Jamie Chadwick says she is “very excited” to join the World Endurance Championship’s top class as a reserve driver with Genesis Magma Racing in 2026. Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis confirmed Chadwick as the team’s official reserve driver and said she will be responsible for developing their first Hypercar.
Chadwick, a trailblazer for women in motorsport over the last decade, becomes the first woman to hold a reserve Hypercar role. She said she hopes the position will lead to a full-time Hypercar seat in the future. “It’s the pinnacle of endurance racing. The car is an impressive bit of machinery. It’s the next step in my career, particularly in the direction that I’m ultimately wanting to head in,” she told Sky Sports.
This year Chadwick switched from single-seaters to sportscars, winning three races in the European Le Mans Series and becoming the first female winner in the series’ premier category. She finished third in the ELMS championship alongside team-mates Mathys Jaubert and Daniel Juncadella, and also raced at the Le Mans 24 Hours for the first time.
Alongside racing, Chadwick has worked as a pundit for Sky Sports F1 and continues her ambassadorial role at Williams, assisting F1 Academy driver Lia Block. “I want to be a racing driver first and foremost. But I’ve enjoyed the diversity that I’ve had this year,” she said, reflecting on balancing broadcasting and racing duties. She described Le Mans as one of the most incredible experiences of her career, despite the result not going her way.
Chadwick acknowledged that reaching Formula 1 is increasingly unrealistic, which influenced her move into endurance racing. “Understandably, there’s a big push for a woman to get to F1. But I think that shouldn’t just be the ultimate goal,” she said, arguing the focus should be on getting more women into professional roles across motorsport, not only into the 20-seat F1 grid.
The 27-year-old spent 2023 and 2024 primarily in the United States competing in Indy NXT, winning a race in her second season, and she tested an IndyCar in September 2024. Despite getting close to IndyCar, she is keen to pursue the sportscars route. “Last year felt like the right opportunity to move over into endurance racing and, find myself ultimately in a role like this,” she said. “The ultimate goal is to be in a Hypercar seat in the future in the World Endurance Championship. It feels like the right decision.”
Chadwick added that, while age can naturally influence career decisions in motorsport, she believes opportunities remain for those willing to adapt and seek professional categories where a long-term career is possible. Her new role with Genesis Magma Racing combines car development responsibilities with a platform to continue pushing for greater female representation in professional racing.