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.
Story originally appeared on Racer
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Yahoo
High profile F1 driver steward axed for Canadian Grand Prix weekend
Derek Warwick has been suspended from his duties as a steward for this weekend's Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix, after a number of controversial media interviews. The 70-year-old, who has four grand prix podiums, was due to serve as one of the stewards in Montreal but will now sit out the weekend after the FIA decided to suspend Warwick. Advertisement In previous days, quotes attributed to Warwick circulated by a gambling firm have been picked up by a number of websites criticising several current drivers, including Lando Norris, Lance Stroll and Yuki Tsunoda. 'Following recent unauthorised media comments, the FIA has taken the decision to suspend Derek Warwick from his duties as driver steward for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix,' an FIA statement read. 'He will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi, who will be officiating from the Remote Operations Centre in Geneva for the remainder of the event. 'After discussion, Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologised. Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix.' Enrique Bernoldi Enrique Bernoldi Warwick becomes the second high-profile F1 steward to fall foul of providing syndicated quotes to a betting company this year. Advertisement Before the start of the 2025 season, Johnny Herbert's comments led to him being no longer considered as a steward for grand prix racing events, having filled the role for some years. There had been significant interest in Herbert's FIA role since late 2024, when he was part of the stewards' panel that twice penalised Red Bull driver Max Verstappen at the Mexican Grand Prix. In partnership with a betting company, Herbert then commented on the decisions handed down by the body. As well as his years in F1, Warwick also won the 1992 Le Mans 24 Hours and was crowned world sportscar champion in the same year. To read more articles visit our website.
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- Washington Post
FIA suspends steward for Canadian Grand Prix over Verstappen penalty comments
Formula 1's governing body has suspended a driver steward for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix over comments he made regarding a penalty Max Verstappen received two weeks ago. The FIA said Friday that Derek Warwick's comments were not authorized and he will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi, who will officiate from the Remote Operations Centre in Geneva for the remainder of the weekend.
San Francisco Chronicle
10 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
FIA suspends steward for Canadian Grand Prix over Verstappen penalty comments
Formula 1's governing body has suspended a driver steward for this weekend's Canadian Grand Prix over comments he made regarding a penalty Max Verstappen received two weeks ago. The FIA said Friday that Derek Warwick's comments were not authorized and he will be replaced by Enrique Bernoldi, who will officiate from the Remote Operations Centre in Geneva for the remainder of the weekend. 'After discussion, Derek acknowledges that his comments were ill-advised in his role as an FIA steward and has apologized,' the FIA said in a statement. 'Derek will resume his duties as a steward in the forthcoming Austrian Grand Prix.' Verstappen received a three-point penalty for running George Russell off track at the Spanish Grand Prix. The penalty put the four-time reigning F1 champion just one point away from an automatic one-race suspension. Warwick did an interview with a gambling publication in which he defended the penalty levied to Verstappen as the 'perfect' punishment because the Dutchman was "absolutely wrong' in the contact with Russell. It is the second time this year the FIA has penalized a race steward. Johnny Herbert was let go in January as a steward because the FIA said his 'duties as an FIA steward and that of a media pundit were incompatible.' The FIA said the decision was made 'with regret.' Herbert at the end of the 2024 season gave several interviews to gambling sites, some related to high-profile decisions he was involved with in his role as a steward. He even had a public argument with Jos Verstappen, father of the four-time champion, after Verstappen was penalized in Mexico City for an incident with Lando Norris. Jos Verstappen alleged Herbert was biased and said 'the FIA should take a good look at the staffing of the stewards, who they put there and whether there is no appearance of a conflict of interest." Herbert in turn criticized Verstappen's driving and called it 'over the top.' He also said Verstappen had developed 'a horrible mindset of trying to gain an advantage by taking a fellow driver off the race track.' The FIA determined Herbert had displayed impartiality and could no longer be a steward. ___
