Jamie Chadwick will compete in the W Series for another year, which is fine with Williams – But at some point she will have to move to Formula 3, says Jost Capito
Is Williams development driver Jamie Chadwick’s career at a dead end? The Briton is seen as the biggest chance for a woman in Formula 1 after winning two W Series titles, however the 23-year-old recently announced she would be competing in the women-only racing series for another year
This had caused some surprise among fellow female drivers, as the aim of the series was actually to pave a way for women into the junior series. But none of them has yet made it to Formula 3 or even Formula 2.
So Chadwick, too, is treading water for another year. That she will compete in the W Series for another year is fine with Williams team boss Jost Capito: “It’s up to her how she develops her career. We supported her path,” he says. “I think she had a couple of options and if she wants to continue in the W Series, that’s her decision. “
Capito: Chadwick has to go to Formula 3 at some point
But Chadwick herself sounded a different note recently: “I think the most important factor is funding, and to be quite honest, in the short time we’ve had, we haven’t been able to raise the necessary funds,” she had said of missing out on a move up to the direct Formula 1 undercard.
However, Capito knows, “If she still has Formula 1 as a goal, then at some point she will have to go through Formula 3 and Formula 2.”
But that could also be in the hands of Williams, as Chadwick will continue to be part of the Williams academy in 2022. Like her colleagues, she will take part in training camps that include media skills and physical training.
Academy success in two, three years?
Unlike the programmes at Red Bull, Mercedes or Ferrari, the junior programme at Williams is still in its infancy, but is being built up gradually. In addition to Chadwick, Formula 2 drivers Roy Nissany and Logan Sargeant, one-time Grand Prix driver Jack Aitken and Formula 3 driver Zak O’Sullivan are also part of the programme.
“They are working together and of course we want to get them into a Formula 1 car as soon as possible,” Capito says. “But we give them time. We don’t put too much pressure on them. “
“We’ve only just started and we’ll see how it develops. But we now have a proper structure and programme for the whole year. Everything has improved and I’m sure we’ll see good results – not in the first six months, but in the next two to three years.”
And will Chadwick perhaps break the W Series deadlock in 2023? “We will see how it develops and then we will decide in the season what the next steps will be,” said the team boss.
