Feminine racing driver Jamie Chadwick is in her second season racing within the European Le Mans Collection in LMP2 equipment. Talking to MotorsportWeek at Silverstone this weekend, Chadwick highlighted the advantages of being part of the Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory programme.
Genesis is the one Hypercar staff in WEC that has a full junior programme that goals to carry drivers into the seat of the GMR-001. In collaboration with staff IDEC Sport within the European Le Mans Collection, the Trajectory Programme has a full Genesis-backed LMP2 automotive on the beginning grid.
It launched within the 2025 season, forward of the Genesis Hypercar racing debut, with the lineup of Jamie Chawick, Mathys Jaubert, and Dani Juncadella. The latter two graduated right into a full-time seat within the Hypercar effort.
“It’s actually good. I imply final 12 months I believe it was clearly earlier than they went into Hypercar. So it was lots of people that at the moment are within the Hypercar staff with us and supporting us,” began Chadwick.
“And I believe that helped rather a lot each with engineers and mechanics that they’ve moved over into the Hypercar staff. Additionally drivers, Dani (Juncadella) and Mathys (Jaubert) going into it. So there’s clear development there.
“After which this 12 months I believe having myself, Laurents (Hörr) and Valerio (Rinicella) in this system and their help for me has been nice. I get the chance to do testing within the automotive and lean on the staff the place doable. So I believe it makes an enormous distinction each for them but additionally for us.”
The season for the #18 Genesis branded LMP2 has been fairly profitable and constant. Scoring P4, simply wanting the rostrum, within the first three races of the season earlier than getting on the rostrum in third place on the 4 Hours of Spa final month.
At the moment, the crew sits third within the general standing with 52 factors, with two races of the season to go.
“It’s been very constant,” began Chadwick when requested in regards to the season to date.
“In principle we end fourth on the highway in each race. We bumped as much as the rostrum within the final one, which is all the time a very good factor to be constant.
“Clearly we wish extra. I believe final 12 months we had quite a lot of issues fall our means and we had some wonderful outcomes. So clearly we wish to form of replicate that the place doable.
However I believe we made actually good progress, so I’m actually proud of the stuff I’ve constructed from final 12 months to this 12 months. And yeah, I’ve actually loved it. So nonetheless two races to go.”
With this being the second 12 months of the programme working and Jamie being the one driver to be within the automotive for each seasons, her progress in racing the Le Mans Prototype 2 spec has been evident, along with her herself claiming higher confidence as her second season progresses: “With ELMS it’s solely six races, so it’s not a great deal of races to get your enamel into.
“So naturally each race I really feel like I get higher and stronger. This 12 months shifting into the center, in Imola for instance, I really feel prefer it’s a very good development. I undoubtedly really feel extra snug and assured within the automotive, which is nice. And clearly in these races I nonetheless wish to proceed to enhance.”
With Genesis making their Hypercar debut this season in WEC, Jamie works intently with the Hypercar aspect of issues as nicely. Because of that, she drove the GMR-001 on the Le Mans take a look at day earlier this 12 months.
“It’s a kind of that you simply wish to form of simply be such as you’re doing all your job. And form of try to be just a little bit unfazed by it. However on the identical time it’s so particular.
“I believe driving any automotive at Le Mans is wonderful. However the Hypercar particularly doing over 300 kilometers an hour down the Mulsanne Straight is a fairly cool feeling. And one I’m not going to overlook in a very long time.
Closing up on her second season in ELMS, whereas preventing for the general title, it’s solely truthful to count on her to make the step to top-class endurance racing quickly.
“It’s thrilling as a result of now I’m the following era. And I believe there’s going to be quite a lot of feminine drivers hopefully on that grid,” closed off Jamie Chadwick.
READ MORE: Nick Yelloly particulars the ‘extra related’ LMP2-Hypercar balancing act
