GT champion Chadwick makes single-seater switch

Chadwick, 18, partnered Ross Gunn in a Beechdean Aston Martin V8 Vantage to win the GT4 category of the 2015 edition of British GT.

In doing so, she became the series' first female champion and its youngest-ever champion.

Part of the BRDC Rising Stars programme, Chadwick has previous experience with the British F3 car, having tested with Hillspeed at Snetterton in April of last year.

The test marked her debut behind the wheel of a single-seater car, as her previous move to GT racing had followed after two years in Ginetta Junior.

"Most people come straight out of Ginetta Juniors and straight into single-seaters,” Chadwick, who also tested British F3 machinery with Lanan and HHC Motorsport at the end of last year, told Motorsport.com.

“I chose a bit of an unconventional route by going into GTs which was a great move for me; the first year was a great year for us.

“But when I was evaluating it afterwards, and after 2016 especially, I wanted to develop as much as possible as a technical driver and as someone who can jump into anything.

“A lot of the skillsets required to do that come from driving single-seaters and the technical demands that come that.

“We approached Boyo [Anthony Hieatt, Double R team principal] initially; they were one of the teams on our list given their pedigree from last year and before that.

“We had a conversation and quickly it all fitted between the parties involved. He’s got a great manner about him and the team run a great outfit based on how I’m working.

“It’s going to be a tough year – we’re looking at a two-year plan.

“It’s a big transition and actually a step up from what I’ve been doing, so the aim is to learn as much as possible.

“It’s going to be tough in the thick of it, and wheel-to-wheel racing isn’t actually something I’ve had much exposure to since my Ginetta Junior days.

“Hopefully I can be in the top 10 as often as possible, but we’re not going to put too much pressure on results.

Chadwick becomes Double R's first signing for the coming British F3 season.

The series had started out as BRDC F4 back in 2013, but was rebranded as the national F3 category last year as it introduced its current-spec Tatuus-Cosworth car.

Double R joined the series for its first season as British F3 and took Matheus Leist to the drivers' title, the Brazilian having now moved on to IndyCar support series Indy Lights.