Jessica Hawkins Becomes First Woman To Test F1 Car In Five Years

Jessica Hawkins of Aston Martin achieved a historic feat, becoming the first woman in nearly half a decade to pilot a modern Formula One vehicle.

Event Details

In a private testing session at the Hungaroring circuit in Budapest, the 28-year-old stunt driver successfully completed 26 laps in Aston Martin's 2023 car.

Stunt driver Jess Hawkins, serving as an ambassador for the team, completed 26 laps in Aston Martin's 2021 car, the AMR21, at the Hungaroring circuit, which hosts the annual Hungarian Grand Prix. In her capacity with the team, the 28-year-old also engages in simulator work at the team's Silverstone facility.

At the private test event, Hawkins and Aston Martin reserve driver Felipe Drugovich, the reigning Formula 2 champion, took turns behind the wheel.

Despite lacking the super licence points required for consideration for a full-time Formula One seat, Hawkins' presence in the car was deemed to provide "valuable perspective as she prepares to support the team's entry into the all-female F1 Academy series in 2024" by the team.

This momentous achievement underscores the strides being taken to create more opportunities for female drivers in the predominantly male-dominated motorsport industry.

Who Is Jess Hawkins?

Hawkins began her professional motorsport journey in British Formula Ford at Silverstone, participating in a one-off event where she achieved top-ten finishes twice. Her impressive debut performance caught the attention of Falcon Motorsport, leading to her entry into the 2015 MSA Formula Championship.

In an effort to pursue her aspirations in single-seater racing, she joined the Bahrain round of the 2015–16 MRF Challenge, but she finished 15th in both races.

In 2016, Hawkins transitioned to single-make racing, competing in the Volkswagen Racing Cup series. She then shifted to the Mini Challenge in 2017, securing six class victories and finishing as the runner-up in the Pro division, narrowly trailing Matt Hammond. In 2018, she returned to the VW Cup, balancing her time as a stunt driver for Fast and Furious Live.

In 2019, she joined the newly established women-only W Series, where she placed 11th overall after earning points in the final two races of the season. In 2020, following the cancellation of the W Series season, Hawkins made her debut in the 2020 British Touring Car Championship, racing for Power Maxed Racing at Snetterton Circuit.

Throughout 2021, Hawkins continued her work as a stunt driver, notably appearing in the James Bond film "No Time to Die." On May 19, she was announced as the driver ambassador for the Aston Martin Cognizant F1 Team.

It's worth mentioning that Hawkins is currently in a relationship with Abbie Eaton, who is also a British racecar driver.

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