Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: David Beckmann

  • Kiro sign Ticktum and Beckmann

    Kiro Race Co have announced Dan Ticktum and David Beckmann as their 2024/25 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship driver pairing.

    As the newest team in Formula E, built on the foundations of former competitor, ERT – itself tracing its roots back to the race-wining NEXTEV and NIO outfits.

    Kiro Race Co has eyes on battling back to the front of the Formula E grid, with Ticktum and Beckmann set to be key to the team’s goals starting at the season-opening Sao Paulo E-Prix this weekend.

    Ticktum, who has competed in Formula E since 2022, reached new heights in Formula E by taking a career-best finish of fourth at Misano in Season 10 and holds extensive success out of the paddock.
    With three wins and 11 podiums in FIA Formula 2 and back to back victories at the Macau Grand Prix in 2017 and 2018.

    For Beckmann, the 2024/25 season will mark his first full time campaign racing in Formula E. Although the German driver is more than familiar with the championship and after holding Test & Reserve Driver roles with Andretti and Porsche since 2021, as well as racing at the Jakarta E-Prix in 2023.

    Beckmann has raced single seaters since 2015 and has been a consistent challenger at every level, with victories in FIA Formula 3, podiums in FIA Formula 2 and one win in the FIA World Endurance Championship.

    It’s clear to me that Kiro Race Co is hungry, ambitious, and ready to make a statement in Formula E, and that’s exactly the kind of environment I thrive in as a racing driver. Over the past few years, I’ve learned first-hand that Formula E is unlike any other form of motorsport – the racing is relentless, the on-track battles are fierce, and it pushes you to your limits, demanding absolutely everything from both the driver, and the team. Ahead of a new season, it’s important to have modest expectations, but in a category as wild as this, there are open opportunities every single lap. After a promising pre-season test, I’m hopeful that we’ll be able to convert this attitude into regular top 10 performances. The atmosphere and energy within the team is very positive, and I can’t wait to get the season started in São Paulo.
    Ticktum on the news.

    Joining Kiro Race Co’s ranks for my first full season in Formula E is a dream come true, and I’m excited to rise to the challenge. Although I’ll be a rookie this year, I think I’m coming into the season with a unique experience having seen the evolution from Gen2 to Gen3, and again with the GEN3 Evo, first-hand in my past roles with Andretti and Porsche. At testing, my main goal was to get comfortable in the car and integrate myself well in the team, and overall, the week was very encouraging. The whole atmosphere right now is very inspiring, and it feels like we’re all working in the same direction, with one shared goal. I’m really looking forward to Brazil.
    Beckmann on the news.

    Since announcing Kiro Race Co’s involvement in Formula E for Season 11, we’ve been very transparent with our aims – we want to defy expectations, we want to be consistent top-10 contenders, and we want to redefine what it means to be a racing team. Our driver lineup embodies that mission perfectly. In Dan – who has been described as the best British driver not in F1 – we have an experienced, young athlete who not only has the drive and determination to the be the best, but also has the speed and ability to one day be a World Champion. David’s ambition, meanwhile, is unmistakeable, and although he’ll be a rookie this season, his existing experience in Formula E – which includes two race starts and three seasons as a Reserve Driver – put him in a better position than the majority of drivers who join the series. Season 11 is just the first chapter of our journey in Formula E. There’ll be highs and lows, ups and downs, and we know that success won’t come overnight. We’re only at the start of what will be a long road, but we’re committed to this journey, and we’re excited to see what the coming season has in store.
    Alex Hui, Team Principal.

  • Lotterer & Beckmann in as Porsche’s Reserve Drivers

    Porsche motorsport legend, Andre Lotterer and David Beckmann will support TAG Heuer Porsche as its Test and Reserve Drivers for the 2023/24 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

    With Lotterer, Porsche celebrated a successful Formula E debut in November 2019, when he took second place with the Porsche 99X electric at the opening round in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia.

    After a season competing for the new Porsche customer team Avalanche Andretti, the three time Le Mans winner’s main priority in 2024 will be the FIA Endurance World Championship with the Porsche Penske Motorsport team.

    For Beckmann, Season 10 will be his second as a test and reserve driver for the Porsche works team in Formula E.

