Jamie Chadwick is poised to leave an indelible mark on the track and beyond while inspiring a new generation of race drivers across the globe. Jamie is currently part of the Genesis Magma Racing Trajectory program, which is supporting drivers’ development, working toward promoting them into the Genesis Magma Racing Hypercar line-up.
Racing in Hypercars remains Jamie’s ultimate goal and if her results achieved in the 2025 European Le Mans Series (ELMS) season are anything to go by, she is on track to achieve that soon. Following a season-high three class wins in the IDEC Sport-run Oreca 07 Gibson car alongside co-drivers Dani Juncadella and Mathys Jaubert the team secured a third-place finish in the ELMS LMP2 championship.
“This year has been incredible and honestly, quite unexpected. We came into the season as three rookies, aiming to learn as much as possible without setting huge expectations. To have been in championship contention was really special. We took three wins this season, which exceeded our goals,” said Jamie Chadwick after challenging for the ELMS championship down to the final round.
More broadly speaking there has been a huge shift of female talent in endurance racing with multiple women standing on the top step of the podium in the ELMS alone. Some years ago, I spoke to Caitlin Wood an Australian endurance car driver who said that, “patience and the ability to think about things a little bit more than men,” gave women an advantage in the longer forms of motorsport.
In an article published in The Conversation by Misha Kitchell, it delves further into these differences reporting that ultra-endurance sports (exercising for six hours or more) represent a unique domain where the performance gap between men and women is narrowing significantly. In traditional endurance events like marathons, men consistently outperform women by about 10%. However, in ultra-distance competitions this disparity can be as small as 4%.
The article states, “Research in sports psychology highlights women’s superior ability to modulate pain sensitivity, maintain focus, and stay motivated during lengthy and gruelling competitions. Emotional resilience, a trait linked to women’s coping mechanisms, plays a crucial role in overcoming the psychological challenges in ultra-endurance sports. Anecdotal evidence and race outcomes demonstrate women’s ability to remain mentally composed, even under extreme fatigue, which allows them to push through the later stages of competition.”
Women’s bodies have many advantages over their male counterparts in endurance sports as well. With a woman’s muscle composition optimised for endurance and experiencing less neuromuscular fatigue and accumulate fewer anaerobic by-products (lactate and hydrogen ions) during sustained effort.
There’s even a metabolic advantage with Estrogen, a predominant hormone in women, enhancing fat metabolism and promoting glycogen conservation, which refers to the body’s ability to save or preserve glycogen (a stored form of sugar in muscles and the liver) for use during physical activity. All of which bode well for Jamie Chadwick and the other women competing in endurance motorsport events around the world.
“Physically the challenge is completely different – being in the car for up to three or four hours at a time really tests your endurance and focus. The intensity is high from start to finish. It’s been a huge challenge, but an experience I’ve really enjoyed, and one I’m excited to build on moving forward,” said Jamie Chadwick on her experience racing in ELMS.
Rolex has been the Official Timepiece of the World Endurance Car championship since 2016 and competing in that championship remains the goal for Jamie Chadwick who has been a Rolex Testimonee since 2022.
“Rolex’s heritage in motor sport is something I’ve always admired. Joining the Rolex family at a young age and being the first female motor sport Testimonee was very special. Getting to know and learn from other motor sport Testimonees such as Tom Kristensen and Jenson Button has been a privilege,” said Jamie on her relationship with Rolex.
In June 2026 the Genesis Magma Racing Hypercar team will lineup for the Le Mans 24 Hour race, a place Jamie has fond memories of, despite not finishing the race in 2025 due to a mechanical failure in the 17th hour.
“Every time you get in the car, you’re pushing flat-out, and to sustain that intensity for 24 hours is hard. Racing alongside the Hypercars, which is the ultimate goal for me, was also an amazing experience. The track is incredibly special. Those first few laps are especially memorable, and the moment you head onto the Mulsanne Straight for the first time is something you don’t forget. It is fantastic to drive, particularly at night when it really comes alive,” said Chadwick.
Jamie Chadwick will continue as part of Genesis Magma Racing’s ‘Trajectory Program’ for a second consecutive year in 2026, while Juncadella and Jaubert will graduate to the manufacturer’s new WEC program. Details on Chadwick’s racing program, meanwhile, will be announced at a later date according to a statement from the manufacturer.
Photographs supplied by Rolex.