Aston Martin: Jessica Hawkins becomes first woman to test Formula 1 car since 2018

Jessica Hawkins became the first woman to to test a Formula 1 car since 2018 as she drove for Aston Martin at the Hungaroring earlier in September.

Aston Martin announced on Tuesday that Hawkins, who is a driver ambassador for the team, last week tested their 2021 model at the famous Hungarian circuit.

The 28-year-old, who is a former W Series podium finisher and British karting champion, completed 26 laps in Budapest.

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"I want to say a big thank you to everyone at AMF1 Team for having the trust in me, believing in me, and for giving me this opportunity," Hawkins said.

"It's taken me every bit of blood, sweat and tears to get here. When I first heard it might be a possibility, I could hardly believe it. I've had to keep it secret for months now - which was pretty hard!

"It's been absolutely worth it and it's given me really valuable insight. Nothing will compare to the acceleration and braking of a Formula 1 car and, having looked at the data, I'm really proud of my performance.

"Getting to drive the AMR21 has been a dream come true for me and one I've been ready to fulfil for a long time. I'll keep pushing for more and, in the process, I want to inspire other women and let them know they should follow their dream no matter what it is."

Before Hawkins' opportunity, the last woman to test an F1 car had been Colombia's Tatiana Calderon in October 2018 with Sauber (now Alfa Romeo) at the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City.

Hawkins, who shared the session with Aston Martin test and reserve driver Felipe Drugovich, has been doing preparatory work on the team's simulator at their Silverstone base since last year.

"This is a special moment - for both AMF1 Team and for Jessica, who is an important member of our driver squad," Aston Martin team principal Mike Krack said.

"We were really impressed by Jessica's preparation for the test - she worked incredibly hard with our simulator team and that made it an easy decision to put her in the AMR21.

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"Jessica approached the opportunity with great maturity; she was up to speed quickly and found a nice rhythm.

"This has been a hugely significant moment in Jessica's journey with AMF1 Team and I am pleased we could give her this next step in her development journey by testing a modern Formula 1 car."

The team said that the test will help Hawkins to play a role in supporting the team's entry into the all-female F1 Academy, with F1 teams becoming involved in the all-female series for its second campaign.

"Jessica excelled in her first F1 test. After the installation lap we had a small delay as the circuit was hit by heavy rain," Aston Martin evolution programme director Robert Sattler said.

"That resulted in a green track and on her first proper run there were still some damp patches in a few corners. Jessica progressively built up speed on a tricky track while managing flawlessly the complexity of the AMR21 car. Her feedback was precise and correlated with our data.

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"After three runs, the track had dried and she was already matching the reference lap speeds. Overall, Jessica executed an excellent test programme with a very professional attitude and we hope to see her in the car again soon."

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