Jamie Chadwick: expectations, dreams and reflections

Jamie Chadwick opens the doors to her world with the ease of someone who has learned to live at speed. In the Imola paddock, between anticipation, excitement and a genuine conversation, we discovered the person behind the racing driver.

It is 3:00 p.m. at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari. It is warm, though not unbearably so, and the paddock is still relatively quiet. There is little movement, with the silence broken only by the sounds of the teams preparing for the weekend. Louis and I (Laura) are standing outside Garage No. 8, waiting for our first interview of the day.

The star of this feature is Jamie Chadwick, the British racing driver, three-time W Series champion (2019, 2021 and 2022), currently competing in the European Le Mans Series with IDEC SPORT.

After just a few minutes, we are warmly welcomed by the team’s PR representative, Stephanie, with whom we chat while waiting for our main guest to arrive. We are excited and, admittedly, a little nervous. We want to do our best, but at the same time we want to enjoy every second of an experience we know we will remember forever.

Right on the stroke of 3:00 p.m., Jamie arrives and our interview finally begins. We ask only a few technical questions, choosing instead to focus on more personal topics. Her answers are filled with expectations, reflections and opinions about a sport that often leaves little room for deeper, more personal conversations.

Fifteen minutes fly by—almost as quickly as the cars on track. Fifteen minutes of genuine conversation that gradually becomes more relaxed and familiar. On one side, there are the two of us: excited, slightly nervous, but incredibly happy. On the other, Jamie: approachable, thoughtful, with bright, expressive eyes and a soft voice accompanied by a perfect British accent.

The Interview

1) The season has gone quite well so far, although I believe that, in this sport, winning is the only thing that truly matters. What are your expectations for this stage of the season? What is your goal for this race in Italy?

“Yes, I feel good coming into this weekend. It’s a race I’ve always enjoyed, even though it’s very demanding, especially in a category like this. With all the different classes sharing the track, managing traffic is never easy. It also tends to be very hot here, which makes it even more challenging. That said, it’s a circuit I’ve always liked. This is the third race of the season. So far we’ve been consistent and we’re currently fourth in the championship. Now it’s time to take the next step and start fighting for even better results, both for the remainder of the season and in the championship standings. Naturally, at this stage, the pressure also starts to build.”

2) You’ve raced in many different categories throughout your career. Do you feel satisfied with everything you’ve achieved so far, or is there still a dream you’d like to accomplish?

“I think so. You always want to achieve more. I’ve been fortunate enough to race in many different categories, and I’ve really enjoyed that because it has given me a wide range of experiences, which has been fantastic. Racing, for example, in single-seaters in the United States helps you a lot when moving between different categories. As I said, you’re always striving to reach new goals. Right now I’m really enjoying endurance racing, and the experience I’m gaining in LMP2 is incredibly valuable for me.”

3) Let’s step away from the track for a moment. You are a highly respected driver and have achieved remarkable success. What advice would you give to young women who dream of entering the world of motorsport? I’m asking because many of our followers are young female fans of the sport.

“Don’t let anything discourage you. I think this sport is changing a lot. Today we’re seeing more and more female representation, and there are many women becoming role models in motorsport all around the world. This is probably the best time to give it a try because there are more opportunities than ever before. My advice is to make the most of those opportunities. It’s an incredible sport, and I’m truly happy to be part of it.”

4) Recently, you became the first woman to drive the Genesis Hypercar, an important milestone not only for you but for motorsport as a whole. How special was that moment, and how are you enjoying your role within the Genesis Magma Racing project? Can you tell us anything about the team’s plans regarding your future involvement?

“It was a really special moment. Any opportunity to drive a Hypercar is incredible, but being able to do it at Le Mans makes it even more special. Obviously, my goal is to turn this experience into a full-time commitment, but I’m incredibly grateful to Genesis for giving me this opportunity. It was a very meaningful experience because it allowed me to understand what it’s like to compete at that level, and it made me realize what my ultimate goal is, which, as I’ve already said, is to race a Hypercar full-time.

I’m very thankful to Genesis because this represents an important step in my career, especially at this stage. As for the future, we’ll have to wait and see. I’ve been fortunate to have their support over the past few years—it’s thanks to them that I’ve been able to move into endurance racing and get closer to my dream. I’d love to continue this journey if possible. We’re still in the early stages of the project, and there’s a long way to go. I just want to keep working hard, prove what I’m capable of, and hopefully the opportunity will come one day.”

5) As we mentioned earlier, you’ve competed in many different racing categories throughout your career, from dominating the W Series to endurance prototype racing. In which environment do you feel you perform at your best, and where do you think your strengths as a driver stand out the most?

“I’d say both, but for different reasons. Naturally, I feel more comfortable in single-seaters because that’s where I grew up as a driver. At the same time, though, I really enjoyed my experience in the United States. It was a challenge and it certainly wasn’t easy, but my second season went well, and I really enjoyed both the racing and the environment. I’d love to go back, and if I could combine what I love about endurance racing with competing in the United States—perhaps racing in IMSA—that would be my ideal goal. Right now, though, I feel a little more at home in endurance racing. It’s a category I really enjoy and one where I feel I can express myself at my very best.”

6) The presence of women in motorsport continues to grow every year, but there are still challenges to overcome. Based on your experience, do you think the sport is moving in the right direction? And what still needs to change to make racing more accessible for young female drivers?

“Yes, I definitely think motorsport is moving in the right direction. The initiatives we see today, such as F1 Academy and all the efforts being made to create more opportunities for women, are extremely important. At the same time, I think it’s still too early to judge their long-term impact—we’ll really see the results in a few years’ time. I believe the most important thing is to focus on the grassroots level by encouraging more young girls to get involved from an early age and giving them the chance to experience racing and get behind the wheel of a race car as soon as possible. The more people who begin that journey, the larger the pool of talent from which future female drivers can emerge. I think that’s the key.”

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to IDEC SPORT for this fantastic opportunity, and especially to Stephanie, who guided us every step of the way throughout these past few days while helping to organize this meeting.