The grid for the first ever Women’s Testing day organized in Valencia by Formula E is starting to fill up as more and more teams reveal their driver lineups for the day.
The latest driver announcement ties Toyota talent Miki Koyama to recently rebranded Lola Cars team. The Japanese driver has played a significant role in the recent history of women in motorsport, having become the first ever female driver to win a mixed gender single seaters FIA Championship in 2022, securing the Formula Regional Japanese Championship title.
After spending two seasons on the W Series grid, with a best race result of P4, she has switched to Endurance and is now competing in Super GT. Koyama is incredibly stoked about the opportunity to test an electrical challenger as she commented:
“The upcoming test in Valencia is a great chance to experience the next generation of Formula E cars, and I’m looking forward to making the most of my time in the car, and to also provide constructive feedback to the team as we prepare for the upcoming season. It’s exciting to be part of such a progressive initiative as the all-female test, it’s a brilliant platform to learn, showcase our abilities, and support the team’s development.”
Lola Cars Chairman Till Bechtolsheimer highlighted the importance of giving opportunities to young talents as well as to ensure spaces for diversity:
“We’re thrilled to welcome Miki to the team. As our recent signing of Zane Maloney, himself a Formula E rookie, demonstrates, our commitment to accelerate the next generation of motorsport extends beyond the technology to the drivers themselves. Providing greater opportunities for women throughout the paddock is a key part of that vision”
Photo credits Lola Cars
Behind the wheel of championship winning team Porsche, sporting a totally new bright purple livery will be Gabriela Jilkova and Marta Garcia. The Czech is the German team’s Simulator and Development driver and has already experienced a Gen3 car the past season in Valencia, completing 43 laps. In 2024 she competed in a wide range of championsipd all around the globe, from GT4 European Series to Indian Racing League, where she suffered from an engine problem while running for P2 on the last lap of the latest round.
“I’m really happy that I get to drive the Porsche 99X Electric again. It is always an honour 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,” she thanked Porsche for the opportunity.
F1 Academy Champion Marta Garcia will team up with her, building on her previous Fromula E outing during the Rookie Test in Berlin held in May. The young Spanish driver, who has joined the prestigious Iron Dames team in April, is competing in FRECA this season with a best finish of P14.
Garcia is looking forward to a chance to drive on her turf, as she said on the signing: “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. 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.”
Photo credits Porsche
Jessica Edgar and Beitske Visser will sport DS Penske’s classic black and gold combination. The young British driver has achieved a podium in the inaugural season of the GB4 Championship, ending the season in P7 overall before switching to F1 Academy.
In the FIA sponsored all female championship Edgar has a race win and four pole positions to her name, having competed with Rodin. “I am grateful for the fantastic opportunity from DS PENSKE to participate in the Valencia Women’s Test. It’s a super exciting thought to drive a Formula E car and of course the fact it’s the new GEN3 Evo makes it even more special. I will give it my all!” she said expressing her excitement for her debut in the championship.
Her teammate will be the experienced Beitske Visser, a former reserve driver for Andretti Autosport and a talent expressed in both single seaters and endurance challengers. Runner up in the 2022 W Series behind Jamie Chadwick, she has completed a GP3 race and made her LMP2 debut in 2020 replacing Katherine Legge, she also achieved a class P2 in the 2023 edition of the 24H of Nürburgring and a class P3 in this year’s.
An official session debutant in electric racing, Visser is elated: “I’m really excited to be part of the first Women’s Test in Valencia with the DS PENSKE Formula E Team. I have always been interested in Formula E and can’t wait to be behind the wheels of the new DS E-TENSE FE25, it is going to be a great experience I’ am sure of it and I really look forward to it!”
Photo credits DS Penske
Alpine Academy driver duo Abbi Pulling and Sophia Floersch will drive for Nissan. Pulling’s single seaters debut came in 2020, when she achieved four podiums in the F4 British Championship, going on to be a title contender for the 2021 season before having to pull out due to lack of budget, but became the championship’s first ever female race winner on her return in 2024.
In two W Series championship she was on the podium three times, and is leading the 2024 F1 Academy season with four races to go. A new face in Formula E, Pulling will do her best to provide the feedback needed by Nissan:
“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. 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.”
Her partner will be Formula 3 driver Sophia Floersch, the first woman tro score points in the feeder serie in 2023. Her single series experience has been enriched by a dense endurance curriculum, having particiepated in the 24H of Le Mans, DTM, WEC, where she is the first woman to have ever scored a podium , which happened in 2021. The German driver is pleased for the new challenge, as she said.
“I’m very excited to have the chance to drive the most modern Formula E car. 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!”
