Reigning W Series champion Jamie Chadwick will make her off-road racing debut in the inaugural Extreme E season for Veloce Racing.
The Brit, who also won the 2015 British GT4 championship and the 2018-19 MRF Challenge, is the first driver to be confirmed for Veloce’s XE team, with her male team-mate set to be announced at a later date.
“I am proud to be driving for Veloce Racing in such a revolutionary championship as Extreme E,” said Chadwick.
“I have been involved with Veloce for a very long time and they are like a family to me, so I am incredibly honoured to be their female driver for what is such an exciting and important race series.”
Chadwick, whose career began in sportscars before she transitioned to single-seaters, said that XE’s climate-positive message was a big part of what attracted her to the series.
“Climate change is something that affects us all, so I’m really keen to start doing my part to fight it,” she said.
“I can safely say that testing the car was one of the best and most fun experiences I have had in my career so far.
“I can’t wait to get out to the amazing venues where we’ll be racing next year; these are some of the most beautiful and endangered locations on our planet.
“Both on and off-track, it promises to be an incredibly rewarding journey.”
Chadwick, who is also a Williams Formula 1 development driver, had her first test in XE’s Odyssey 21 all-electric racer last week, and instantly impressed.
“Her first test in the Odyssey 21 during our shakedown in France last week was a very positive and encouraging start,” said Veloce Racing team manager Ian Davies.
“Her experience from single-seater and GT competition was invaluable to the early development of our car – from quick driver changes to initial and mid-corner turn-in – and she had significant input into our engineering refinements.
“Jamie would be the first to acknowledge that off-road driving is completely new to her, but she is a fast learner and she listened carefully to everything we had to say, worked well with the engineers, took it all on-board and – most importantly – got quicker and quicker with every run.
“We are all very excited to see what she can achieve when we go racing next year.”
Veloce’s XE attack will be run in partnership with French junior single-seater powerhouse ART Grand Prix.
