Three-time W-Series champion Jamie Chadwick has expressed confidence that the growing pathway for women in motorsport will continue to provide more opportunities, both on and off the track. The 27-year-old is set to return to action in the UK this weekend as the European Le Mans Series heads to Silverstone for the first time in six years.
As part of the activities on Friday, girls from local primary schools will participate in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) workshop at Silverstone Museum and try out the Kart Silverstone facilities, which are due to open later this year. There will also be a chance to watch Chadwick during the first practice session for the penultimate round of the ELMS series.
Chadwick, who recently expanded her all-female karting series into a junior category, hopes such events will inspire the next generation of drivers or engineers. Reflecting on her own experience, she told the PA news agency: 'For me, when I was the only girl out of hundreds of boys at my local kart track, it is not the most inviting environment initially, but now that is changing.'
'Whenever you do these different events, you really notice quite a big uptake, the level of interest has increased massively,' she added. 'I have the karting series in the UK that has had a lot more interest than I would have expected, so it is trying to grow that. It is just trying to broaden people's perceptions of motorsport, to show the different opportunities that are available.'
More than 450 girls have taken part in Jamie Chadwick Series events. In 2024, Daytona saw a 400 per cent increase in casual session participation from female racers at its outdoor go-karting venues. This year, Chadwick has taken on an ambassadorial role with Mobil 1, supporting their work with women in motorsport and STEM.
Chadwick concluded: 'It is a great evolution of what we are seeing, the industry is changing so much. We are seeing so many more women in different roles across the board. I think young girls are more encouraged by it, but also the fan base is changing, the culture of the sport is changing. It is just showing what opportunities there are in our sport – there is so much more to it than just driving on track.'
