Jessica Hawkins becomes first woman to test F1 car since 2018

The Aston Martin Formula 1 team recently announced that Jessica Hawkins, their driver ambassador, had a test for them last week. This makes her the first woman to drive a modern F1 car in almost five years.

During his time at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest, Hawkins managed to drive the AMR21 race car for a total of 26 laps on Thursday. Jessica Hawkins used to be a champion kart racer in Britain and has also done well in the W Series, a racing competition. She has even worked as a stunt driver in a James Bond movie.

She is getting ready to help the team participate in the female-only F1 Academy series. Each team will have a female driver and a car with their design in the next season. Hawkins practiced using a special driving simulator for Aston Martin cars, and the director of the team’s training program, Robert Sattler, praised her for how well she did at the Hungaroring racetrack.

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“This has made every bit of blood, sweat and tears worth it.”

Last week, following months of preparation, AMF1 Team Driver Ambassador @1JessicaHawkins drove an #F1 car for the very first time, getting behind the wheel of the AMR21 in a private test at the Hungaroring. pic.twitter.com/nrJalJXlo8
— Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant F1 Team (@AstonMartinF1) September 26, 2023

Hawkins expressed her excitement, saying,
“Getting the opportunity to drive the AMR21 has been a dream come true for me, and it’s something I’ve been ready for a long time. I’ll continue to strive for more and, in doing so, I hope to inspire other women to pursue their dreams, no matter what they may be.”

Testing a F1 car, Tatiana Calderón becomes the most recent female driver in the sport

Since Lella Lombardi raced in Austria in 1976, there hasn’t been a female driver in Formula 1. Maria Teresa de Filippis and Lella Lombardi are the only two women who have participated in F1 racing since it started in 1950. Colombian driver Tatiana Calderón recently got the chance to test an F1 car. She was a test driver for Sauber and had the opportunity to test their car in Mexico in October 2018.

The W Series, a racing competition exclusively for women, ended in 2022 because it didn’t have enough money to continue. But the F1 Academy, which is backed by the owners of Formula 1. That wants to create a way for female drivers to enter F1 by first participating in feeder series. The first season of the F1 Academy is happening right now.

However, Susie Wolff, who is in charge of the Academy, has warned that it could take around ten years to bring a female driver into Formula 1. Next year, the series will be added to the F1 calendar as a race that supports the main event.