NASCAR and F1 teamed up for yet another memorable collaboration after the recent Cup Series race in the Charlotte Roval. Part of the initiative this time were Jeff Gordon and Aston Martin’s Head of F1 Academy and Driver Ambassador Jessica Hawkins. The duo were brought together by Valvoline Global Operations — a key partner of Hendrick Motorsports and Aston Martin.
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Hawkins, along with Gordon, drove a sixth-generation Cup Series car for the first time in her career during the crossover event. The drive came after she became the first woman in the world to drive the latest generation of the F1 car (Budapest, 2023). She admitted after turning a few laps that the stock car was nothing like she had ever driven before.
She said, “Getting the opportunity to drive a NASCAR race car was incredible from start to finish. The car itself was so different from anything I’ve driven before – it’s heavy and has so much power.”
Spending time in the simulator and being in the passenger seat while the four-time Cup Series champion drove helped her adjust to the car. She also thanked Valvoline for continuing to celebrate women in the sport.
The story of Hawkins is a pretty interesting one. She is 29 years old and made her racing debut in 2014 as a guest driver in the British Formula Ford championship. She transitioned to tin-tops in 2017 and drove in the Mini Challenge Cooper Pro Class. Despite an impressive performance that year, she missed out on the title. In 2018, she swayed down a unique route.
Hawkins’ work as a stunt driver and eventual growth
Hawkins spent the year as a stunt driver and toured Europe with Fast and Furious Live. The formation of the all-women W Series in 2019 allowed her to return to racing in single-seater cars.
Good races helped her gain qualification to remain in the series in 2020 but the COVID-19 pandemic halted the progress with the series getting canceled. She used the time to debut in British Touring Cars.
She returned to the W Series in 2021 when her caliber drew the attention of the suits in Aston Martin. They brought her in as a Driver Ambassador, a role in which she has focused on improving inclusion and diversity in motorsports. Heading in 2024, she was given more responsibility and became the Head of Racing in Aston Martin’s F1 Academy.
She currently conducts simulator work in the team’s Silverstone factory and works closely with 18-year-old Tina Hausmann, a racing prodigy from Switzerland. She continues getting behind the wheel, either to race or to perform stunts. Notably, she was a part of the stunt crew for the James Bond film No Time to Die.
