy NXT series pole and race win. In 2025, she will compete in the iconic European Le Mans series. 'I've absolutely loved racing in the Middle East,' Chadwick tells Al Arabiya English. 'The first single-seater championship I won was in the region and that's where I really started to fall in love with motorsport. I think some of the best races we've seen [in recent years] have been in Jeddah.' This week, Chadwick returned to the Gulf as Formula E – the world's leading all-electric racing series – made its debut in Jeddah after six years of being held in Riyadh. While she was not among the 24 drivers competing in the Jeddah E-Prix, Chadwick did have the opportunity to accelerate around the streets of the Saudi city as part of 'Rookie Free Practice'. Taking place ahead of the main race, the free practice gave teams the chance to give car time to new drivers who have not raced before in Formula E. For Chadwick that meant linking up again with Jaguar TCS Racing, the winner of last season's Formula E Teams' Championship. She had participated in rookie tests for Jaguar before, most recently in a milestone all-female Formula event in Valencia in November. 'Valencia was a great opportunity to reignite the relationship with Jaguar,' Chadwick explains. 'With that has come the opportunity to also do tests in Jeddah and Berlin [in July]. I will always jump at the opportunity to get in a Formula E Car and now see how much it's developed. 'I think it was fantastic from a visibility point of view. It was great to see so many female drivers get that opportunity and it's great Formula E is capitalizing on that.' Formula E initially won plenty of praise when it included three female drivers on the grid in its inaugural season back in 2014. But the numbers quickly dwindled and it has been several years since a woman competed in the series. Chadwick is hopeful that the drought will end soon and admits that she would love to race in Formula E. 'You look at the level of drivers that we're seeing in Formula E now and if you don't have a really high level of experience, it's quite tricky to get in these race seats and get in these cars generally,' Chadwick said. 'We see some of the best drivers of our sport competing toe to toe in Formula E and I think that's reflected in how good the racing is. But these opportunities [to test] are really valuable. Is Formula E something I would like to be involved in? Absolutely.' Chadwick has emerged as one of motorsport's leading female role models, and her ability to inspire greater participation is something she takes very seriously. She launched her own eponymous karting series for girls in the UK in 2024, prompting a 1900 percent increase in female participation in competitive karting, 700 percent rise in endurance racing entries and 200 percent increase in girls trying karting for the first time. 'It's definitely an important responsibility,' she says. 'I can list examples from when I was younger of drivers giving me advice and responding to me when I reached out to them, so I feel definitely there's an onus on me for me to do that too. 'Of course I have to think selfishly about my own racing and achieving what I want to achieve, but at the same time there's a huge responsibility now to inspire the next generation to get into motorsport. That's something I am really passionate about developing.' The Jamie Chadwick Series is currently only running in the UK but the British driver says she would love to roll the series out globally, including in the Gulf. 'There's a big interest to take it to the States and of course in the Middle East there are more and more opportunities now for young drivers – it's definitely something I'd like to integrate and encourage. 'I think we're seeing more and more female drivers coming out of the region and I think if we can increase the level of participation, it's only going to help. It is absolutely something we want to grow internationally.' While Jaguar's Formula E team is currently using Chadwick for testing, the British manufacturer also previously had a female Saudi driver in its cars. Reema Juffali entered the 2019-20 Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy series and has since competed in a variety of GT competitions - as well as a couple of races in the F1 Academy Series in 2024. Beyond Juffali, fellow Saudis Mashael al-Obaidan and Dania Akeel have represented the Kingdom in international motorsport competition, while Farah al-Yousef has participated in F4 Middle East this year. 'All of those women are acting as amazing role models to the next generation,' Chadwick says. 'It is fantastic and I think that's going to make a huge difference. 'They're showing what they can do coming from the region and competing at such a high level, but also there's so much more infrastructure now available and so many more opportunities for people to race. 'I think we're seeing more tracks being built, more championships being run, and I think that is only going to give more opportunity to the Middle East and drivers to start in a sport, progress and then develop their skills, which is really cool to see.'
