Yahoo Autos Nissan, Porsche announce line-ups for all-female FE test
Nissan will dip into the driver academy of fellow Renault–Nissan–Mitsubishi Alliance brand Alpine for the upcoming female Formula E test in Valencia, fielding Sophia Floersch and Abbi Pulling.
Pulling, who has been part of the Alpine fold since 2022, is a race winner in British Formula 4 and has dominated F1 Academy this year, with seven wins from 10 starts and podium finishers in the other three races.
“I’ve been wanting to drive a Formula E car for a long time, so to be given the chance to test the Nissan e-4ORCE 05 is a dream,” said Pulling. “I’m very excited to take on the challenge of learning the car with the guidance of the Nissan crew.
“There is a lot to learn and much more to manage so we will take it step by step. It’s a completely different environment to what I’m used to, but the focus is on doing what the team ask of me and to enjoy a productive test together.”
Floersch, an Alpine Academy member since last year, currently races in Formula 3 but has also had experience in endurance racing, competing in the LMP2 class of the European Le Mans series, in recent seasons.
“I’m very excited to have the chance to drive the most modern Formula E car,” said Floersch. “It’s going to be very different to my previous motorsport experiences, but I’m always curious to try new things. I’m highly motivated to get the most out of the test and do my all to help the team as they prepare for Season 11.
“I’ll be spending time in the simulator to be as ready as possible for Valencia and allow me to extract all I can. Looking forward to getting out there and taking on this incredible opportunity!”
While the test is a one-off for now, Nissan will have both drivers working closely with the team during the build-up to it.
“This is a great initiative to give women the opportunity to test Formula E machinery, and we’re delighted to be taking part with two cars,” said Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal of Nissan Formula E Team. “The number of women racing drivers has been increasing in recent years, and we’re proud to be contributing to the acceleration of this process.
“It’s a fantastic chance for Sophia and Abbi to learn and to help the team iron out any difficulties we encounter during the week. We’re very pleased to have two of the highest-profile women drivers. They’ll be at the workshop and in the simulator before the test, these cars are not easy to drive so we’re giving them plenty of preparation ahead of the day.
“It should be a productive session, both for the team moving forwards and a great experience for Sophia and Abbi as they look to further their motorsport careers.”
Confirmation of Nissan’s line-up for the test comes after TAG Heuer Porsche announced its own drivers for the test, with Gabriela Jilkova and Marta Garcia being nominated by the team that won the Season 10 drivers’ championship.
Garcia (above) will suit up for Porsche after driving for the then-ERT team at last season’s rookie test. Porsche Motorsport image.
While Nissan will be fielding two drivers with no prior Formula E experience, Porsche’s line-up will be among the more experienced. Jilkova has been serving as a simulator and development driver for Porsche, and tested for the team in Valencia last year.
“I’m really happy that I get to drive the Porsche 99X Electric again,” said Jilkova. “It is always an honor to represent the Porsche works team. I’m excited to see how the new car performs. It goes without saying that I am also pleased to be part of the first Formula E test sessions specifically for women.”
Reigning F1 Academy champion Garcia, meanwhile, drove for ERT (now Kiro Race Co) at last season’s rookie test in Berlin.
“I’m super excited to be part of the Formula E testing for women, and I’m even happier that I get to be involved in this with the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team,” said Garcia. “They are one of the best teams in the field and I am really looking forward to learning from and with them. I’m incredibly grateful to Porsche and the Iron Dames for this opportunity. I can’t wait to drive the 99X Electric – and on my fantastic home track as well.”
Speaking of Porsche’s female pairing, Porsche team principal Florian Modlinder said: “At Porsche we firmly believe that diverse teams are more successful. To that extent we are very happy to support Formula E’s initiative.
“We are delighted to have Gabriela on board again and would like to extend a warm welcome to Marta. Iron Dames are one of the biggest promoters of women in motorsport. Our pre-season preparations can only benefit from the additional impressions of these two drivers. At the same time, we want to ensure that Gabriela and Marta get as much as possible out of the opportunity for themselves.”
The half-day test on Nov. 7 will feature all 11 Formula E teams, with each required to run one driver, but encouraged to run two – and every team that has confirmed its line-ups for the test so far have done so.
Andretti (Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti), Envision Racing (Alisha Palmowski and Alice Powell), and NEOM McLaren (Bianca Bustamante and Ella Lloyd) are the other teams to confirm their line-ups for the test.
