Capito: Chadwick needs to go to F3 ‘at some point’

Sam Cooper
Jamie Chadwick Williams

Jamie Chadwick Williams

Williams boss Jost Capito believes Jamie Chadwick needs to go to Formula 3 “at some point” after she signed on for another year in the W Series.

Chadwick remains the only championship winner in the W Series having been triumphant in both of the competition’s opening two seasons.

She has been touted as the next female driver to participate in Formula 1 since Lella Lombardi in 1976 but has found her path into the sport a struggle.

In a video posted on her Twitter shortly after it was announced she would be staying in the W Series for another year as part of Caitlyn Jenner’s new team, Chadwick admitted her inability to make it into Formula 2 or Formula 3 was largely due to funding.

“I think the most important factor is the funding and to be quite honest, we were not able to raise the necessary funds in the short time that we had,” Chadwick said.

However, the 23-year-old is a development driver for Williams and the team’s boss Jost Capito said Chadwick needed to make the swap to F3 “at some point.”

“It’s up to her how she develops her career. We support her path,” he said as reported by Motorsport-Total.com.

“I think she had a few options and if she wants to continue racing in the W Series, that’s her choice.

“If you still have Formula 1 as your goal, then you have to go through Formula 3 and Formula 2 at some point.”

Capito could have a role to play in that with Chadwick part of the Williams academy where she takes part in training camps as well as learning media skills and physical training.

Alongside her in the academy are Formula 2 drivers Roy Nissany and Logan Sargeant, one-time Grand Prix driver Jack Aitken, Formula 3 driver Zak O’Sullivan and the latest recruit Ollie Gray.

 

“They work together and of course we want to get them into a Formula 1 car as soon as possible,”Capito said.

“But we give them time. We don’t put too much pressure on them.

“We’ve only just started with it and we’ll see how it develops. But we now have a proper structure and program for the whole year. Everything has improved and I’m sure we’ll see good results – not in the first six months, but in the next two to three years.

“We will see how it develops and then we will decide in the season what the next steps will be.”