Mahindra Racing has announced that Kush Maini and Théophile Naël will drive for the team in the 2026 Formula E Madrid Rookie Test.
The single-day test will take place on March 22 at the Circuito del Jarama following the inaugural Madrid E-Prix, giving Mahindra another opportunity to improve its understanding of the M12Electro cars.
Maini targets development
Kush Maini has served as Mahindra Racing’s official Reserve Driver for Seasons 10 and 12, since joining the team in 2023. In 2026, alongside FE, Maini drives for ART Grand Prix in the FIA Formula 2 Championship.
Speaking about the opportunity to take part in the Rookie Test, Maini said, “I am very thankful to Mahindra Racing to give me this opportunity to compete in the Rookie Test. This will be a great chance to get more kilometres in a Formula E car under my belt as part of my development as a driver.”
“I will be following the progress of Edo and Nyck very closely throughout the weekend and I look forward to working with Theo and the team on Sunday. This is not a circuit I am especially familiar with as I have never raced here before, so there is a lot to learn and to get to grips with.”
Naël takes on Formula E
Maini is joined by rising star Théophile Naël, for whom the Madrid Rookie Test will mark his first time in a Formula E car. In 2025, the French driver made his Formula 3 debut with Van Amersfoort Racing before finishing the season with a special victory at the Macau Grand Prix. This year, he has made his way back to F3 for a second campaign, though this time, he is driving for Campos Racing.
“Firstly, a huge thanks to Mahindra racing for providing me with this opportunity to take part in the Rookie Test,” Naël shared. “This test is important to me to show my abilities on the track and to work with a team at a world championship level.”
He added: “Jarama is a circuit I have never raced on, so there will be a lot for me to get to grips with on the day. The Gen3 Evo M12Electro is also a very different kind of car to anything I have raced before through my career. I will be watching the team closely through the E-Prix, especially Nyck and Edo as they are two very accomplished and very experienced drivers, and I look forward to learning from everybody through my time in Madrid.”
Bertrand on Naël and Maini’s potential
With the announcement, Mahindra Racing’s Team Principal and CEO, Frederic Bertrand, highlighted their strong rookie driver lineup, welcoming Naël and praising Maini.
“It is great to welcome Théophile into the Mahindra Racing family for the rookie test at Jarama. Winning the Macau Grand Prix is a true stepping stone in any single-seater driver’s junior career, just as Edo achieved twice, and we cannot wait to have him in one of our cars to show what he can do.”
Bertrand continued: “Théophile is ready to make that step up after showing excellent speed in his career to date and the performances he has shown warrants this opportunity with us. As a young driver, there is a lot for him to learn in a short space of time – such as how an electric single seater handles compared to the combustion-powered machines he races normally, the complexities of the powertrain and also how the team operates compared to the outfits he has competed with before.“
“Kush will also be instrumental to our plans on the day of the test,” he noted. “He has already shown well with us, and he completes what is a very talented young line-up for us. While still in his junior career, he has already got a lot of experience with great teams which he brings and displays when working with us. We are looking forward to working with both drivers through the programme we have set out and to see what they can do on this very demanding circuit.”
DS PENSKE announce the return of Bedrin and Kvyat
Beyond Mahindra Racing, DS PENSKE has also announced Nikita Bedrin and Daniil Kvyat for the 2026 Formula E Madrid Rookie Test.
For 20-year-old Nikita Bedrin, the Madrid Rookie Test marks his third opportunity to drive the GEN3 Evo, having taken part in the 2025 Berlin Rookie Test and the 2026 Miami Rookie Free Practice. Most recently, in Miami, Bedrin secured a P5 result, finishing 0.435 seconds behind the leader, Zak O’Sullivan.
On the other hand, former Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat, who is set to make his Super GT series debut this year, is another significant addition for DS Penske and the test. Kvyat has participated in previous FE Berlin Rookie Tests with both DS Penske and NIO 333.
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