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Merhi, who raced for Manor Marussia F1 Team during the 2015 season, joins the Banbury based outfit in Berlin for his first taste of electric motorsport. A successful single-seater career saw the Spaniard win races across Formula Renault, Spanish F3, British F3 and Formula 3.5 Euro Series before progressing into Formula One, first as a test driver and then a competing driver. Since then, he has advanced into sports car and endurance racing, finishing third in the Asian Le Mans Series Drivers’ Championship in 2020.
EXPLAINED: A quick guide to the Berlin Rookie Test
“I'm very happy to make my debut in Formula E with the Rookie Test in Berlin," says 32-year-old Mehri. "I would really like to thank Mahindra Racing for trusting me. I will put in all my effort to do a good job for the team. Adapting to a new challenge is exciting and I look forward to it.”
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. He has since shadowed the team’s 2023 drivers Lucas Di Grassi and Oliver Rowland in Diriyah and Hyderabad earlier this year. The young Indian racer has impressed in recent years competing in FIA Formula 2, scoring multiple wins and podiums, most recently achieving two third-placed finishes during the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix weekend.
“The GEN3 is the fastest Formula E car yet and I’m really excited to be given the chance to drive it in Berlin," says Daruvala. "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. 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.
With two seasons’ experience with the team under his belt, Jordan King is ready to hit the ground running: “I’m really looking forward to getting in the car and continuing the development work we’ve been doing behind the scenes," he says. "It’ll be good to take the weekend’s simulator work straight to the track on Monday morning and carry on the progression and learning. As always, I’m grateful to the team for the opportunity to represent them and I can’t wait to get out there.”
Team CEO Fred Bertrand says: “This is a fantastic opportunity for these three talented drivers to show us what they are made of. Each of them has impressed me in recent years, and I’m pleased with our choice to field them in this official Rookie Test day.”
Daruvala will drive in both sessions at the test, with King testing alongside him in the morning, and Mehri in the afternoon.