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Jess Hawkins: W-Series driver reveals secrets as stunt driver in new Bond movie


Jess Hawkins: W-Series driver reveals secrets as stunt driver in new Bond movie

Jess Hawkins made her professional motorsport debut in British Formula Ford at Silverstone in 2014

Iconic car chases and stunts are synonymous with James Bond films.

One of the stunt riders in No Time To Die is W-Series rider Jess Hawkins.

Hawkins, 26, of Poole, was driving a Land Rover Defender in a frantic chase.

“I’m part of this big three car jump and we jumped 85 feet,” said Hawkins.

“When I got to the ramp I could only see the sky and no ground, and then we would repeat it seven or eight times, going harder and faster each time.

“I was just scared when I was about to jump, but when I did the first and realized it wasn’t the horrible crash landing that I thought I was, I wasn’t scared at all.”

And when he’s not doing stunts, Hawkins will compete in the 2021 W-Series Championship drive alongside Formula 1 this year.

Hawkins has been part of the women-only championship since its inception in 2019 and currently ranks 10th overall with two races outstanding in 2021.

“I had a difficult start to the season that I expected as I haven’t raced in a long time due to the coronavirus pandemic and it’s a really competitive championship,” she said.

The season finale was originally supposed to take place in Mexico, but the series will now come to an end with a one-two at the Circuit of the Americas on 23.

Hawkins’ results have improved over the season – she finished sixth at Spa and fifth at Zandvoort – and she is aiming for a top result.

“I’m getting onto a podium. With the progress that has been shown in the last two races, I think it’s achievable,” she said.

“I need a strong end to the season. There is absolutely no substitute for sitting times and as the season progresses I get more sitting times. As I grow in experience, so does my self-confidence and I will carry that confidence into the last two laps.”

The races in the United States will be the first in the series outside of Europe and Hawkins is excited to see a wider audience.

“We’re at the forefront of motorsport on the F1 stage and it opens up a whole new world that maybe didn’t know we existed.

“The W-Series has been the driving force behind encouraging women to get into motorsport, and it made it clear that it’s not just about men and that women are welcome too,” she added.

Hawkins also has a new role as Driver Ambassador for the Aston Martin F1 Team, where she will begin simulator racing after the W Series season ends.

As much as Hawkins enjoyed working as a stunt driver, her passion is racing and she is already thinking about the next season.

“I hope to be in the W-Series again and I would really like to compete in the British Touring Car Championship – that’s my heart, so I’ll try to make it happen.”


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The post Jess Hawkins: W-Series driver reveals secrets as stunt driver in new Bond movie first appeared on monter-une-startup.