Chadwick eyes F1 seat

London – Jamie Chadwick’s ambition is to race in Formula One but with conditions attached – she wants to secure the drive on merit and not because someone pays for her to do so, she said.

The self-assured 21-year-old Briton took potentially a big step towards achieving that goal in winning the inaugural W Series title – an all-women single-seater six-race championship raced over 30 minutes and one lap – this year.

Chadwick (above) is fully aware of the challenges facing her in a sport not renowned for female participation. The last woman to line up on the grid of a Formula One race was Italy’s Lella Lombardi in the Austrian Grand Prix in 1976.

“I want to be there on merit. I don’t care if someone pays for me to be in Formula One tomorrow, I won’t do it as I am not there on merit yet,” she said after appearing at the Sport Industry Breakfast Club in London.

“I know if I jumped into an F1 seat tomorrow I would not do women in motorsport justice and I feel morally loyal to that.”

Chadwick, who has proven herself racing against male rivals, says she wants to know that she at least gave it her best.

“If I have the opportunity, which I believe I do after this year, to race at all levels and I am successful in all of them then I deserve a seat,” she said.

“If am not then I do not deserve a seat but so long as I have had the opportunity I cannot say I did not have the best shot.”

Chadwick said she was being tapped up in her teens by F1 teams – but there was a very expensive catch to it.

“As a young driver you get phone calls every day,” –