Jordan's Track Talk

Tag: Rookie Free Practice

  • Daniil Kvyat to drive for DS PENSKE

    DS PESNKE has singed Daniil Kvyat for the Jeddah Rookie Free Practice Session.

    The former Formula 1 driver has taken part in a rookie session before, with NIO 333 at the Berlin rookie test.
    The Russian is now set to take the wheel of the DS E-TENSE FE25 during the FPO session at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.

    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.

    I am very excited to join the team for the Rookie Free Practice. It is my first time driving a Formula E new-generation GEN3 Evo car, and I am eager to get a feel for it on track. I already know some of the faces in the team, which makes this experience even more exciting! I cannot wait to get started and see where this test will take us.
    Kvyat on the news.

    We’re delighted to have Daniil join us for FP0 in Jeddah. His background in Formula 1 and his proven ability to perform at the highest level will provide invaluable insights for our team. We are looking forward to seeing how Daniil adapts to the demands of the track and contributes to our overall weekend preparations.
    Deputy Team Principal, Phil Charles.

  • Alex Dunne set for Rookie outing

    NEOM McLaren have confirmed Alex Dunne for the Jeddah Rookie Free Practice session, ahead of the 2025 Jeddah E-Prix.

    Dunne, from Ireland, made his single-seater racing debut in 2021, competing in the Spanish F4 Championship and finishing third in his first race.
    After moving to Formula 4, Alex continued to deliver impressive results, becoming the 2022 British F4 Champion as well as the Italian F4 vice-champion.

    Dunne’s 2023 campaign saw his finish second in the GB3 Championship with five victories and eight podiums across the season. In the same year he also made his Macau Grand Prix debut, finishing second in the qualifying race.

    Since then, as well as joining the McLaren Driver Development programme, he raced with MP Motorsport in the 2024 FIA Formula 3 Championship, scoring two podiums and a further seven top 10 finishes.
    Dunne’s 2025 race programme, which he will contest alongside his Formula E duties, he is taking a step up to FIA Formula 2 for 2025 with Rodin Motorsport.

    I’m looking forward to getting my first chance to drive the GEN3 Evo for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team next week in Jeddah. To have this opportunity through the McLaren Driver Development programme feels incredible, and I’m so grateful to the team for putting their trust in me. I’ve been working hard in the simulator and with the team to prepare for this test, and I can’t wait to get out to Jeddah.
    Dunne on the news.

    I’m very pleased that Alex will have the chance to test with the team at next week’s Rookie Free Practice Session. As our Reserve and Development Driver, Alex has already been playing a key role within the team and has been supporting us through his work in the simulator. Throughout his junior career, Alex has shown great promise, and I know he’ll make the most of this opportunity.
    Ian James, Team Principal.

  • Cupra Kiro announces Jensen for Rookie FP

    Mikkel Jensen to represent CUPRA KIRO in Formula E’s Rookie Free Practice ahead of the 2025 Jeddah E-Prix, 13th February.

    Sportscar racer, Jensen started his professional career in 2013 and transitioned from single-seater racing to prototype and GT competition in 2016 after finishing on the podiums in his European Le Mans Series (ELMS) debut at the Circuit Paul Ricard.

    Since making the switch, Jensen has forged a strong reputation in endurance disciplines, racking up 18 wins and 38 podiums over the past nine years, alongside class championship titles in ELMS and the IMSA Sportscar Championship in the USA.

    The Dane, who most recently raced at the 2025 edition of the Daytona 24 Hours, will bring a diverse perspective to cockpit in Jeddah, says the team, alongside extensive manufacturer experience as part of Peugeot’s FIA World Endurance Championship Hypercar program.

    FP0 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. Formula E has interested me for a while now, and from my time preparing in the simulator, the car feels completely different to anything I’ve experienced before in my career. I would like to thank CUPRA KIRO for giving me this opportunity – I can’t wait to get started.
    Jensen on the news.

    I’m delighted to welcome Mikkel to CUPRA KIRO for Formula E’s upcoming FP0 rookie test in Jeddah. Mikkel is one of the best sportscar drivers of our generation and has consistently proven himself across WEC, IMSA, and ELMS in recent seasons. Alongside his strong natural instincts, which are important for any racing driver, Mikkel has good technical awareness and understanding, and holds extensive experience working with manufacturers at a World Championship level. His perspective and experiences will be important for FP0, which will be crucial to the continued development of our technical package for this season. I’m very excited for him to have his first experience of Formula E in Jeddah, and I can’t wait to see what he can do.
    Alex Hui, Team Principal, Cupra Kiro.

