Teams will give a set of handpicked, talented youngsters a first taste of the GEN3 and Formula E at Berlin's Tempelhof Airport Circuit on 24 April. They've searched far and wide for the best fresh talent in world motorsport, so let's look at who's been confirmed so far.
“The rookie test is a great opportunity to show young drivers what Formula E is all about," says TAG Heuer Porsche team boss Florian Modlinger. “For rookies coming into Formula E, the test offers them a good chance to experience what they’ll come up against in this racing series.
“As a team, we want to use this event to introduce young drivers to Formula E and see how they perform in a Formula E car.”
TAG Heuer Porsche
The current Teams' standings leaders have announced their full line-up for the test, with FIA World Endurance Championship competitor 22-year-old Yifiei Ye to appear alongside former Formula 2 driver and the team's Test and Reserve driver David Beckmann.
Yei is a former Renault F1 Junior driver and a multiple European Le Mans Series champion as well as Asian Le Mans Series champion has tasted single seater success in French F4 and the Euroformula Open. The Chinese driver says he's "very grateful" for a dream opportunity from Porsche.
Beckmann is set to step in at Avalanche Andretti later this season, with Andre Lotterer juggling WEC commitments for the Jakarta double-header. He held the role of reserve driver for Andretti in Season 8 before being taken in by the factory outfit Porsche ahead of 2022/23.
“Being able to drive the Porsche 99X Electric in Berlin just a few days before my birthday is a great present," said Beckmann. "For me, it’s a fantastic experience to enter the new era of Formula E with Porsche this season.
Envision Racing
IMSA and DTM driver Jack Aitken and Formula 3’s Jonny Edgar will step into Envision Racing's green and blue for their first laps in the GEN3.
27-year-old Aitken has completed sim work for both Mahindra Racing and Jaguar TCS Racing in the past and stepped in for George Russell at Williams at the Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020 having filled a reserve role with the team at the time.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to get behind the wheel of a Formula E car for the first time,” Aitken added. “The new Gen3 models look like a lot of fun to drive.”
Edgar, became the European CIK-FIA champion in karting, raced in Italian F4 in 2019 before winning the German F4 title in 2020. The talented teenager is currently enjoying his third season in F3, having joined the Dutch outfit MP Motorsport ahead of the 2023 championship.
“Formula E is a championship all professional drivers aspire to be in and I’m very thankful to Envision for this opportunity,” said the 19-year-old.
Avalanche Andretti
Avalanche Andretti announced Zane Maloney and Linus Lundqvist for the test later this month. The two drivers have a wealth of motorsport experience between them, with Maloney currently competing in Formula 2 and Lundqvist being the reigning INDY NXT Champion.
“Driving in Formula E is going to be a new experience for me, so I’m very grateful for this opportunity and would like to thank everyone at Andretti for making this possible,” Maloney, who became the first F2 driver from Barbados, said about his upcoming test. The 19-year-old is also a Red Bull Racing Junior Driver and Formula 1 Reserve Driver.
Alongside him is Swedish star Lundqvist, a quadruple single-seater champion, who recently tested with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES at Texas Motor Speedway
“It will be great to experience a completely new car and series that I’ve not driven in before,” Lundqvist added about the exciting all-electric test. “I know it’s going to be very different to anything I’ve done before, but I’m doing my best to be as prepared as possible to have a successful test with the Avalanche Andretti Formula E team. I can’t wait to get going!”
Maserati MSG Racing
Maserati secured reigning FIA Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich and FIA Formula 3 racer Hugh Barter for the Berlin Rookie Test.
Reigning FIA Formula 2 champion Felipe Drugovich is one of the most promising young drivers on the junior single-seater scene. In a campaign marked by five wins and 11 podiums, Drugovic dominated the 2022 season to seal the Drivers’ Championship by an impressive 101-point margin over his next nearest rival.
“Formula E is a category that has always fascinated me, and it will be intriguing to experience the differences of a fully-electric car in comparison to the single-seaters I’ve raced in recent seasons,” the 22-year-old Brazilian, who is the current Reserve Driver for Aston Martin and McLaren in Formula 1, said about the news.
Introducing @FelipeDrugovich and @HughBarter!
— Maserati MSG Racing (@maseratimsg) April 17, 2023
2022's F2 champion Felipe and 2023 F3 rookie Hugh will be behind the wheel of the Maserati Tipo Folgore at the Berlin rookie test.
Australian-Japanese racer Hugh Barter first sat behind the wheel at the age of six, and after excelling on the go-karting scene, stepped up to single-seaters in 2021. He was runner-up in French F4 after scoring 12 wins and 22 podiums in the series across two seasons and finished as the runner-up in Spanish F4 last season.
"I’ve really enjoyed my experience in the sim so far and I can’t wait to get out on the track in Berlin,” said Barter. “Working closely with James, Edo and Max will be an invaluable learning experience for me, especially at this stage of my career.”
