Jamie Chadwick’s potentially pivotal 2025 kicked off this week with a seat fitting ahead of a first IDEC LMP2 test at Barcelona next week. That was followed by a flight to Jeddah as she joins Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy at Jaguar TCS Racing driving in the extra free practice session for rookies ahead of the first regular FP session.
The selection of Chadwick for the important session, the first ever for teams that are craving laps and data ahead of their race drivers being plugged in, should be viewed as a big validation for the 25-year-old who has turned a junction from Indycars to sportscar driver over the final months of 2024.
She is already confirmed in the Jaguar team for the Berlin rookie test day in July and will also complete a full season of European Le Mans Series action with IDEC as part of her Genesis deal, which could see her race in Hypercar for 2026.
But for now, the free practice session at Jeddah is the focus.
“It’s obviously only 40 minutes, but it’s the first time everyone’s out on track, so there’s for sure a lot to try and get through,” Chadwick tells Formula E Notebook.
“I think it’s probably one of the more valuable sessions for the teams across the kind of sessions that we have because it’s literally the first bit of running they’ll get this weekend.
“I think firstly, I will try and get comfortable with myself, continuing on the progression from the women’s test (at Jarama in November). Then just gather data, get the team set up as much as possible ahead of the weekend.”
Understanding the specific grip levels of the Jeddah track will be a key for solidifying energy targets for the races this weekend. That crucial fact in addition to systems checks and even how Cassidy and Evans should attack the pit entry for the new Pit Boosting stops will all be important info that Chadwick can relate back to the team.
It will be the first track action of the year for the Indy NXT race winner, who despite a much-improved 2024 campaign over a 2023 learning season, wasn’t able to secure a place on the Indycar grid.
A different direction was pinpointed for ’25 and its one that Chadwick describes as “a different sort of schedule this year to what I’ve previously done.
“I’m racing in ELMS, in LMP2, but also Le Mans, which I’m really excited about. And then continuing the role with Jaguar TCS Racing for this test and the Berlin Rookie Test.
Chadwick is taking the endurance route step-by-step however and adds that the “first step for Genesis is this LMP2 program for next year with IDEC.”
Run by the former Peugeot sportscar racer Nicolas Minassian, IDEC has been chosen by Genesis to be the operational partner for the program and will use the ELMS this season as a team that can essentially train up its team ahead of an FIA WEC program in 2026 where the Korean brand of Hyundai will run as Genesis Magma Racing.
As of now, Andre Lotterer and Pipo Derani, two experience and proven winners in sportscars, have been firmed up as race drivers for Genesis Magma’s 2026 debut. But Chadwick joins both ex-Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant and Mathys Jaubert in ELMS with the potential of a race seat dangling for 2026 in WEC.
Genesis has a name for it, the ‘Trajectory Program’ and it’s basically giving us an opportunity for a first proper season in endurance racing, so getting established, so of course, with Genesis coming into Hypercar, that’s kind of giving me one eye on the bigger picture,” says Chadwick.
“I think that’s what a lot of drivers’ kind of have as an ideal schedule (like Formula E and WEC),” adds Chadwick.
“I think it’s quite nice. Both calendars, although busy, allow where possible for overlap. And I think they complement each other quite well with the different styles of racing. So, yes, of course, it is something I’ve kind of got my eye on, but also I’m just trying to get as much experience as I can at this stage.”