    He turned his first laps on the racetrack with the Porsche 99X Electric in Calafat, Spain in autumn 2022 and took part in the official Rookie Test in sprint 2023 as part of the Berlin E-Prix weekend.
    As a reserve driver for the Porsche customer team, Avalanche Andretti, he celebrated his Formula E race debut in June at the double-header in Jakarta.

    Next season, our team will benefit from André’s wealth of Formula E experience. With David, we also have a young driver that we know well. He can also support us with the skill and experience he gained with our Porsche 99X Electric.

    Florian Modlinger, TAG Heuer Porsche’s Director of Factory Motorsport.

    After 26 years in single-seater racing, I have decided to close this chapter of my career and concentrate on the challenge of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Endurance Championship with the Porsche 963. At the same time, I’m excited to continue supporting Porsche with my Formula E experience.

    Lotterer on the news.

    I’m looking forward to continuing my work with Porsche and supporting the team in this challenging and diverse racing series. It’s a great job. I can better familiarise myself with the Porsche 99X Electric and gain crucial experience for further career steps in Formula E.

    Beckmann on continuing with the team.

  • Beckmann steps in at Andretii for Jakarta E-Prix

    Avalanche Andretti has announced that David Beckmann will replace Andre Lotterer at the Jakarta E-Prix, who will be spending the weekend with Porsche’s LMDh team preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

    Named as the team’s reserve for Season 8 and 9, Beckmann got his first taste of motor racing in karts. In 2012 he won the DMV Kart Championship (KF3 class) and the European Bridgestone Cup.

    A year later he was crowned overall winner of the German Junior Kart Championship, beating Mick Schumacher. With this success under his belt, he advanced to Formula 4 in 2015, contesting championships in Germany, where he won the rookie classification and also in Italy.

    After two years in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, he switched to the GP3 series, where he finished fifth overall in 2018 with three race wins. Returning to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, he clinched sixth overall with a string of strong performances. From 2021, he competed in FIA Formula 2.

    I’m super grateful for the opportunity to step in for André and represent the Avalanche Andretti Formula E Team in Jakarta. Formula E is an incredibly competitive championship, and I’m excited to showcase my capabilities in this unique racing series. I would like to thank Michael Andretti and the team for trusting me with this responsibility. I’m going to give my best to achieve a successful outcome for everyone involved.

    Beckmann on the opportunity.

    David has proven himself as a highly talented driver and we are delighted to welcome him back into the team for the Jakarta E-Prix. He was part of the team in Season 8 as the official reserve driver and he has not only demonstrated his capabilities during the Berlin Rookie Test, but also throughout the Porsche Motorsport development actvities. He will be an excellent replacement for the double-header weekend. We knew from the outset that André’s priorities lay within Porsche’s LMDh sportscar squad and were therefore supportive of his commitments outside of Formula E. David’s experience in both single-seater championships and as both the team’s and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Reserve and Development Driver will undoubtedly contribute to his seamless transition into the Formula E environment. We have full confidence in his ability to represent the team and have no doubt that he will make the most of this opportunity, contributing to our continued success in the championship.

    Team Principal, Roger Griffiths.

  • Porsche announce drivers for rookie test

    Constructors’ Championship leaders, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team have announced their full driver line-up for this month’s Formula E rookie test, which will take place a day after the Berlin E-Prix.

    Completing the test for Porsche will be 22 year old Chinese driver, Yifei Ye, who is set to compete in this season’s FIA World Endurance Championship in a customer Porsche 963 hybrid prototype for Hertz Team JOTA.

    Ye does have some experience in single-seater racing but his career nowadays is spent almost entirely in sportscars, with his most recent appearance in a single seater having been in 2020, when he won the Euroformula Open Championship.

    Since the end of 2021, Ye has been a fully supported Porsche driver and is Porsche Motorsport’s Asia Pacific Selected Driver, highlighting the potential the German manufacturer see in him. Despite this, the young Chinese driver is very much looking forward to driving a Formula E car.

