“I was a bit skeptical. It wasn’t until I started learning more about it that I thought, ‘Wow, I’d have to be silly not to apply,’ “says Hawkins. “I think the W Series did such a great job in the first year and the race was so fantastic that we proved the opposite to those people who were skeptical.”
Hardened attitudes to the subject of “merit” have been softened. Most importantly, the goals – exposure and opportunity – are already being achieved away from the action on the track. Chadwick is now a Williams Development Driver and Hawkins was recently confirmed as Driver Ambassador for the Aston Martin F1 Team – he’s already competing in Baku and Le Castellet this year – and has also driven in the British Touring Car Championship this year.
Wolff may still be the last woman to attend an F1 weekend, but progress is being made. Those results, says Hawkins, speak for themselves, and the series has done more than its part in its development.
“I don’t know which route I would have taken without the W-Series. I doubt it [Aston Martin] would have known who I was. I’m sure that the W Series will open up even more opportunities for other girls and me, ”says Hawkins, who is starting again this year. “I owe them so much, because without them I really wouldn’t drive.”
One more shot is a relevant point. The precariousness of racing at the lower levels is all too evident even now, especially to the minority of women who participate. Before Hawkins entered the W Series in 2019, she had only had one full racing season. Moving up into a category would have required an amount of money that simply didn’t exist. Hawkins’ situation is far from unique.
“I didn’t have the budget for it. I really don’t, ”she says. “I was very focused on my other work just as my stunt work started to push that. I hadn’t raced for a few years before the W Series showed up. “
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