IndyCar News: Jamie Chadwick To Become The First Woman In 13 Years To Test For Full-Time Seat

Saajan Jogia | Jul 31, 2024

Jun 21, 2024; Salinas, California, USA; IndyNXT Series driver Jamie Chadwick during media availabilities at the Grand Prix Of Monterey at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Indy NXT driver Jamie Chadwick will be the first woman in thirteen years to test for a full-time seat in IndyCar this year. The 26-year-old prepares for a test with Andretti to secure a place for the 2025 season.

In 2023, the British driver relocated to America to compete in the Indy NXT series with Andretti, where she currently holds fifth place. Aspiring to advance to IndyCar, she is set to undergo a test with Andretti on September 30 at Barber Motorsports Park.

Speaking to Sky Sports about the test and her IndyCar goal, Chadwick said:

"Being an Indy NXT driver, the goal is IndyCar.

"So to get the opportunity to drive the IndyCar for the first time and be it with Andretti, one of the biggest teams on the grid with such a huge amount of history, is going to be a super special experience.

"Looking towards 2025, giving us that kind of ability to explore options and hopefully aim for the big series of IndyCar.

"Personally, it's a big, big thing. I think for me, it's by far the highest level I would have driven at or tested at.

"So having that opportunity in itself is really exciting. But also I ultimately want to get to IndyCar at some point in my career. So it's kind of the first step to kind of feeling that out, having that opportunity to test, seeing how that goes."

Chadwick improved her performance from last season in Indy NXT, but she feels more can be achieved. She added:

"Coming off the back of a difficult 2023, we knew what needed to be worked on, what the kind of steps were to progress forward. And I think we did a reasonable job with that. I feel like everywhere we've gone, we've been competitive.

"We've had highlights of the win and things. But ultimately, I still want to achieve more in this year. And I want to be able to get more podiums and more results to put me in a better place in the championship.

"There's part of me that feels happy with the progress we've made. But then on the flip side, I think there's still a lot we can do and achieve this season."