'The perception is changing: motorsport is not a man's sport!'

Jessica Hawkins is realistic. The chances of her actually ever competing in a Grand Prix are negligible, the British driver (28) realises. Still, her employment with the Aston Martin F1 team is relevant. Hawkins is proof that a lesbian woman can indeed reach the top of international motorsport: 'One hundred per cent certain that a woman will drive in Formula One.'

Jamie Chadwick is probably the best-known female driver of the moment. She finished her first season in Indy NXT, a year in which she clearly had to get used to a higher level than the W Series - the class for women that she had dominated for years. In that same W Series, Jessica Hawkins mainly played a supporting role, yet she has worked for Aston Martin since 2021. Initially, as an ambassador, she impressed and the British team gave her a chance in a Formula 1 car of the English team.

Two tests were cancelled at the last minute for various reasons. Last September, Hawkins completed 26 laps in the AMR21 at the Hungaroring. "After my install lap, which is when I didn't push at all, I just took the time, but I did obviously put my foot down on the straights, and I was just like, wow. And then after I'd done my install lap, I had time to take it all in, I had time to process everything, and then when I went back out, I was fully focused, and I was able to do what I needed to do. And it was not until I'd finished that I was like, this is amazing. I can't believe I've just experienced this."

Hawkins is a role model for young girls

For the first time in five years, a woman took a test in a Formula car. In doing so, Hawkins showed young girls that a dream can come true. Although she does not drive Grands Prix, the test did make Hawkins a role model for up-and-coming talent. "It's strange to see myself as that, but I guess so. I've had so many messages from young girls or their parents saying I've inspired them."

"I guess some kind of responsibility does fall on, not just my shoulders, but my generation of female drivers and myself to really push for what we want to do and give that inspiration to the younger generation. People fall out of the motorsport journey along the way, men do, from karting all the way up to F1.

"Whether that be because of a lack of budget, lack of drive, or not being talented enough, they then find a different passion. People fall out of motorsport along the way. But if we're starting with significantly fewer women, of course, we're not going to see a woman at the top. But if we can encourage more young females to, or at least show them that it's an option, we're going to stand more of a chance of seeing more women get higher and higher and higher on the ladder of motorsport."

Perception in motorsport is changing

A female driver at the top of motorsport is still an anomaly. Hawkins - naturally - wants to achieve the highest possible. At the same time, she is now very aware of her pioneering role. "I never saw myself as that, but I guess the further I can get in my career, the more responsibility I feel to be one of those people who can do that and inspire the younger generation. So I guess, yes, it's becoming more of a passion and something that I will look to work to do."

That change is actually happening, Hawkins also notices. For example, with the establishment of the F1 Academy, the development of female talents has become an important issue for motorsport teams and, by extension, Formula 1. In her own career, Hawkins has experienced how difficult it is to get the chance to race at all. She begged her father for a chance. "But if I hadn't done it, would my dad have taken me? He probably wouldn't because maybe I was a female. He would have presumed that I wouldn't be into it. It's changing the perception that motorsport is a man's sport, and it's not."

Hawkins is not counting on a seat in Formula One but is perhaps paving the way for someone else. "Yes, 100%. I believe 100% we have had women that are talented enough. We've had women that have had the backing behind them, we've had women that are driven enough, we've had women that are passionate enough."

"We've had a woman who has every single thing that you need to become a Formula One driver, but what we haven't had is a woman who has every single piece of the puzzle you need to make it to Formula One. And as soon as we find one of them, 100% they're going to be in Formula One. I don't doubt it whatsoever."