The first champion of the F1 Academy, Marta Garcia, will make her Formula E debut test with ERT during the upcoming rookie test in Berlin. This will mark the first time in three years that a female driver will participate in one of these annual sessions. Garcia will join Mikel Azcona, a touring car specialist, as part of the UK-based Chinese team. Before the test in Berlin, Garcia will undergo simulator sessions at the team’s headquarters in Silverstone. During the test, she will have the opportunity to drive either Dan Ticktum’s or Sergio Sette Camara’s car for six hours of testing available during the season. Garcia expressed her excitement about the championship’s growth and her desire to learn and make the most of this experience.
Garcia, who was previously a junior driver for Renault F1, won the first season of the exclusively female F1 series. As a result, she was promoted to the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine for 2024. In this championship, she will drive for the Iron Dames team alongside Doriane Pin, a Mercedes protege and winner of the first race of the 2024 F1 Academy season. Garcia’s presence in Monaco this weekend will involve seat fitting and time with the ERT team, including learning from their race drivers. She will participate in meetings with the drivers and work closely with the engineers to gain a better understanding of the car and prepare for the tests in Berlin. Although Garcia does not have specific expectations for the test in Berlin, she sees it as a valuable opportunity to drive the car and gain more knowledge about the championship.
Garcia’s agenda is quite full, as she will be coming directly from the opening of the Formula Regional season in Hockenheim, which ends on May 12, to participate in the test on May 13. When asked about the possibility of racing in Formula E in the future, Garcia expressed her openness to the idea. She believes it could be a good opportunity to compete in a competitive championship. However, she wants to focus on getting to know the car and the championship before making any decisions.
There may be two women on the entry list for the test in Berlin, as Alice Powell, test and development driver for Envision Racing, is now eligible to participate in the test after a recent regulation change. Envision Racing is expected to announce their two drivers for the test soon. The Tempelhof test in Berlin will also feature Formula 2 drivers Jak Crawford (Andretti) and Dennis Hauger (Porsche), who will be teammates with the 2023 DTM champion, Thomas Preining. Maserati MSG is in negotiations with Aston Martin F1 reserve driver Felipe Drugovich to conduct a third test for them, after his appearances in Berlin and Rome last season.
