The rookies taking part in Formula E's Jeddah Rookie Free Practice

Article by Katy Fairman

Formula E has a special addition to its already busy schedule this weekend, as it will run a 40-minute Rookie Free Practice session on Thursday 13 February at 18:00 local/15:00 UTC specifically for drivers who have never raced in the Championship before. 

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The Rookie Free Practice isn’t a new addition, with Formula E hosting the unique session in both Rome and Misano across Seasons 9 and 10, respectively. It gives young and curious talent the chance to sample the very latest Formula E cars across an actual race weekend, and has resulted in many drivers getting full-time seats as a result. 

Introducing your Jeddah rookies...

Thomas Preining at TAG Heuer Porsche

TAG Heuer Porsche will be bringing back 26-year-old Austrian Thomas Preining - a current DTM racer - for the session in Jeddah. The Porsche works driver has experience in the all-electric championship, with the role of Test and Development driver for the 2019/20 season alongside Simona De Silvestro.

PREVIEW: Formula E makes its Jeddah debut in double-header for Rounds 3 & 4 of Season 11

Preining took part in the Marrakesh rookie test in 2020 in GEN2 machinery and Berlin's Rookie Test last year.

Alex Dunne at NEOM McLaren 

Irishman Alex Dunne made his single-seater racing debut in 2021, competing in the Spanish F4 Championship and finishing third in his first race. He became the 2022 British F4 Champion as well as the Italian F4 vice-champion.

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He finished second in the 2023 GB3 Championship, and raced with MP Motorsport in the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship. He was recently announced as stepping up to FIA Formula 2 this season with Rodin Motorsport, which he will contest alongside his duties as NEOM McLaren’s Reserve and Development Driver. 

Jamie Chadwick at Jaguar TCS Racing

Three-time W Series Champion and race winner in Indy NXT, Jamie Chadwick, will be back behind the wheel of the Jaguar I-TYPE 7 this week. Having recently represented the Jaguar team at the Formula E Women’s Test, Chadwick has also tested for the team during the Marrakesh Rookie Test in 2020.

As the UK’s most decorated female motorsport driver, Chadwick said it was “great to work closely with a World Championship-winning team, so I am relishing the opportunity to get behind the wheel again at a brand-new circuit.”

Gabriele Minì at Nissan 

Alpine Academy member Gabriele Minì is a multiple FIA Formula 3 race winner and finished second in the Drivers’ standings last season. Additionally, he impressed on his F2 debut, picking up a podium in Baku and will now race full-time in the series from this year.

This will be Minì’s second event with the Nissan squad in Formula E, with the 19-year-old Italian repping the Japanese team over the Berlin Rookie Test in Season 10, where he recorded top 10 finishes in both the morning and afternoon sessions.

Kush Maini at Mahindra Racing

Indian driver Kush Maini served as the team’s official Reserve Driver during Season 10, getting behind the wheel of a Formula E car at the annual Berlin Rookie Test in May. In parallel, Maini also impressed in FIA Formula 2, claiming a victory plus four further podiums during his sophomore season, and will return again to the category for a title tilt in 2025.

Mahindra Racing has enjoyed a strong start to Season 11 and sit fifth in the standings heading to Saudi Arabia this week, with 22 points already accrued – almost half the team’s total from last campaign.

Daniil Kvyat at DS PENSKE

This won’t be the first time former Formula 1 Driver Daniil Kvyat has experienced Formula E machinery. The experienced racing driver took part in the 2023 Berlin Test with then-NIO 333 and is now set to take the wheel of the DS E-TENSE FE25 during the rookie session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

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Kvyat, 30, is an accomplished driver with extensive experience in top-tier motorsport. Having competed in multiple Formula 1 seasons with teams such as Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso, Kvyat has demonstrated skill and adaptability at the top level.

Jak Crawford at Andretti

A rising star in single-seater racing, Jak Crawford made his Formula E debut at the 2024 Berlin Rookie Test with Andretti Formula E, where he impressed with the second fastest time of the day. 

Taking on the role as Andretti Formula E’s Season 11 Reserve and Development Driver, the 19-year-old American will play a key part in the team’s simulator work and setup development. Crawford’s participation in the Jeddah session will provide crucial real-world track time that can be applied to driver-in-the-loop simulation efforts. 

Théo Pourchaire at Maserati MSG Racing

2023 Formula 2 Champion, Théo Pourchaire, will participate in the session for Maserati MSG Racing, which the team views as a crucial step as they continue their efforts to steadily improve their results in the championship.

Pourchaire has raced before at this circuit, having taken on the full length layout during his time in Formula 2.

"This will be the first time for me driving a Formula E car during a race weekend. I’ve done some work with the team in the simulator to prepare myself as well as possible, but nothing compares with the real thing.”

Zak O’Sullivan with Envision Racing

Envision Racing will be using Zak O’Sullivan for the Rookie Free Practice in Jeddah, as part of a new Simulator Driver role at the team. This will be his first time driving a Formula E car. 

At just 19 years old, O’Sullivan boasts an impressive racing CV. In 2020, the Brit narrowly missed out on the British Formula 4 title, before going onto win the GB3 Championship the following year. Two seasons of FIA Formula 3 followed, with O’Sullivan making the step up to F2 for 2024 and taking a sensational victory in Monaco, before winning once again in Spa-Francorchamps. 

Mikkel Jensen at CUPRA KIRO

Sportscar racer Mikkel Jensen has a strong reputation in endurance disciplines, racking up 18 wins and 38 podiums over the past nine years, alongside class championship titles in European Le Mans Series and the IMSA Sportscar Championship.

“[Rookie Free Practice] in Jeddah will mark the first time I’ve driven a single-seater racing car since racing in European Formula 3 in 2016, and I’m looking forward to the experience of driving a Formula E car for the first time – I can’t wait to get started," says the 30-year-old for CUPRA KIRO.

Tatiana Calderón at Lola Yamaha ABT

A successful kart racer from a young age, Tatiana Calderon won the National Championships in both Colombia and the United States, going on to achieve success in a number of motorsport categories. Her career to date has seen her gain experience in series including the FIA World Endurance Championship, Indycar, Formula 2, GP3, and Super Formula and as a test driver in Formula 1. 

The Colombian racer has tested Formula E machinery before, including the GEN3 Evo at last year's Women's Test – the first of its kind for an FIA Championship – and during the GEN2 era with DS Techeetah on multiple occasions. 

SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2025 Jeddah E-Prix Rounds 3 and 4

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been a part of the Formula E calendar since Season 5, but for the first time we’re heading to Jeddah. Host to the fist double-header of the GEN3 Evo era, the grid will be racing under the floodlights on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 February 2025. 

Rookie Free Practice: Thursday 13 February, 18:00 local/15:00 UTC

Free Practice 1: Thursday 13 February, 21:00 local/18:00 UTC
Free Practice 2: Friday 14 February, 13:00 local/10:00 UTC
Qualifying: Friday 14 February, 15:20 local/12:20 UTC
Race: Friday 14 February, 20:05 local/17:05 UTC 

Free Practice 3: Saturday 15 February, 13:00 local/10:00 UTC
Qualifying: Saturday 15 February, 15:20 local/12:00 UTC
Race: Saturday 15 February, 20:05 local/17:05 UTC 

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