    I’ve always wanted to drive a Formula E car and I’m grateful that Porsche is giving me that opportunity. For me, this is an interesting new challenge that I’m really excited to get stuck into. Beforehand, I’ll follow the races in Berlin closely from the pits and try to learn as much as possible from António and Pascal. That will definitely help me to familiarise myself with the Porsche 99X Electric as quickly as possible. With Porsche, I’m concentrating on the WEC for now. But I’m still young and can certainly imagine contesting Formula E races one day. Electric motorsport has a bright future.

    Ye on the opportunity.

    Also completing the rookie test for the German manufacturer is former Formula 2 driver, David Beckmann who is also set to compete at the Jakarta E-Prix.

    Beckmann is Porsche’s official reserve and test driver this season in the all-electric series, with him having the same role for Avalanche Andretti Formula E in Season Eight.

    Following his time driving for Porsche in Berlin, Beckmann is expected to compete in the Jakarta double header for Andretti, with the German filling in for Andre Lotterer who has commitments in the WEC that weekend.

    Being able to drive the Porsche 99X Electric in Berlin just a few days before my birthday is a great present. For me, it’s a fantastic experience to enter the new era of Formula E with Porsche this season. I already got the chance to drive the new Porsche 99X Electric on the racetrack at the official Formula E test in Calafat. It was very impressive. I’m really looking forward to the rookie test and getting to know our car even better. Of course, I also hope to be able to share some useful insights with my team.

    Beckmann on the test.

    The rookie test is a great opportunity to show young drivers what Formula E is all about. It’s also about familiarising them with our Porsche 99X Electric, which is a very complex racing car and not easy to drive. 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. David has already tested for us. Now we’re looking forward to seeing how well Yifei gets on with our Porsche 99X Electric.

    Team Principal, Florian Modlinger.

  • Beckmann replaces Hughes

    Van Amersfoort Racing took to social media to announce that Jake Hughes will not be racing the next two rounds due to having a positive covid test. David Beckmann will be replacing him for the double header in France and Hungary.

    As France and Hungary are consecutive race weekends, Hughes won’t be able to recover in time and will miss both rounds.

    After finishing sixth in Formula 3 in 2020, Beckmann has yet to compete in a full season of Formula 2, budget issues saw him dropped by Charouz halfway through the 2021 season, despite taking two podiums for the team.

    These rounds will be Beckmann’s third and fourth this season, having already been a stand-in already this season. In Imola, he replaced Cem Bolukbasi after his injury in the previous round. Then Beckmann took Amaury Cordeels spot, as he had to serve a race ban after acquiring 12 penalty points on his license.

    Beckmann has managed to grab points already this season, but another four points could easily bump him up to 19th in the standings, which is very impressive considering he’ll have only competed in four out of ten rounds.

    Also still driving as a substitute for the next two rounds in Roberto Merhi, who is replacing Ralph Boschung until he recovers from his neck injury.

    Wishing Jake Hughes well and we will see him back on the grid soon!

  • Bolukbasi not to race in Imola

    Bolukbasi not to race in Imola

    Cem Bolukbasi will not be racing this weekend in the third round of the 2022 Formula 2 season after picking up an injury during the in-season test at Barcelona last week.

    David Beckmann will be taking Bolukbasi’s place in the Charouz car, last week Beckmann was called up by the team to contest the last of the F2 in-season test, with Bolukbasi having flown home for medical attention after a crash on the opening day.

    Beckmann is already well known with the team, having already driven for the team for the first half of the 2021 season, before family business commitments contributed to him leaving. He then stayed in F2 for two more rounds, as he joined Campos Racing.

    The German driver, ended his rookie season down in 15th in the standings after missing the final two rounds but he did manage to claim two sprint race podiums and was quick to get back up to speed in the car.

    Since not racing since September, Beckmann has had a busy 2022 so far as he has picked up the reserve and development driver for Andretti Autosport in Formula E, with his first track-side work having been at the Rome E-Prix event which took place just a few days before he was summoned by Charouz.

    At the moment, it is a one-off return to F2 for Beckmann, with it having been publicised in Europe that Bolukbasi will be back racing by round six of the season in Baku on the 10th to 12th June, but before then are two rounds in May at Barcelona and Monaco where his participation has not been confirmed yet.