Former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick believes INDY NXT star Jamie Chadwick is a “pretty good candidate” to receive promotion to Formula 1, especially as she’s now with Andretti.
Chadwick made the move across the pond for 2023 having won the W Series three seasons in a row, prior to the championship going into administration.
She’s currently racing for Andretti in INDY NXT, a feeder series for IndyCar.
With Michael Andretti trying to get the team into F1 though, an opportunity could potentially arise for Chadwick in the future to become the first female to enter a Grand Prix since 1992.
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“We were talking about Jamie Chadwick last night and she’s doing some racing over in the states,” Patrick said on the Sky Sports F1 podcast.
“I think she’s linked up with Andretti. Obviously, she seems like she’s a pretty good candidate to have an opportunity.
“There’s Hailie Deegan who does NASCAR off-road kind of stuff. She’s been driving for a really long time. I think of how long she’s been around and then I’m like wow she’s only, I’m not sure exactly, maybe 20 or 21. I’m like wow she is pretty young.”
Whilst it arguably still isn’t enough, F1 is trying to support female racing drivers, by creating the all-female F1 Academy series.
The F1 Academy is being run by the pinnacle of motorsport, whilst Susie Wolff’s is the sport’s managing director.
Wolff is the last woman to take part in an F1 session, after completing Free Practice 1 for Williams at the 2014 British Grand Prix.
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The aim of F1 Academy is to promote young female talent, to attract interest from teams in the likes of Formula 3 and Formula 2.
Whilst Patrick is keen to see a female driver back in F1, she’s sceptical about the idea of an all-female series, with the Sky Sports F1 pundit noting that those competing in F1 Academy will still have to “race against guys” to get an F1 seat.
“I think as someone who was obviously a girl, you’ve just got to come up like normal and I do have a little bit of, not criticism, but an opinion about female series is that it’s fine it can give opportunity to some who might not get a chance otherwise to show what they can do, but at the end of the day you’re going to have to race against guys,” said Patrick.