ABT CUPRA
Adrien Tambay and Tim Tramnitz will join ABT CUPRA for the Formula E Rookie Test in Berlin next Monday, 24 April. Reigning champion of ETCR, Tambay, and Tramnitz, who is only 18 years old, will get the chance to get to know the third generation of the electric single-seater.
Tambay completed a total of 66 DTM races for ABT between 2012 and 2015 and celebrated the title in the ETCR electric touring car championship with CUPRA in 2022.
“It’s a great feeling to work with the guys again and see a lot of familiar faces,” says Tambay. “After successful years in touring cars, it’s also exciting to be back in a single-seater, continuing my journey with CUPRA. I’m delighted to have the trust of ABT and CUPRA and will do my best to support the team in their comeback year.”
Tramnitz has been part of the ADAC Sports Foundation squad for six years, including finishing runner-up in the Italian and German Formula 4 championships in 2021.
“The test came about at short notice through the mediation of the ADAC Sports Foundation with Motorsport Team Germany,” says Tim Tramnitz. “Together with the ABT team, the foundation is helping me to get to Berlin on Sunday evening after my race in the Formula Regional European Championship in Imola, so that I am ready for action on Monday morning!”
NEOM McLaren
McLaren will field Charlie Eastwood and Luke Browning for the one-day test in Berlin.
Eastwood has built an impressive resume over the past 10 years, predominantly in GT and Endurance competition. He became the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain champion, 2019 Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup (Pro-Am) champion and won the European Le Mans Series – LMP2 Pro-Am in 2022, as well as the Asian Le Mans Series - LMP2 earlier this year.
"I’m absolutely buzzing to drive the GEN3 car at the Berlin Rookie Test," says the 27-year-old. "I’ve been fortunate enough to attend some of the races earlier this season, and I really like the championship. I love the complexity of the series, as well as the car itself. I’ve had a taste of it on the simulator and I am sure there will be a lot to learn on the day.”
Browning is the 2022 Autosport BRDC Award winner and in his short career, he’s already clinched the F4 British Championship in 2020, as well as the 2022 GB3 Championship.
"I’m really looking forward to jumping into the NEOM McLaren Formula E car," says the 21-year-old. "I’m grateful for the opportunity to gain some experience in very different machinery than usual. I’ll be looking to pick up as much as I can from the successful and experienced team I will be surrounded by. It will be a different style of driving compared to what I’m used to – I don’t doubt I have a lot to learn, but I’m eager to pick it up as quickly as possible.”
Nissan
Nissan will give reigning FIA Formula 3 champion Victor Martins and multiple Formula 2 race-winner Luca Ghiotto a seat at this month's Rookie Test in Berlin, 24 April.
Frenchman Martins is part of the Alpine Academy – BWT Alpine F1 Team's young driver program – and has already taken two podiums and a pole position across the opening three rounds of his debut F2 season.
"It's a huge honour to be selected for the Rookie Test with Nissan," says Martins. "The team has a close relationship with the Alpine Academy, which I'm a part of, and it's a great chance for me to experience a Formula E car for the first time. I've already been in the simulator and found it really interesting.”
Ghiotto will take to the Tempelhof Airport Circuit, with the former GP3 Series runner-up also confirmed as simulator driver. The 28-year-old Italian has been working in the team's sim since the start of the current Formula E season and has a strong racing CV, including six wins in F2. “I'm really excited to be part of the Nissan Formula E Team, in such an incredible championship," said the Italian.
Mahindra Racing
Mahindra Racing has confirmed not two but three drivers for the rookie test in Berlin, bringing in help from Jehan Daruvala, Jordan King and Roberto Merhi.
Merhi will get his first taste of electric motorsport, after winning races across Formula Renault, Spanish F3, British F3 and Formula 3.5 Euro Series and racing for Manor Marussia F1 Team during the 2015 season. Since then, he has advanced into sports car and endurance racing, finishing third in the Asian Le Mans Series Drivers’ Championship in 2020.
“I'm very happy to make my debut in Formula E with the Rookie Test in Berlin and would really like to thank Mahindra Racing for trusting me,” said 32-year-old Mehri.
The Berlin test event will be Reserve Driver Jehan Daruvala’s first official outing in the M9Electro, after joining Mahindra Racing at the start of the season. The young Indian racer has scored multiple wins and podiums in Formula 2, most recently achieving two third-placed finishes during the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix weekend.
"My role as Reserve Driver means I have already driven laps in the simulator, and I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the M9Electro for real,” says Daruvala. “As an Indian, I’m especially proud to be driving for the only Indian manufacturer on the grid and I’m really grateful to Mahindra Racing for giving me this opportunity.”
Formula 1 development driver Jordan King has been Mahindra Racing’s Simulator and Development Driver since 2021. The 29-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.
“I’m really looking forward to getting in the car and continuing the development work we’ve been doing behind the scenes," King says.