Jessica Hawkins completes F1 test with Aston Martin

Aston Martin F1 driver ambassador Jessica Hawkins became last week the first woman to test a modern F1 car in nearly five years.

Hawkins was handed an outing at the Hungaroring last Thursday onboard Team Silverstone's AMR21, a car previously used in private testing by Aston Martin reserve Felipe Drugovich.

The former W Series charger geared up for her milestone test with a comprehensive preparation programme in Aston's simulator.

Adverse weather delayed Hawkins' test runs but the 28-year-old was eventually able to get in three runs and to benefit from a dry track towards the end of the day.

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"I want to say a big thank you to everyone at AMF1 Team for having the trust in me, believing in me, and for giving me this opportunity," said Hawkins after her run, the first for a female racer since Tatiana Calderon's outing with a Sauber C37 in Mexico in 2018.

"It’s taken me every bit of blood, sweat and tears to get here. When I first heard it might be a possibility, I could hardly believe it. I’ve had to keep it secret for months now – which was pretty hard!

"It’s been absolutely worth it, and it’s given me really valuable insight. Nothing will compare to the acceleration and braking of an F1 car and, having looked at the data, I’m really proud of my performance.

"Getting to drive the AMR21 has been a dream come true for me, and one I’ve been ready to fulfil for a long time. I’ll keep pushing for more and, in the process, I want to inspire other women and let them know they should follow their dream, no matter what it is."

Aston team principal Mike Krack added: "We were really impressed by Jessica’s preparation for the test. She worked incredibly hard with our simulator team and that made it an easy decision to put her in the AMR21.

"Jessica approached the opportunity with great maturity. She was up to speed quickly, and found a nice rhythm.

"This has been a hugely significant moment in Jessica’s journey with AMF1 Team, and I am pleased we could give her this next step in her development journey by testing a modern F1 car.”

Robert Sattler, Aston Martin's evolution programme director Robert Sattler said that Hawkins acquitted herself and "executed an excellent test programme".

"Jessica excelled in her first F1 test," he noted. "After the installation lap we had a small delay as the circuit was hit by heavy rain. That resulted in a green track, and on her first proper run there were still some damp patches in a few corners.

"Jessica progressively built up speed on a tricky track while managing flawlessly the complexity of the AMR21 car. Her feedback was precise and correlated with our data.

"After three runs, the track had dried and she was already matching the reference lap speeds. Overall, Jessica executed an excellent test programme with a very professional attitude, and we hope to see her in the car again soon."

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