Formula E confirms all-female pre-season test

Formula E organisers have officially confirmed that an all-female pre-season test will take place next month ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Pre-season testing for the all-electric championship will get underway at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia between 4-7 November for all 11 teams and 22 full-time registered drivers, which will be the only official running before the season begins in Sao Paulo on 7 December.

While running will take place across four days, the afternoon session on Thursday 7 November will be exclusively for female drivers with teams required to run at least one driver, but encouraged to field two in the latest Gen3 Evo cars.

A female-only test was previously held in Diriyah in 2018, and although teams have yet to formally announce which female drivers will be participating in this test, several squads already have links to women drivers.

This includes three-time W Series champion and Indy NXT driver Jamie Chadwick, who races with Andretti and tested one of the American team’s IndyCars earlier this week.

The 26-year-old Briton was also given the opportunity by Formula E to drive the Gen3 Evo car last season in Portland between official sessions.

Earlier in the year, inaugural F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia took part in the official Berlin rookie test with ERT, as did Alice Powell in her role with Envision.

Marta Garcia, ERT Formula E Team

Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images

During the 10-year period since Formula E was founded, only three female drivers have ever competed in any races, all in the Gen1 era.

Katherine Legge made two starts with Amlin Aguri in 2014, finishing neither in the points, as did Michela Cerruti with the Trulli Team during the same period, while Simona de Silvestro made 12 starts for Andretti, registering a best finish of ninth on two occasions in 2016.

While all drivers will get to sample the new Gen3 Evo car in Spain, development on the Gen4 machine, which will be used from the 2026/27 season, is already underway. It is believed it will include power steering – a system lacking in F2 and F3 cars that has been widely acknowledged as a barrier for female drivers.

Jeff Dodds, Formula E CEO, said: “We know there isn’t a simple solution for greater diversity in motorsport. If we’re going to truly give women equality, opportunity and visibility in our series, however, conditions for all need to be the same to aid their development and test themselves against those already on the starting grid.

“Unlike other series where women drivers have to use old or restricted machinery, they’ll be using the state-of-the-art Gen3 Evo car that accelerates 30% faster than an F1 car, just as our championship drivers do.

“We also recognise that one test will not solve the longstanding issue, but we have to start somewhere, knowing there is a long way to go and making sure we’re making proactive, consistent steps that continue to make forward progress.

“As a motorsport with an almost-equal split of male and female fans, as well within Formula E including my Exec and Director teams, we believe it’s only right that our drivers and wider ecosystem are representative of those that follow and support the sport.”