Jessica Hawkins: The first female driver to test a Formula 1 car in five years

Sep 29, 20234 min read

A massive congratulations to Jessica Hawkins on completing her F1 debut test with the Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team at the Hungoraring last week, the first woman to have tested an F1 car since 2018!

Recently, Aston Martin announced that the British driver and former W series competitor had completed 26 laps in the AMR21 at the Hungoraring in Budapest last week, alongside Aston Martin’s reserve driver Felipe Drugovich as they alternated during the testing. As a driver ambassador for Aston Martin, Hawkins expressed her enthusiasm and gratitude for the incredible opportunity she had. According to an interview with BBC Bitesize, she mentioned the difficulties in working her way up to driving in a former F1 car with the team.

"It's taken me every bit of blood, sweat, and tears to get here. 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."

Aston Martin has stated that this is the most recent step in advancing her work with the team, which the official F1 website has mentioned including supporting the team’s entry into the all-female F1 Academy series. Hawkins is the first woman to have tested an F1 car since Colombian driver Tatiana Calderon’s test with Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) in 2018 at the Hermanos Rodriguez track in Mexico City. Susie Wolff is the last woman to have completed a practice session, in 2015, and a female driver has not started a grand prix in F1 since Lella Lombardi in 1976. Jessica Hawkins joined Aston Martin, representing them as a driver ambassador since 2021. Within the testing itself, she faced challenges with weather conditions but pushed ahead to complete a full 26 laps. Officials of the team including team principal Mike Krack and evolution program director Robert Sattler expressed their congratulations for Hawkins’ efforts on the track, hinting that future opportunities may come her way, according to Sports Illustrated. Hawkins’ dedication to the test made the decision for Krack and the team a lot easier when deciding who to put in the car. (BBC Bitesize)

"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."

Jessica Hawkins expressed her utmost gratitude to Aston Martin for the opportunity, still in disbelief at her phenomenal achievement. This moment meant a lot to her, as she mentioned in an interview with the team. Keeping this news a secret for months was not easy for Hawkins, but needless to say, she has done incredibly well, another stride for females in motorsport made thanks to her work and the rest of the team for providing her with the chance to test a former Formula 1 car.

“When I first heard it might be a possibility, I could hardly believe it. 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.”

“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.”

According to F1, Robert Sattler, Aston Martin’s Evolution Programme Director, stated: “Jessica excelled in her first F1 test. After the installation lap we had a small delay as the circuit was hit by heavy rain. That resulted in a green track and on her first proper run there were still some damp patches in a few corners. Jessica progressively built up speed on a tricky track while managing flawlessly the complexity of the AMR21 car. Her feedback was precise and correlated with our data. After three runs, the track had dried and she was already matching the reference lap speeds. Overall, Jessica executed an excellent test programme with a very professional attitude and we hope to see her in the car again soon.”

Mike Krack, Aston Martin Team Principal, also added: “This is a special moment – for both the 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 the AMF1 Team and I am pleased we could give her this next step in her development journey by testing a modern Formula 1 car.”

Hawkins has worked extremely hard for this opportunity and is fully deserving of it, inspiring many as she continues to be a changemaker and role model for aspiring female racing talents. Having previously participated in the W series and been a stunt driver for the James Bond movie No Time to Die. I had the honor of meeting Jessica Hawkins when she was racing in the W series for the Singapore Grand Prix in 2021, and I can definitely say that she was and continues to be a formidable role model and down-to-earth individual. Her work with Aston Martin will hopefully provide female racers like Hawkins with the understanding that they can have opportunities such as this. It can help them gain experience and insight into handling an F1 car, as well as propel them to a larger pool of opportunities where their careers can soar.

“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.”