Racing driver Jamie Chadwick has expanded her grassroots motorsport program after revealing that female participation in karting increased by 1,900% last year.

In 2024, Chadwick formed the Jamie Chadwick Series to increase the representation of women in motorsport.

Initially, competitors had to be 12 or older to compete in the all-female karting championship, but the age has now been expanded and girls as young as eight can take part.

“We started the series last year to close the gap in grassroots karting. We’ve had great success with Daytona,” Chadwick told sky sports news.

“I’m overwhelmed by the amount of attention and interest. Last year was about laying the foundation. But the categories started at 12 years old.

“The next step is to try and tackle the really young age issues, eight-year-olds now, and that’s what we’re launching this year and I’m really excited about that. That’s exactly what I feel we want to be achieving with the series. “

Chadwick: A bright future for women in motorsport

“When I started the sport, I could list the number of female riders I had,” Chadwick explained.

“We have over 450 young girls competing in our series, racing schools and different championships.

“Subsequently, the number of women participating in karting has increased by 1,900%, which is incredible. This is a number I did not expect in my first year, which is why I am very excited that we can continue to grow.”

Meanwhile, up the motorsport ladder, the all-female F1 Academy will enter its third season in 2025 and its second season as part of the F1 race weekend support package.

The series, to be won by Britain’s Abbi Pulling in 2024, aims to provide female drivers with a platform to build a career in motorsport, while also providing future generations of aspiring young racers with inspiration.

“I think it’s a sport that’s changing a lot,” said Chadwick, who will compete in the European Le Mans Series this year as well as the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans.

“Even in the time I’ve been in the sport it’s changed tremendously, but at the same time I think we still face barriers. One of them is that men are still dominant, and it shouldn’t be that it won’t be.

“So if you’re a young girl following sports, you don’t necessarily see role models, you don’t necessarily see people like you competing or even being involved in the first place.

“I think that’s changing a lot, and it’s changing quickly, but at the same time, showing what opportunities are available to them is the first place to start.

“The sport is growing in such a rapid way. We are seeing a lot of initiatives now, especially around the F4 level, which the F1 Academy and all the F1 teams are part of, dedicated to developing and investing in female talent. We do see that in women The beginning of a bright future in the sport.”

Chadwick: My dream of entering F1 is fading

Chadwick has been one of the leading female drivers in motorsport for the past five years, winning the W Series title three times before making the jump to Indy NXT (IndyCar’s equivalent of F2).

The 26-year-old became the first woman to win an Indy NXT race on the road last year with a victory at Road America, and tested for IndyCar in September for Andretti.

Her priority this year is the European Le Mans Series, with Chadwick admitting her chances of racing in F1 are dwindling.

“My dream has always been to get into F1. I think as my career has progressed that dream is a bit further away from me now,” Chadwick said.

“But I still have a good relationship with Williams (as development driver) so at some point I’d love to have the opportunity to get on the car.

“But I think we also forget that there are only 20 seats in F1, so it’s very difficult for anyone. I think if you compare it to any other sport, in such a small proportion, then you look at “Looking at the number of women, even if I was put in this situation, I feel like there should be less focus on getting a woman into F1 and more on increasing the number of people participating.”

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