Jamie Chadwick’s IndyCar test sets her up as the next woman to race in the series

Jamie Chadwick completes successful IndyCar test

Earlier this week, Briton Jamie Chadwick got her first taste of IndyCar when Andretti Global fielded her a car at an open test at Barber Motorsports Park. After two years in Indy NXT, the feeder category for IndyCar, Chadwick is looking at making the next step forward in her racing career.

It hasn’t been the easiest journey for Chadwick, either. Indy cars are notoriously challenging to drive thanks to their lack of power steering. As a shorter person with a slighter build, Chadwick has had to work hard to build the necessary muscle mass to be competitive should she make the leap to IndyCar.

In an interview with RACER’s Marshall Pruett, Chadwick was enthusiastic about the test.

“It was just an incredible day,” Chadwick told RACER.

“I think just having the opportunity to drive the IndyCar, aside from getting wrapped up in performance and all that kind of stuff, is just very, very cool. It’s also impressive working with so many more people from Andretti, a lot of the people I see on the pit stand for the current drivers.

“In terms of expectations, I prepared for the worst. In terms of the physicality, there’s a reason we wanted to test at Barber, and I think for sure it met those expectations. It’s super-physical.”

But Chadwick handled the challenge with grace.

“In some respects, I was happy with how manageable the step from Indy NXT to IndyCar is, but at the same time, that comes with increased torque in steering in the high speed corners,” she said.

“I was chasing myself a little bit with that. But I’m really glad I did the test here, because it gave me the full picture of what IndyCar is all about, and what I really need to work on, which is strength. I had been training hard, but I think it’s another big step again.”

According to Craig Hampson, Andretti’s head of IndyCar engineering, Chadwick still struggled in the high-speed corners — but despite that, her performance was impressive.

Beyond anything else, it left her “hungry” for a shot at the top tier of American open-wheel racing.

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Historically, IndyCar has been more welcoming for women competitors than other top-level forms of open-wheel motorsport, such as Formula 1. Even if the cars are more challenging to drive, American open-wheel has welcomed the talented likes of Katherine Legge, Pippa Mann, Danica Patrick, Janet Guthrie, Lyn St. James, Sarah Fisher, Simona de Silvestro, and many more.

By contrast, in Formula 1, only five women have entered a Formula 1 race, only two have started those races, and only one finished an event in a points-scoring position.

Simply put, the barrier to entry is lower in IndyCar than it is in Formula 1, making it far easier for a team to put a woman behind the wheel.

“Barrier to entry” means a lot of things. In F1, rules dictate that 10 teams must have two drivers racing year-round, which limits the number of competitors to 20 (though in a year like 2024, we’ve had 22 competitors).

In IndyCar, teams have been able to run as many or as few cars as they could afford, and they could have a different driver behind the wheel each race. (Both of these metrics will be limited in 2025 and beyond as a result of IndyCar’s charter system; it is unclear how that will impact diverse participation.)

In 2024, for example, 43 different drivers competed in IndyCar events, with non-Indy 500 grids capping out at around 27 to 28 entries.

Further, IndyCar is much less expensive than the notoriously high-dollar F1. Formula 1 implemented a cost cap for teams at $140 million; over in IndyCar, a full season for a single car is about $6 to 8 million.

Combined, those factors make for a form of open-wheel racing that’s somewhat more equitable, making it a little easier for drivers of all stripes to join the sport: women, former Formula 1 or Formula 2 drivers, stock car champions, touring car racers, and more.

While Chadwick remains optimistic about her chances in IndyCar for 2025, her options are beginning to dwindle as empty seats fill up with contracted drivers. Andretti Global has agreed to sign her for a third year in Indy NXT as its IndyCar program is completely full. Other open seats remain at Dale Coyne Racing, Prema, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Juncos Hollinger Racing.