The Independent
10-02-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Jacques Villeneuve lands new F1 role alongside Jenson Button at Williams
Jacques Villeneuve has returned to Williams F1 as an ambassador alongside fellow world champion Jenson Button and three-time W Series champion Jamie Chadwick. Villeneuve, who appeared as a pundit twice last year for Sky Sports F1 and is known for his forthright opinions, won the 1997 F1 world championship with the team and was the last Williams driver to win the title. Now, he joins 2009 world champion Button and Indy NXT racer Chadwick as a team ambassador as Williams look to 'strengthen the connection between the team's celebrated history and its ambitious future.' Villeneuve remarked: 'Williams has been a crucial part of my life, filled with fond memories. 'I am ecstatic to be part of the family again, and to help celebrate the team's heritage while supporting its future.' Button, who is also a pundit for Sky, made his F1 debut for Williams in 2000 while Chadwick will also fulfil the role of F1 Academy adviser to Lia Block. 'It's a privilege to have Jenson, Jacques and Jamie with the team for 2025,' said Williams team principal James Vowles. 'Together they are the perfect representation of this iconic team: the history we have made, our proud tradition of investing in future champions and opening up access to motorsport, and our ambition and determination to make history again. 'Jenson and Jacques made their F1 debuts with Williams and went on to become World Champions, while Jamie has broken boundaries for women in motorsport as a Williams Racing driver and mentor to Lia. We are delighted to have them as part of the next chapter in Williams' story.' The 2025 F1 season starts on 16 March with the Australian Grand Prix. Williams reveal their 2025 livery this Friday at their Silverstone launch event with driver pairing Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon expected to be present.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Racing driver Jamie Chadwick says the sport 'is secretly trying to find the next female superstar'
British racing driver Jamie Chadwick may not yet be a household name. That could all change this June when the 26-year-old British racing driver heads to France to make her debut in the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans. Her impressive resume -- three consecutive titles in the W Series and stints in Indy NXT, British Formula 3 and Extreme E -- has some calling her the most "decorated" female driver in the U.K. Early on, the 26-year-old Chadwick said she tried desperately to fit in with the male drivers, purposely not drawing attention to herself or her talents. "My whole career, I was just one of the boys," she told ABC News last month. "I laughed about their terrible jokes about women. It's very easy for females not to make noise ... we have this 'just grateful to be here' mentality." She is no longer staying silent. Chadwick, a Rolex Testimonee brand ambassador who served as the grand marshal of this year's Rolex 24 at Daytona endurance race, said she understands the importance of having a female role model in the sport. She was inspired by her own experience with Susie Wolff, the managing director of the F1 Academy and former Scottish racing driver. "I wrote her an email in 2013 and she replied back with advice," Chadwick said, adding that she has developed a "good relationship" with Wolff. According to Chadwick, the F1 Academy effect has been "significant." The academy, which started in 2023, helps to develop and prepare "young female drivers to progress to higher levels of competition" and "show them that there's a place for them in our sport." Now, young girls are looking to Chadwick for encouragement. "I try to support and give guidance" to these future drivers, she said. Moreover, Chadwick argued female drivers are increasingly in demand by team owners: "Everyone is secretly trying to find the next female superstar." Chadwick spoke about her unexpected rise in motorsports, how she prepares mentally for a race and training with her Le Mans teammates Logan Sargeant and Mathys Jaubert. MORE: Meet the women of the F1 Academy The following interview has been edited for clarity. Q: Who was a role model for you in the beginning of your career? A: I didn't have too many role models when I started because there weren't many [female drivers]. I fell into this sport by accident. The reason I got involved was because of my older brother and I think he was a role model -- I just followed everything he did. We raced against each other when we were younger and were super competitive. It was not the healthiest of sibling rivalries, I am sure. It wasn't until a bit later that I realized the importance of role models in my career. Q: Are you actively trying to be a role model for young girls who are interested in motorsports? A: I try to do the best I can. I've benefited so much from initiatives and different doors opening for women in the sport. I feel like I've got a great opportunity now to really make sure the next generation has similar opportunities, if not better. It's important for me to encourage as many young girls as possible because I think it's a sport that should be more open to women and we can really do a lot to reduce that diversity gap. Q: Did you face any naysayers early on who said you can't have a career in motorsports because you're a woman? A: I definitely think there were naysayers ... there were comments like, "Oh, she's good for a girl." When are we going to get a point where people stop saying that? Not everyone has the same support that I did and that's why I want to make sure the next generation has equal opportunities. Q: There's lots of talk about a possible female driver in F1. How involved are you in the F1 Academy? I mentor Williams Development driver Lia Block and I love what the team is doing. Williams is putting a lot of visibility on women in the sport. There's so much pressure to get a female driver into F1 ... but it's also not necessarily what we're trying to achieve. We're trying to achieve increased participation in general for women. The first step is just increasing participation and then down the line we can look at a female F1 driver. Q: Where do you see yourself in the next five years? A: I obviously want to be racing at the highest level I can. I am fortunate to be competing in Le Mans for the first time this year [in the LMP2 category], which is very exciting. I just want to grow and be the best racing driver I can be and continue to help develop the future of the sport. Q: Why endurance racing? A: I was competing in Indy NXT and I was very keen to go to IndyCar but the opportunities didn't quite come about in the end. So my feet have sort of fallen into endurance racing. But it's a great place to be in the sport. It's a little bit more friendly for female drivers. IndyCar would have been really tough physically. Endurance racing is a good opportunity for me to establish myself. Q: What's your training regime for Le Mans? A: It's quite important to be light -- the less you are, the better. So losing a little bit of weight is a factor. Plus making sure I am strong, fit and can stay in the car for three hours at a time. I am really looking forward to the challenge. There's no one better to ask than Tom [Kristensen] about Le Mans. I am lucky to have access to him. [Kristensen is a nine-time Le Mans winner and fellow Rolex Testimonee.] Q: What has Tom said about Le Mans? A: The main thing he said was to get in as many laps as you can in practice. Make sure your eyes are good for the night, which is a good bit of advice. And to enjoy it and make the most of it. He's Mr. Le Mans and I am sure to pick his brain more. Just to win it once would be a dream. Q: How do you stay focused for a 24-hour race? A: Good question. Adrenaline is a big thing. You're so focused on what's coming at you -- you're dialed in. When it's the middle of the night and you're tired ... you just have to focus and try not to make a mistake. It's not easy. Q: Are you frequently in touch with your Le Mans teammates? A: My co-drivers are former Williams driver Logan Sargeant and Mathys Jaubert, who is 18. He's very young but an exciting French talent. We're all rookies, which will be pretty tough. We've never had teammates before so we're getting used to that dynamic. Q: You were the grand marshal at the 24 Hours of Daytona in January. How did your partnership with Rolex begin? A: Partnering with a brand like Rolex is not something I had expected in my career. Rolex has a huge history in motorsport. In 2021, I was competing in the W Series and won my second title and on the back of that we started some conversations. Rolex is really keen to bring in young talent but also young female talent. I jumped at every single opportunity I had to work with them. We're now going into our fourth year together and it's an incredible partnership to have. It's giving women drivers more opportunity and awareness. Racing driver Jamie Chadwick says the sport 'is secretly trying to find the next female superstar' originally appeared on