  • Envision sign O’Sullivan for Rookie FP

    Envision Racing has singed British racing driver Zak O’Sullivan for the Rookie Free Practice in Jeddah, as part of a new role that will see him also become a simulator driver.

    O’Sullivan boasts and impressive racing CV to date – with numerous wins in karting before stepping up to single seaters.

    In 2020, the 19 year old narrowly missed out on the British Formula 4 title, finishing runner-up before going onto win the GB3 Championship the following year.

    Two seasons for FIA Formula 3 followed and after stepping onto the podium twice in his rookie campaign in 2022, he became a title contender the following year – taking four wins and settling for the runner-up spot in the championship.

    Most recently, he has competed in the FIA Formula 2 Championship where he took a sensational win in Monaco, before stepping onto the top step once again in Spa-Francorchamps. However, he was unable to complete the full season due to funding obstacles.

    However, his plans for this year has already been announced and the Brit is competing in the highly competitive Japanese Super Formula Championship for the 2025 season.

    I’m very excited to be going to Jeddah to test a Formula E car for the first time. It is going to be a new challenge for me. The session itself will provide a good opportunity for me to learn the car and I will also be making sure I spend as much time with the team as possible across the race week, so I absorb as much as I can.
    O’Sullivan on the news.

    We are thrilled to have Zak joining the team and drive in the first rookie session of the year. We have been very impressed with his results to date and look forward to watching how he adapts to Formula E and integrates within our team.
    Sylvain Filippi, Managing Director & CTO.

  • Maini announced for rookie free practice

    Mahindra has announced Indian driver Kush Maini for the Rookie Free Practice in Jeddah on 13th February.

    The 24 year old, served as the team’s official reserve driver during Season 10, getting his first taste of action behind the wheel in the FIA’s all-electric series in May at the annual Berlin Rookie Test.

    In parallel, Maini also impressed in FIA Formula 2, claiming victory plus four further podiums in his sophomore season, and will also be returning again this season for a title fight.

    Mahindra Racing have enjoyed a strong start to Season 11, making the qualifying duels and scoring points at both rounds in Sao Paulo and Mexico City.
    The team currently sit fifth in the standings heading to Saudi Arabia next week with 22 points already – almost half the team’s total from last season.

    I’m excited to be back with Mahindra Racing for the Rookie Practice in Jeddah this month. I was very impressed with my first experience of Formula E in Berlin last season, and the new GEN3 Evo car is clearly another step up from that. I’ve been watching closely across the first two races this season and can’t wait to get behind the wheel for myself. The team has had a very strong start to the season, with a lot of the hard work from last year coming to fruition. It’ll be great to be back in that environment, and I’m sure with Mahindra’s ongoing support, we can have a productive session and build on the learnings from last year.
    Maini on the news.

    Kush impressed everybody at the team in his role as our Reserve Driver last season, and it was a no-brainer to continue that relationship for the Rookie Practice in Jeddah. We’ve made a strong start to the season with our new car, but it’s important we make use of all the track time available to us to keep progressing. Kush’s work ethic, diligence and skill make him the perfect choice to slot into the team for the session, especially on what will be a new circuit for all the teams.
    Frederic Bertrand, Mahindra Racing CEO and Team Principal.

  • Rookie Free Practice for Jeddah E-Prix

    The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will introduce a Rookie Free Practice session as part of the Jeddah E-Prix, specifically designed for drivers who have never raced in the Championship.

    The 40 minute session, scheduled for Thursday 13th February, will provide experienced racing talent from other motorsport championships valuable track time to discover the new groundbreaking technology of Formula E’s GEN3 Evo car.

    The rookie free practice is only open to experienced racing drivers from other series, with a free practice only e-licence.
    It offers hand on experience with the latest Formula E technology, capable of 0-100km/h in 1.82s.

    Teams must nominate a driver and allocate a race car number seven days prior to the event, with the teams announcing drivers already.

    This initiative follows the successful inaugural Women’s Test in Madrid in October, and further emphasises Formula E and the FIA’s dedication to creating diverse and inclusive pathways for the next generation of racing drivers.

    Following on from the success of our Official Women’s Test in November, we’re thrilled to introduce this dedicated Rookie Free Practice session at the Jeddah E-Prix. It’s a crucial next-step in fulfilling our commitment to nurturing the next generation of racing talent, including young women. This opportunity to drive the cutting-edge GEN3 Evo car will provide invaluable experience for these young drivers, and we believe it will significantly contribute to developing the future stars of Formula E and motorsport as a whole.
    Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer.

