Aston Martin driver Jessica Hawkins reveals difficulties for women in racing

Motorsports

In order to get a fast car on the grid in Formula 1, a lot has to come together. In addition to capable engineers, a lot of money and a good concept, the racing cars get better, above all, through countless test drives.

At Sebastian Vettel’s ex-team Aston Martin, that’s Jessica Hawkins’ job. In order for Vettel and his teammate Lance Stroll to shine on the track, she spent hours in the simulator and provided the engineers with data to help make the car faster.

But that’s not her only job, the 27-year-old tells watson. In addition to media work and sponsorship assignments, she is also “Hot Lap Officer” at Aston Martin. What is that? “Chasing around the track with guests of the team in an Aston Martin. It’s basically my job to scare them,” she says and laughs.

In many ways, the young Brit is the exact opposite of the typical racing driver. She is a woman who loves a woman and who had to learn early on that nothing is given to her in the male domain of motorsport.

“When I was young, I didn’t have the funding for my development,” she reports, sharing the fate of many young racing drivers. In karting, financial support is mainly given to boys.

With perseverance and consistently strong performances, she still managed to make a name for herself in karting. Via, among other things, Formula Ford and British Formula 4, her path led her to the W-Series – the female equivalent of Formula 1.

Career only possible with second job

The fact that, despite everything, she is dependent on an extra income speaks volumes about the strong financing gap in motorsport. The young Brit has, and that’s the only way she’s made it this far, built up a second source of income as a stunt driver.

“I started because I ran out of racing budget,” she says. In addition to appearances in car commercials and PR appointments for Aston Martin her participation in the “Fast & Furious” live show and her participation in the current James Bond “No Time to Die” out.

So that future racing drivers don’t have it as difficult as she does, Jessica Hawkins demands: “We must continue to invest in the development of young drivers. I know from my own experience that you can hardly develop without financial support.”

Although motorsport is moving in the right direction in some respects – the introduction of the W-Series three years ago, for example, was an important step – much more needs to be done. In the meantime, the W-Series was on the brink, the 2022 season had to be ended two races before the end due to financial difficulties. Nevertheless, it should start again in 2023.

Jessica Hawkins has been racing in the W-Series for three years. Image: imago images/GEPA pictures

Drivers must be speakers

In order to make women more present in single-seater racing, Jessica Hawkins believes that the right people have to work for it. “Sebastian [Vettel, Anm. d. Red] was someone like that, he’s a great ambassador. The same goes for Lewis Hamilton.” In any case, the Formula 1 paddock is a “safe space” for her and other women, says the 27-year-old – if only the way there wasn’t so difficult.

Jessica Hawkins only has words of praise about Sebastian Vettel, who ended his Formula 1 career in November after 15 years and 299 races.

Jessica Hawkins cannot say exactly when the first woman will drive Formula 1. “I wish I knew the answer. But I’ll be young enough. It will happen in the foreseeable future.”

Only one question remains: Which makes you want to do more, stunts or racing? “Seeing your work on screen is like a bliss like winning a race,” says Jessica Hawkins. After much deliberation, she finally says: “I think winning a race is even better. There’s nothing like it.”