Teams can field someone who's sampled Formula E machinery before but they must not be drivers included on the Season 10 Entry List and they must not have competed in a Formula E race in their career before. The idea is to give the best young talent a pathway to race at the very top of the motorsport ladder with a taste of Formula E and the opportunity to impress prospective teams in the world's leading electric race series.
WATCH: How to watch or stream Formula E's Misano E-Prix weekend where you are
So, who are these names that have been selected? This is your Misano Rookie Free Practice entry list!
Tim Tramnitz: ABT CUPRA
German racer Tim Tramnitz will jump back into ABT CUPRA's GEN3 again this season, in Free Practice in Misano and at the Berlin Rookie Test after the Berlin double-header.
Tramnitz already tested for the team last season and made a strong impression - enough for an invite back! He’s a member of the Red Bull Junior Team and competes in FIA Formula 3, a feeder series that’s run across Formula 1 weekends. He's also part of Motorsport Team Germany and has been a member of the ADAC Sports Foundation squad for seven years.
Speaking about his experience in the all-electric championship, Tramnitz added: “I especially like working with the [ABT CUPRA] engineers when we look at and analyse all the data, because it’s much more comprehensive than it is for me in Formula 3. I can learn a lot and take a lot with me.”
Zane Maloney: Andretti
Andretti will again showcase the talent of Zane Maloney, as the Barbados-born driver takes the wheel of the teams' Porsche 99X Electric in the Free Practice 0 session in Misano. The 20-year-old will make his fourth outing with the team after completing the 2023 Berlin Rookie Test, along with drives in the FP0 session in Rome as well as the Season 10 pre-season test in Valencia.
Maloney is currently the team's official Reserve and Development Driver and has been present for all races so far in Season 10. He will also be back in the car next month when he joins American Jak Crawford for a full day behind the wheel of the GEN3 machine around the Tempelhof circuit for the Berlin Rookie Test.
He began his 2024 Formula 2 campaign in Bahrain last month where he claimed back-to-back victories and leads the drivers’ standings.
Robert Shwartzman: DS PENSKE
Taking over the reins at DS PENSKE is Robert Shwartzman, who has got plenty of experience driving the GEN3. He’s been in the car during the official Valencia Pre-Season test and shared responsibility with Will Stevens for the Berlin Rookie Test last April.
When he’s not racing these all-electric machines, you can find Shwartzman with the Scuderia Ferrari F1 team. He was promoted to Reserve Driver last season, and now also races in the World Endurance Championship with the AF Corse 83 Ferrari 499P alongside Robert Kubica and Yfei Ye.
Paul Aron: Envision Racing
Estonia’s very own Paul Aron will be in the cockpit in Misano at the Rookie Free Practice session with Envision Racing. This news comes as it was announced by the team that he’d be making his Formula E race debut over the Berlin double-header weekend next month.
Aron, 20, is considered one of the most exciting young prospects in single-seater racing and sits second in the current Formula 2 standings for the season. The Estonian driver has already amassed three podium finishes in his first full FIA Formula 2 campaign this year, rapidly marking himself out as one to watch for the future.
Aron will embark on an intensive simulator programme with the team to get him as best prepared as possible for Berlin. The team has also decided to give Aron the opportunity to drive in Rookie Free Practice in Misano this week, meaning Jack Aitken will not participate in the session anymore. The team extends its thanks to Jack for his understanding.
“It’s a great opportunity to race for Envision Racing in Berlin. I’m very much looking forward to experiencing Formula E for the first time and working with the team,” says Aron. “We’ll be working hard up until the race to prepare for the event, starting with the rookie session this week in Misano.”
Mikel Azcona: ERT
Jumping back into the GEN3 is Mikel Azcona, returning to the ERT family. The touring car specialist won the WTCR FIA World Touring Car Cup in 2022, and is a twice European touring car champion in TCR Europe.
Last year Azcona drove for the team in the Berlin Rookie Test, alongside Daniil Kvyat.
"It’s something new for me in my career, and it’s my first time driving a single-seater since 2012. So I really want to improve my skills there, and I really want to learn about this new technology,” Azcona said about his Berlin experience last year.
"It’s going to be interesting seeing what I can bring from my time in electric touring car racing, which was also new to me, but where I was very competitive. Some of the technology is similar in theory, but I’m expecting it to be quite something else when I get into the Formula E car."
