Formula E to host rookie practice session in Jeddah

Formula E will host a practice session for rookie drivers ahead of the Jeddah E-Prix on Thursday February 13.

The 40 minute session – ahead of the third and fourth rounds of the 2024-25 season – is open to any driver that hasn’t competed in Formula E previously, and comes after the similar Womens’ test session in Jarama that was held at the end of Formula E’s collective official pre-season test last November.

“Following on from the success of our official womens’ test in November, we’re thrilled to introduce this dedicated rookie free practice session at the Jeddah E-Prix,” said co-Founder and chief championship officer Alberto Longo. “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.”

For the test, all teams must nominate one driver and allocate a car number different from their race entires. No teams have announced their drivers for the test thus far, but must confirm who will be taking part for them no later than seven days before the test. Unlike the Womens’ test, where every team was obligated to run at least one driver but seven of the series’ 11 teams fielded two drivers, at the rookie practice session in Diriyah, teams will only be able to run a single car.

The practice session is the latest move from Formula E to provide young drivers with opportunities in the series. It also hosted a day of running for series rookies at last year’s in-season test after the Berlin E-Prix.

“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,” said Pablo Martino, the head of Formula E at the FIA. “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.”

The event in Saudi Arabia – which has moved to the Jeddah Formula 1 circuit after six events in the last seven years in Diriyah just outside Riyadh – will also mark the debut of in-race charging, with one of the weekend’s two races featuring mandatory 30 second pit stops which will provide 10 percent additional usable energy for drivers.