Formula E and the FIA today revealed the full line-up of the 23 drivers confirmed to participate in the first rookie test for the GEN3 race car next Monday (24 April) following Rounds 7 and 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Tempelhof Airport circuit in Berlin.
The test is exclusively for drivers with no previous experience driving a Formula E car on-track and who hold a minimum International Grade B license. The test day is designed to encourage new and emerging talent in the premier electric racing series with the chance to showcase their skills in the driving seat of the GEN3 race car – the fastest, lightest, most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built.
Since the last rookie test in 2020, several drivers have made the step up to a full- time race seat. Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing), teammates Sacha Fenestraz and Norman Nato (Nissan Formula E Team), Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren Formula E Team) and Sérgio Sette Câmara (NIO 333 Racing) all participated in the last rookie test held in Marrakesh.
Following the 2023 SABIC Berlin E-Prix double-header of races on Saturday 22 April and Sunday 23 April, rookie drivers representing all 11 teams in the championship will get the opportunity to shine in two three-hour sessions on Monday 24 April. Tackling the high-grip and energy sapping concrete slabs initially designed for aircraft – not cutting-edge electric race cars – means the Hankook tyres will be pushed to their limits on the abrasive surface.
Alberto Longo, Co-Founder & Chief Championship Officer, Formula E, said: “Formula E is leading the way in motorsport for technological progress and innovation, so we are excited to capture that same dynamic spirit and give the next generation of racing talent the chance to show what they can do in the GEN3 race car.”
“The roster of drivers set to take part is a ‘who’s who’ list of the most exciting and ambitious talent in all of motorsport with some huge accomplishments among them. We cannot wait to see what they will do behind the wheel of the GEN3, a race car at the leading edge of performance and innovation.”
Pablo Martino, Head of Sporting Matters, FIA, said: “Nurturing the next generation and developing the stars of the future is a cornerstone of our focus in Formula E. We are working hand-in-hand with the championship to maximise opportunities for up-and-coming talents. A key aim of the test day in Berlin and the FP0 session in Rome is to offer promising young drivers an insight into the championship and allow them to familiarise themselves with the ground-breaking GEN3 car – another significant step towards our longer- term goal of integrating rookies even more tightly into the heart and the fabric of Formula E race weekends.”
Formula E is increasingly seen as a proving ground for the most talented drivers. After winning the 2019 FIA Formula 2 title, Nyck De Vries joined Formula E where he immediately showed his world-class racing ability to become the 2020 FIA Formula E World Champion. De Vries races for F1 team Scuderia AlphaTauri this season.
Current Formula E world champion Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE) combines his electric racing career with F1. As well as defending his Formula E title this season, Vandoorne is a reserve driver for the Aston Martin team in F1. Vandoorne moved to Formula E following success in his early career and having earned a place on the McLaren Young Driver Programme.
Building upon the Berlin test, in Rome just under three months later, a 30-minute Free Practice session will be held prior to Round 13 and 14 of the Rome Hankook E- Prix (Saturday 15 July and Sunday 16 July), for competitors aged 18 and over who have never previously raced in Formula E. All teams are obliged to run at least one driver in this session.