From the W series to the Bond stuntmen Car News

It has been well known that No Time to Die is long overdue due to painful exit delays caused by Covid. Those auditions were back in early 2019 and the pilots finished filming later that year. “I only took the stunt driving route because I ran out of budget to race,” says Hawkins. That year, she also took part in the first W series, which luckily ended before she arrived on set. “When the W series is over [in August 2019] I went straight from there to Bond for six or seven weeks in Italy. I also did a few shoots after that in the UK.

Like many of its rivals, the W Series saved Hawkins’ career as the drivers are handpicked and don’t have a budget to spare. Before 2019, she had almost given up on her lifelong ambitions. “In a strange way, getting out of the race because I ran out of money, when it was incredibly disappointing at the time, was actually a blessing in disguise,” she says. “It opened up a whole new world to me.”

“We were very lucky,” says Schiff. “One thing Jess told me is that the film industry doesn’t stand still for anyone. We were both desperate to get into the W Series because we didn’t have a race budget and it was our first opportunity in a long time to do a full season. But obviously we wanted to be in the movie as well, so we needed dates to work together. And they ended up working perfectly.

In the film, Schiff doubles for Nomi played by Lashana Lynch, who took over 007 status from Bond. It meant shooting scenes in Aston Martins, DB11 and Valkyrie. As for Hawkins, she doubled in the driving and passenger scenes for Madeleine Swann, played by Léa Seydoux. (Another double, who also goes by Jess, appears in Seydoux’s fight and non-car scenes.) “I’ve seen the movie twice now,” says Hawkins, who rubbed shoulders with the stars at the show. premiere at the Royal Albert Hall. “I enjoyed the first time and it was even better the second. I was in a Land Rover Defender and there is a big scene. It was such a cool experience to see everyone’s hard work, especially on the first night. It was really very moving, especially because there was a bit of a wait. Everyone was so happy to see him.