Chadwick completes 32 laps in Williams test at Portimão

Jamie Chadwick completed 32 laps at the Portimão circuit on Monday 21 September, Williams announced on 24 September. She drove the FW47, the team's 2025 Formula 1 car. According to Williams, the test also served as preparation for the planned return to the Portuguese circuit in 2027. [2]

The three-time W Series champion is an ambassador and F1 Academy adviser at Williams. Ahead of the test, she undertook a preparation programme involving physical training, simulator work and a custom-fitted seat. [1] [2]

Team principal James Vowles says Chadwick collected important data and gives a positive assessment of her feedback and performance. That assessment comes from the team involved: the available material contains no lap times, comparable runs by other drivers or specific explanation of the technical benefits. It is therefore not possible to establish how fast Chadwick was relative to the regular drivers. [2]

Not her first drive in an F1 car

RacingNews365 and The Race both report the 32 laps in a 2025 Williams, but differ in what they describe as a first. RacingNews365 calls it Chadwick's first drive in an F1 car. That description is too broad: Williams had previously described how she drove the historic FW08C at Goodwood in 2023. The Race does make that distinction, describing Portimão as her first experience of modern F1 machinery. This was therefore a test, not a Grand Prix debut. [1] [3] [7]