    It’s crucial for the FIA to allow drivers to develop their careers through FIA World Championships, and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has one of the most competitive grids around. Many of its current stars gained their first Formula E experience in one of these rookie sessions or tests, and to provide such opportunities for the next generation of promising talents to discover the specifics of Formula E and EV racing – and adapt their driving style accordingly – is essential for the championship’s continuing growth.
    Pablo Martino, Head of Formula E Championship, FIA.

  • Barnard confirmed by NEOM McLaren for Misano

    NEOM McLaren will be giving Taylor Barnard another opportunity behind the wheel of their Gen3 car at the Misano Rookie Free Practice session on Friday 12th April.

    Barnard, from Norwich England, entered single seater racing in 2020. Since then, he 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.

    Taylor 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.

    I’m looking forward to getting back behind the wheel of the NEOM McLaren GEN3 car in Misano. I’ve enjoyed working with the team so far this year as Reserve and Development Driver, and I’m looking forward to putting this into practice on-track.

    Barnard on the news.

    I am delighted that Taylor will be representing the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team in the Misano Rookie Free Practice Session next week. In his current role of Reserve and Development driver, Taylor is an integral part of the team and has helped us improve our performance on-track. This session will help him further understand the team and the correlation between his work in our simulator and on-track racing, while giving him that all-important experience in GEN3 machinery.

    Ian James, Team Principal.

  • O’Ward handed FP1 outing

    McLaren has handed IndyCar driver, Pato O’Ward his second Formula 1 free practice run in Abu Dhabi as well as the post-race tyre test that takes place the week after the F1 season finale.

    All teams have to get a rookie to take part in two FP1 sessions over the season, but as Oscar Piastri is a rookie he done his on the first race weekend in Bahrain.

    Originally the second free practice session was going to Alex Palou – who had been expected to become one of its reserves from this weekend’s race in Singapore.

    However, with Palou having gone back on plans to join McLaren in IndyCar, the Woking quad has had to re-evaluate things.

    Abu Dhabi will be Pato’s first appearance at an F1 weekend since he had his debut free practice run at last year’s Abu Dhabi event.
    McLaren’s team principal, Andrea Stella explained that they believe O’Ward was now eligible for an F1 superlicence after finishing fourth in this year’s IndyCar championship so hopefully the Mexican could join its roster of reserves.

    We are actually checking with the FIA, and we think he’s eligible now for the superlicence. So he’s qualified to drive an F1 car and be in a position to be one of the reserve drivers. In terms of the two main [free practice] events that would have involved either Alex or Pato, we had to do one more session of free practice one, where we have to have a so-called young driver, so a driver that hasn’t participated in more than two races. And then we have the post-Abu Dhabi test. Initially, these kind of events would have been split between the two, but obviously now in this situation, we will have Pato at the wheel in FP1 in Abu Dhabi and then I can confirm that he will also be driving the Tuesday after the race in Abu Dhabi.

    Andrea Stella, talking at the Singapore GP.
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  • Aston Martin’s Drugovich set for FP1 outing

    Aston Martin have confirmed that test and reserve driver, Felipe Drugovich will make another appearance for the team this weekend as he will be behind the wheel for free practice 1.

    Drugovich, who secured the 2022 Formula 2 title at Monza 12 months ago, will replace Lance Stroll and line up with Alonso for the opening 60 minute session.

    It comes after the 23 year old stood in for the injured Stroll during pre-season testing at the Bahrain International Circuit, where he got his first taste of Aston Martin’s 2023 challenger.

    Drugovich made his practice debut with Aston Martin at last year’s season finale in Abu Dhabi and has been driving the 2021-spec AMR21 at circuits around Europe- Silverstone, Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and the Red Bull Ring.

    I can’t wait to get back behind the wheel of the AMR23. The car felt great when I drove it in pre-season testing and it will be fascinating to feel how it has improved since then. I’ve spent a lot of time in the simulator helping to develop the car, so understanding how that correlates to the real thing will be super valuable for me too. It’s also a fantastic opportunity for me to demonstrate what I’ve learnt through my testing programme. Since Bahrain I’ve done many more miles in an F1 car so I have an even better understanding of how I can deliver valuable feedback for the team.

    Drugovich on the opportunity.

    We are delighted to be able to provide Felipe with another opportunity to drive the AMR23. He demonstrated his capabilities in pre-season testing, with a vital contribution to the team’s initial development of the car. Monza will offer another chance for Felipe to work closely with the engineers and mechanics and build his confidence in a critical session for the team. We look forward to maximising this session together.

    Mike Krack, Aston Martin team boss.