Former W Series racer and British Karting champion Jessica Hawkins made history when she completed her first Formula 1 test session with the Aston Martin on Sept. 21.
The 21-lap test came at the Hungaroring in Hungary, where the 28-year-old Hawkins became the first female driver to perform a test session since Tatiana Calderon tested for Sauber in Mexico in 2018.
While Hawkins and Aston Martin team reps said all the right things after the test, there’s still no indication that Formula 1 is any closer to having a woman actually make an F1 starting grid. The last woman to race in Formula a is Lella Lomnardi, who started 12 races between 1974 and 1976.
It’s safe to say that Hawkins is still not considered by even her Aston Martin team a candidate to ever start an F1 race. She is listed on the team roster as a “Driver Ambassador.” The team’s reserve drivers are currently former F1 driver Stoffel Vandoorne and 2022 Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugoich—both clearly ahead of Hawkins on the team depth chart.
Hawkins, who finished 11th in the 2021 W Series season standings and ninth in 2022, is expected to drive for Aston Martin’s entry in the all-female F1 Academy racing series in 2024. The W Series winner both years, Jamie Chadwick, is currently racing in the Indy NXT series for Andretti Global.
“I want to say a big thank you to everyone at AMF1 Team for having the trust in me, believing in me, and for giving me this opportunity,” Hawkins said. “It’s taken me every bit of blood, sweat and tears to get here. When I first heard it might be a possibility, I could hardly believe it.
“I’ve had to keep it secret for months now, which was pretty hard. It’s been absolutely worth it and it’s given me really valuable insight. Nothing will compare to the acceleration and braking of a Formula 1 car and, having looked at the data, I’m really proud of my performance. Getting to drive the AMR21 has been a dream come true for me and one I’ve been ready to fulfill for a long time. I’ll keep pushing for more and, in the process, I want to inspire other women and let them know they should follow their dream no matter what it is.”
Jessica Hawkins is a Driver Ambassador for the Aston Martin F1 team.
Added Aston Martin F1 team principal Mike Krack, “This is a special moment, for both AMF1 Team and for Jessica, who is an important member of our driver squad. We were really impressed by Jessica’s preparation for the test. She worked incredibly hard with our simulator team and that made it an easy decision to put her in the AMR21.
“Jessica approached the opportunity with great maturity; she was up to speed quickly and found a nice rhythm. This has been a hugely significant moment in Jessica’s journey with AMF1 Team and I am pleased we could give her this next step in her development journey by testing a modern Formula 1 car.”
Mike Pryson covered auto racing for the Jackson (Mich.) Citizen Patriot and MLive Media Group from 1991 until joining Autoweek in 2011. He won several Michigan Associated Press and national Associated Press Sports Editors awards for auto racing coverage and was named the 2000 Michigan Auto Racing Fan Club’s Michigan Motorsports Writer of the Year. A Michigan native, Mike spent three years after college working in southwest Florida before realizing that the land of Disney and endless summer was no match for the challenge of freezing rain, potholes and long, cold winters in the Motor City.
Read the full article here