Chadwick only wants to enter F1 ‘on merit’

Inaugural W Series champ Jamie Chadwick wants to race in F1 but only on merit, and concedes that at this moment she’s not yet ready.

21-year-old Chadwick won this year’s W Series, beating 19 ladies to the title.

But while the all-women series put her name on the global map, Chadwick’s dream is to go up against the lads in the premier class: Formula 1.

She, however, admits she’s not yet up to the task.

“I want to be there on merit,” she explained to AFP.

“I don’t care if someone pays for me to be in Formula 1 tomorrow, I won’t do it as I am not there on merit yet.

“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.”

The last time a woman competed in Formula 1 was back in 1976 when Italy’s Lella Lombardi lined up on the Austrian GP grid.

Chadwick added: “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.

“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 at it.”

Chadwick, who will defend her W Series title this season, is currently linked with the Williams team have signed as their development driver.

The Williams deal, unlikely others put on the table, comes at no cost to the Brit.

“I was so lucky the Williams thing came about,” she said.

“I told them that I could not pay for anything.

“I don’t think F1 teams should benefit from young drivers constantly being given false hope and led in all sorts of directions throughout their career.”

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