Jamie Chadwick lands Le Mans hypercar reserve role with Genesis
Jamie Chadwick is one step away from becoming the first female driver in nearly a decade to race in top level motorsport, after she was confirmed as a Genesis reserve driver for next year’s Le Mans hypercar programme.
Genesis has operated as a luxury brand of the Korean manufacturer Hyundai and looks set to compete in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) with its GMR-001 challenger, subject to final approval. Chadwick, 27, has already undergone testing with the new hypercar in wet conditions at the Circuit Magny-Cours in France, and next year’s flagship race at Le Mans will provide her with the chance to build on an already impressive career.
Having come into 2025 as a three-time W Series winner, Chadwick finished third in this year’s European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 category for Genesis-affiliated IDEC Sport with three race wins and four podiums, alongside teammates Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella.
Chadwick also recently tested the Jaguar Formula E car last month and had previously been mooted for a seat in Andretti’s Formula 1 team, where she would have been the first female driver in F1 since Lella Lombardi participated in the 1976 Austrian Grand Prix. The American team’s bid to enter the sport was ultimately rejected in February.
There are still two empty seats for Genesis ahead of the 2026 WEC, and despite the team’s happiness with Chadwick’s progress, she was deemed too inexperienced at this stage. Nevertheless, she is closer than ever to the top level of motorsport, with Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro’s 10 races in Formula E during 2016 representing the last time that occurred for a female driver.
Ferrari will be the ones to beat next year after a stellar 2025, which saw the team win its third Le Mans race in a row on the way to the Manufacturers’ and Drivers’ Championships, both of which were secured at the final race in Bahrain.
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Toby Adamson & Genesis