JESS HAWKINS Confident Female F1 Driver ‘Will Happen’ Within Years

August 11, 2026

• JESS HAWKINS, Aston Martin ambassador and F1 Academy head, predicts a female F1 driver within years. She dismisses physicality concerns, citing her own half-race-distance test where only neck strength—common for all rookies—posed challenges.
• Only five women have attempted F1 qualifying; LELLA LOMBARDI in 1976 was the last to race officially. GIOVANNA AMATI’s 1992 Brabham attempt marked the most recent qualification effort in the sport’s history.
• W Series and F1 Academy provide crucial platforms for female talent. Multiple graduates including Hawkins, JAMIE CHADWICK, and DORIANE PIN have tested F1 machinery, building the pipeline toward championship participation.

all-female f1 academy, aston martin, fia w series