Jessica Hawkins, a driver from the United Kingdom, is the first female driver to test a Formula One car in almost five years.
On Tuesday, Aston Martin made the announcement that their 2021 car’s driver, Hawkins, had completed 26 laps at the Hungaroring, which is located close to Budapest, on the previous Thursday.
The 28-year-old driver, a former competitor in the W Series, shared driving duties with Felipe Drugovich, who served as both the test and reserve driver.
Hawkins said, “It’s taken me every bit of blood, sweat, and tears to get here,” and he was absolutely correct.
It’s been months since I’ve been required to keep the information a secret, and it’s been challenging. It has been well worth the effort, and I have gained incredibly helpful perspective as a result.
Tatiana Calderon, a driver from Colombia, was the most recent woman to test a Formula One vehicle. She did it in October 2018 at the Hermanos Rodriguez track in Mexico City for Sauber, which is now Alfa Romeo.
In 2015, Susie Wolff was the last woman to compete in a practice session. However, a female driver has not started a grand prix since Lella Lombardi of Italy did it in 1976. Susie Wolff was the last woman to compete in a practice session.
In the year 2021, Hawkins became a driving ambassador for Aston Martin, having previously served as the British karting champion and as a stunt driver in the James Bond film “No Time to Die.”
She remarked, “Having looked at the data, I’m really proud of my performance. Nothing will compare to the acceleration and braking of a Formula 1 car.”
“I’m going to keep working toward my goals, and while I’m doing so, I hope to motivate other women and show them that they ought to pursue their dreams, no matter what those dreams may be.”
“We were really impressed by Jessica’s preparation for the test,” Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack 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 able to get up to speed quickly and found a nice rhythm.”
