24h Le Mans
Jamie Chadwick of IDEC Sport made an impression at her first 24 Hours of Le Mans. Despite her solid, consistent racing, her car did not cross the finish line due to an incident in the 17th hour.
British driver Chadwick calmly displayed her regularity and good pace at the wheel of the #18 Oreca 07-Gibson she shared with three-time Le Mans winner André Lotterer and young Frenchman Mathys Jaubert. An altogether promising start for the 27-year-old Briton. However, Sunday dawned with a stroke of bad luck for the IDEC Sport crew when the car lost a wheel.
Like most racing drivers, Chadwick had long dreamed of Le Mans. Her first taste of the race was with IDEC Sport in LMP2. She demonstrated her talent right from the moment she took the wheel. When she took over from André Lotterer 6 hours into the race, she completed a clean, solid double stint, moving the car up to sixth place.
“It was an incredible week, regardless of the outcome. It was a bit of a dream to be able to compete here, and we were having a really good race actually,” said Chadwick. “We've lacked a bit of pace all week, so we didn't know if we would be in the fight for anything, especially after qualifying, but just had a really nice strategy, made no mistakes, and found ourselves in a good position, so it was all coming together quite nicely.”
The number #18’s adaptability and well-matched crew put the car among the leaders. Jaubert was even running in second place after 205 laps, proving that the French team was legitimate in setting its sights on a podium place. But the goal was set aside when, shortly after 8 am, André Lotterer stopped the car on the edge of the track having lost the rear right wheel.
“Just a bit bittersweet in many senses, so that was our race done. It would have been great to have finished it, but we learned a huge amount, and [I’m] looking forward to what's next.” added Chadwick who is headed for the Hypercar class with Genesis Magma Racing.
Racing aside, Chadwick appreciated the magic of Le Mans to the full. "This is why Le Mans is so special. I would describe it as one of the most special races in motorsport, but also one of the most special events in the sport. I think the history, the prestige, the spectacle of what you see... is incredible, and then you combine that with close, competitive racing that goes to the very end of 24 hours. It's like no other.”
Won over by the atmosphere and the adoring crowds, she enthuses: “There's such a huge fan base for this race, and it's almost a festival. British people that came down, especially just for this race, and it's not just about the race, it's about the whole week. It's about everything, the traditions. We have the scrutineering in the town. We have the parade on Friday and everything put together is what make it so special."
At 27, Chadwick has added a prestigious event to her already illustrious track record, especially in single-seater racing: in W series and Indy NXT (the stage before Indycar). Her first 24 Hours of Le Mans confirms her potential for success in endurance racing, despite the DNF. The Lotterer/Chadwick/Jaubert crew will be attempting to retain their lead in the European Le Mans Series in the third round, 3-6 July in Imola, Italy.
