British Karting champion Jessica Hawkins became the first woman to test a contemporary Formula 1 car since 2018 after she completed her first 21-lap test session at the Hungaroring in Hungary.
The 28-year old former W Series racer joined the Aston Martin F1 Team in 2021 as Driver Ambassador and is expected to drive for Aston Martin’s entry in the all-female F1 Academy racing series next year.
Hawkins, who made the historic session last week, thanked her AMF1 Team for “having the trust in me, believing in me, and for giving me this opportunity.”
“It’s taken me every bit of blood, sweat and tears to get here,” she said. “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.”
The British racer, who has also worked as a stunt driver, said she was proud of her performance, adding, “Nothing will compare to the acceleration and braking of a Formula 1 car.”
“Getting to drive the AMR21 has been a dream come true for me and one I’ve been ready to fulfil 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.”
Aston Martin F1 team principal Mike Krack, described Hawkin’s performance as a “special moment.”
“We were really impressed by Jessica’s preparation for the test,” he said. “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.”
Despite this latest news, there’s no suggestion that Formula 1 will include women at a F1 starting grid anytime soon.