Ahead of the start of the inaugural Extreme E season, part four of BlackBook Motorsport’s Virtual Summit took place on 24th February. Among the speakers was British star Jamie Chadwick, who is set to drive for Veloce XE in the series this year.
The Virtual Summit brings together industry leaders to discuss the ways in which motorsport is changing during these uncertain times. In her session, titled ‘using your platform for positive change’, Chadwick discussed her racing experience, Extreme E and the role of women in motorsport.
“Most people who are involved in motorsport fall into it because their parents or family members are involved in some way, but for me that wasn’t the case at all,” Chadwick told attendees at the event. Instead, she said, it was her competitive spirit and determination to beat her older brother in sports that drove her to motorsport. Originally targeting hockey as a career path, Chadwick soon turned to karting when her brother started racing. As soon as she took to the track, she knew it would be her forte.
“I don’t know if it was sibling rivalry or what, but straight away I told my parents that was the sport I wanted to do,” she added. The rest isn’t history, but rather a product of hard work and grit.
Though still only 22, Chadwick has been racing for over 11 years, beginning in Ginetta Juniors in 2013 after securing a scholarship. From there, she moved to racing in the British GT Championship in 2015, winning the GT4 class championship in her inaugural season, making her the first female and youngest ever champion of the class.
Transitioning to single seater racing in 2017, Chadwick competed in British Formula 3 before securing a seat in the all-female, single-seater W Series and winning its maiden championship in 2019. Today, she works with Formula One team Williams Racing as a development driver and is set to begin driving in Extreme E, the all-new electric off-road SUV series which debuts early next month.
Involvement in the male-dominated world of motorsport as a woman has never been a setback or a disadvantage for Chadwick. “I grew up playing football and never understood why men had to play separately, why we couldn’t always play mixed,” she explained. “I thought we were absolutely equals.”
Motorsport is one of the few sports where men and women are permitted to compete together. Although the list of women driving in professionally remains notably short, organisations such as Girls on Track UK have set out to change that.
Chadwick’s pioneering spirit and ambition have positioned her as a role model for young girls looking to make a career in motorsport. Although she feels a responsibility to represent women as one of the few in the professional ranks, “it doesn’t lead [her] train of thought”. Focusing on her own goals, such as reaching Formula One, is at the forefront of her mind and she doesn’t want to concentrate on the added pressure that a leadership role brings upon herself. That being said, “it is a responsibility and I take it seriously,” she noted.
Jamie Chadwick celebrates winning the first W Series championship at Brands Hatch
As the Covid-19 pandemic spread globally, the world of motorsport ground to a halt. Whilst many saw it as a period of downtime, Chadwick kept her eyes on the prize and continued to work towards her goals. “I’m a big believer in that times like this do still present opportunities,” she said. Setting training and fitness goal enabled her to use her time wisely.
As the conversation moved towards her involvement in Extreme E, Chadwick shared her background with the team she will be representing, Veloce XE. Already managed by Veloce, the gaming and racing company, she describes the atmosphere within the setup as “a second family”. Despite this, she humbly admitted that she never expected to be chosen for their Extreme E team, but once she was able to test the car, she was desperate to drive it in the championship.
The inaugural Extreme E season is set to begin on 3rd April in Saudi Arabia with the Desert X-Prix. The series will span five races, each taking place in a unique location threatened by the impact of climate change.
Extreme E aims to highlight environmental issues and encourage fans and locals to be more aware of their carbon footprint and cultivate a more sustainable lifestyle. The series has attracted big names in the racing community, such as Formula One world champions Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton, both of whom will be running their own team. Another ex-Formula One world champion, Jenson Button, will also be running and racing in his own car.
As Chadwick pointed out, the unique nature of the series means Veloce are yet to discover the best pairing. Drivers for Extreme E have been selected from various disciplines, each bringing different skillsets to the table. Chadwick’s background is in sportscar and single-seater circuit racing, whereas teammate Stephane Sarrazin has competed in Formula E, rallying and endurance racing.
Competitors won’t have much time to adapt to the tracks and will have to quickly get used to the different surfaces they will be racing on, such as sand and ice. “It’s going to be super tough but I’m looking forward to the challenge and it’s this refreshing approach that has really motivated and inspired me,” said Chadwick.
It is clear to see she is truly passionate about Extreme E’s sustainability drive and this is reflected in her choice of racing number – five. The reasoning behind this, she explained, was inspired by the United Nations’ Sports for Climate Action Framework’s five principles: undertake systematic efforts to promote greater environmental responsibility; reduce overall climate impact; educate for climate action; promote sustainable and responsible consumption; and advocate for climate action through communication.
“We need to remember this is Extreme E,” said Chadwick. “We are using our platform to showcase what we can do.”
Chadwick will compete in Veloce's Extreme E car for the inaugral 2021 season
Like many drivers competing in single-seater racing, Chadwick’s goal is to reach Formula One. However, she is remaining open-minded and willing to consider many different opportunities to race. “Motorsport is so vast in what you can achieve and Extreme E shows how versatile I want my career to be,” she commented.
Alongside racing in Extreme E in 2021, Chadwick will also drive in W Series for another season. The all-female championship is set to support the Formula One calendar this year, something that will take it “from strength to strength”, argued Chadwick, who added: “The exposure and platform it gave me is huge.” It also gave her the ability to secure super licence points, something required to race in Formula One.
Why aren’t more women racing against men? For Chadwick, it all comes down to funding. “The step up of funding is huge,” she said. Another bonus of W Series is that it allows women to get practice and experience in single-seater racing without needing a huge budget.
While the typical route into motorsport is through karting – “that’s the best way to start in motorsport,” noted Chadwick – the rise of esports in recent years has allowed budding drivers to gain racing experience from their homes that can translate into on-track performance.
“What you’re teaching your brain to do is very similar,” she added. “Anyone with the skillset in esports to know how to go quicker, how to find time and have that hand-eye coordination will be able to transfer those skills”.
The barriers between esports and real-life racing have begun to crossover and blur. Jimmy Broadbent, an esports racer and YouTuber, will be competing in the BritCar Endurance Championship in 2021 as a guest racer, according to Autosport.
Chadwick competed in Veloce's esports 'The Ultimate Female Racer Challenge'
As for the prospect of women reaching the pinnacle of motorsport once again, Chadwick insists there will be a female driver in Formula One one day – and when it happens, it won’t be a token gesture.
“Everything we’re doing now is going to make a massive difference,” she said, “and the thing I want to see more is five or six drivers competing for the podium in Formula 2.” That’s her initial goal – to reach Formula 2 and then work towards Formula One, getting there on her own merit.
For now, though, Chadwick is putting her focus into W Series and Extreme E. Aiming to get strong results in Saudi Arabia, she shared a piece of life advice that resonated with her – “the best form of defence is attack”, something she has used to stay motivated and keep pushing.
Covid-19 meant that many motorsport events were cancelled or postponed. Looking forward, series such as Extreme E provide an exciting glimpse into the future of motorsport.
“There’s a lot to look forward to this year, especially from my position,” Chadwick added. “Everyone should be excited about Extreme E.”
Watch the latest BlackBook Motorsport Virtual Summit on-demand here.