You’d be hard-pressed to find someone as busy as Jess Hawkins at the moment, with the Aston Martin Racing driver ambassador juggling her role within the team with her motorsport career, that’s recently taken in a maiden win in TCR.
At GiveMeSport, though, we were lucky enough to catch up with her last week, as we looked back on her first win in TCR and her chances in the championship here in the UK this season, as well as ahead to the new W Series which kicks off this weekend in Miami alongside the Formula 1 race there, whilst also discussing their latest activities representing the Aston Martin team globally.
There was certainly a lot to cover in our chat, but there was simply only one place to start and that was her P1 at Oulton Park over the Easter weekend in TCR…
First of all Jess, did your win at Oulton Park last month in TCR sunk in?
“I still can’t believe I’m doing a full season, to be honest.
“I’ve spent so many years trying to get a full season of some kind of touring cars in. It’s finally happened and I won on my debut it’s crazy really.
“But yes, it has sunk in. And I’ve full focus now on Miami for the first W series race and then Barcelona and then I think it’s round two of TCR.”
You became the first British woman to win a Touring Car race in taking victory, do you pay much attention to those records?
“I don’t really no. But obviously, it’s a nice thing to have. And, to be honest it’s crazy. I’m just happy to be on the grid.”
And what are your thoughts on the battle with championship leader Max Hart for the race win, does that give you confidence for your own title aspirations?
“It is early in the season, to be honest.
“In qualifying, we had a snapped rear anti-roll bar. So that obviously didn’t show full, full potential. Then in race one quite early on the turbo pipe delaminated and somehow, we still managed to salvage something and I’m not really too sure how we did that.
“So I knew that we were always going to be quicker when we had no issues. I just didn’t know where because there were no time practices or anything like that. So we didn’t know as a team where the full potential was going to be.
“So to win, firstly, I was kind of shocked to be winning that early on in the season, because I thought it was going to take at least a few more races to be fighting for wins, because of the whole front-wheel drive experience thing, because there are some really top front-wheel drivers in TCR UK this year. But yeah, pleased to be fighting for wins early.
“I knew where [Max] was faster and I knew where I was faster. So I tried to make sure that I was faster in the places that I needed to be faster. We were probably lacking a couple of tenths to Max to be honest but having said that, you always go faster when you’re following. So if I’d been chasing him down, maybe I would have been faster than him.
“Max is obviously a great driver, he’s leading the championship, so yes, we’re fourth in the championship at the moment, but we did face issues before that. So really, even if we weren’t leading the championship at the end of it, I definitely think we would have been closer to first than what we are now had we not have had those issues.”
Could you see yourself venturing into disciplines like BTCC or WTCR?
“I’d love it, to be honest, but it’s all as I said earlier, it’s been years I’ve been trying to make something like this happen. So I will take it step by step and I’ll concentrate race by race and hopefully follow championships.
“The BTCC has always been a dream of mine, but honestly, TCR has opened up my eyes to the fact that there is more out there than just BTCC and there is a real possible potential career in TCR.
“So I won’t plan because whenever I plan something, different weird and wonderful opportunities in different areas come up. I’m open to options to be honest.”
And what’s so good about TCR? Could you see yourself staying in that for the longer term?
“What I really like about TCR is that I could take my TCR car and go racing in TCR Germany or TCR Europe because my car is eligible and that’s fantastic. Should I get the opportunity to do that, I will definitely be doing that.
“[TCR] definitely is [growing] as well. Because the last couple of years, I know that they’ve struggled for grids and it’s not been as big as what it could have been. Whereas this year some of the drivers from BTCC have made the switch over. So it’s got some really high-level drivers. And obviously, the returning champion is there. The level of TCR UK this year is so high, which I think says a lot about the championship.”
Some of your W Series competitors were in attendance for your victory at Oulton Park, how much did that mean to you for them to come and show their support?
“Yeah I mean first and foremost they’re my competitors but they’re also my friends as well. And whilst we’re all going to be trying to beat each other, and it’s fierce competition on track, we have mutual respect for each other and respect for what we do and who we are.
“They’re my friends as well and it was great to experience my first win and have them all they’re experiencing it with me.”
The new W Series season kicks off this weekend in Miami alongside the inaugural Formula 1 race in the city, how excited are you about that and the 2022 campaign?
“Miami is going to be mental. Obviously it’s the first race of the season and I’m going in with high hopes but it’s no secret that last year didn’t go the way I wanted it to but I feel fresh and already extremely happy with my team Bristol Street Motors. And we go again, this year the approach is fresh and ready.
“I used to worry so much about what others do and the amount that others are testing more and yes, okay, while that’s still in the back of my mind, it used to consume me and it doesn’t do that anymore. I’m concentrating on myself. Now I’m going to do the best that I can do and if that means it’s better than others than so be it.
“I’ve obviously been very busy this year, which I don’t see as a bad thing. If there’s one thing that I’ve lacked over my career it’s seat time. As whilst the TCR car is so different from the W Series car at least it’s seat time so it’s never gonna be a bad thing.”
You’ve already been to Miami as part of your Aston Martin F1 ambassador role, did you manage to get the early inside scoop on the track?
“It wasn’t finished and the barriers weren’t up! So it probably wasn’t finished enough to gain an advantage. I don’t think it’s really an advantage unless you’ve driven it to be honest.
You were invited to Miami by Aston Martin F1 SentinelOne to talk to female staff about technology and the growing influence of women in motorsport, what did you take from that?
“I went to talk for a ladies’ night for their awards evening and had a great time listening to loads of different life stories about how they’ve come through in their career.
“I spoke a lot about my career and it was an amazing event to speak to so many inspiring women. And it was obviously nice to be in Miami to do that event with them and just see how all of those females were real trailblazers in their area.
“Obviously that side of things is not in an area that I’m particularly familiar with. So it was nice to hear those stories and hear something that isn’t motorsport.”
Can you apply some of their lessons to your motorsport career?
“There’s definitely overcoming adversity and inclusion, it’s all good things and all their stories you can apply to yourself and also I’d shared my story with them so I really hope maybe my ideas on my journey can be motivation for theirs.”
And you also got up close and personal with some alligators at the gator park near by…
“Yeah, really close. As far away as your television would be probably, maybe closer than that. Like, if I’d have stretched really far, maybe I’d have reached a little baby one, not the big ones, the big ones are a bit further out, but you still see them. I think I’ll stick to racing!”
And you’ve also been to Saudi Arabia, speaking to students about potential careers in motorsport. How was that?
“Honestly, it was so rewarding. And, you know, not forcing it upon them, but just showing them that it is a possible career, they should work hard and dedicate themselves if it’s what they really want, then I like to make it known that it is a possible career and perhaps opening their eyes into an area where they may not have thought was possible or to never even know existed. So that is a subject close to my heart.
“I would really enjoy helping the next generation, especially the females, but not just limited to the females, in making them aware that whilst motorsport may still be viewed as a man’s world, it’s not and it is a viable option for those young, aspiring kids, men and women that want to have a career within motor racing as well.
Of course, F1 being in Saudi has attracted a lot of attention, do you think there are positive changes being made by the sport bringing the spotlight on the country?
“Yeah, I definitely think there are. I often think that sometimes we go into these countries to race in whatever country that may be we leave the week after and that’s it. We don’t do anything other than putting on a great show and a great race. So it’s nice to give something back as well, really giving back to the younger generation and the community that’s holding the race.”
Jess’ next race is the opening W Series event of the year at Miami this weekend, and you can catch all the action live on Sky Sports F1.
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