Sheldon van der Linde: Jaguar TCS Racing
The Jaguar TCS Racing squad shared the news that the 2022 DTM Champion, Sheldon van der Linde, will be back behind the wheel of their I-TYPE 6 in Misano. Sheldon will be returning to the Formula E paddock for his third rookie test with the Jaguar team, who celebrated their 100th E-Prix last time out in Tokyo.
South African racer van der Linde got up to speed quickly when he took part in Formula E’s official Berlin Rookie Test last April, as well as the Rome rookie FP0. The former DTM champion and sportscar driver ended the Berlin morning session quickest, with his time just half a second away from the fastest seen over the SABIC Berlin E-Prix weekend, set in similar, dry conditions!
Jordan King: Mahindra Racing
Mahindra Racing have called upon their Reserve, Test and Development Driver, Jordan King for the Misano session. King has been Mahindra Racing’s Simulator and Development Driver since 2021.
The 30-year-old Brit has enjoyed a strong single-seater career, winning the 2013 British F3 championship and competing in GP2, F2 and IndyCar, as well as working with the Manor Marussia and Alpine F1 teams.
Yann Ehrlacher: Maserati MSG Racing
Over at Maserati MSG Racing, they have brought in the talents of Yann Ehrlacher for the 30-minute session. He has experience in the World Touring Car Cup and will look to continue his learnings of the Formula E machinery.
“I’m excited to get back behind the wheel of a Formula E car this weekend,” Ehrlacher said. “Representing Maserati MSG Racing in Misano Rookie Free Practice, after previously being scheduled to run for the team during pre-season testing, is a good opportunity for me to improve my own knowledge and skill set of electric motorsport. I’ll be trying to help the team at every available moment, and hopefully, my contribution will add to their current form and momentum.”
Taylor Barnard: NEOM McLaren
NEOM McLaren will give Taylor Barnard another opportunity behind the wheel of their GEN3 car later this week in FP0. The 19-year-old got his first taste of Formula E racing in October 2023, having driven for the team as a rookie driver during the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s Valencia Pre-Season Test.
Since then, he’s become an integral part of the team in his role as Reserve and Development Driver for NEOM McLaren.
Barnard, from Norwich, England, entered single seater racing in 2020 and since then has become the 2022 ADAC Formula 4 runner-up, as well as the 2023 Formula Regional Middle East Championship runner-up.
In 2023, during his debut season in FIA Formula 3, he took his maiden victory in the championship at Spa-Francorchamps and finished the season 10th in the Drivers’ standings. He has now moved up to FIA Formula 2 for the 2024 season.
Caio Collet: Nissan
Nissan will be calling upon Brazilian Caio Collet, as the team’s official Reserve and Simulator Driver for their 2023/24 campaign. The Brazilian racer began his single-seater career in 2017 in the Formula 4 UAE Championship, where he claimed a win and six podiums. The next year, seven victories saw him crowned French Formula 4 champion.
Two seasons in Formula Renault Eurocup followed, which included an overall second-place finish in 2020. His performance in the series earned him a place in FIA Formula 3, where he collected three wins and 11 podiums across a trio of seasons in the championship.
"I'm really looking forward to FP0 and the whole weekend with the team. I've been doing lots of simulator work, so I'm very happy to jump in the car and see how it compares to being in the sim. It will be a good experience for me and hopefully I can also help the team further. FP0 will be useful for learning about the track and the set-up before Oli and Sacha head out for FP1, so I'm looking forward to the opportunity."
Matt Campbell: TAG Heuer Porsche
Australian driver Matt Campbell is set to jump into the fold at Porsche and make his Formula E debut in Misano. The Porsche sportscar racer will take part in FP0 on Formula E's first visit to Misano on the Adriatic Coast, ahead of Rounds 6 & 7 of Season 10.
Campbell has more than impressed so far in 2024, with wins at the famed Daytona 24 Hours and Bathurst 12 Hours for Porsche, while he took pole and third position in the FIA World Endurance Championship season-opener in Qatar in March.
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2024 Misano E-Prix Rounds 6 & 7
Rookie Free Practice will take place between 14:30-15:00 with the Misano E-Prix Round 6 getting underway on Friday 12 April with Free Practice 1 at 17:00 local time.
WATCH: How to watch or stream Formula E's Misano E-Prix weekend where you are
Then it's on to race day on Saturday 13 April as Free Practice 2 kicks off the day at 08:00 local, qualifying follows at 10:20 local with lights out on Round 6 at 15:00 local.
Round 7 gets underway with FP3 on Sunday morning at 08:00 local, with qualifying next at 10:20 and Round 7 itself at 15:00.
View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.