System E will run an all-female session throughout its official pre-season take a look at for the 2024-25 marketing campaign in November.
It has been organised to assist speed up the expansion of girls drivers in world championship single-seater equipment and would be the second time the all-electric series has held a female test after Diriyah in 2018.
For that session in Saudi Arabia, groups have been solely allowed to begin with two vehicles if one was pushed by a girl, which resulted in 9 feminine racers participating.
In 2024, all 11 groups are mandated to run not less than one feminine driver, however inspired to subject two within the newest Gen3 Evo vehicles that are set to make their debut within the upcoming season.
Jeff Dodds, System E CEO, mentioned: “We all know there isn’t a easy resolution for larger variety in motorsport.
“If we’re going to actually give girls equality, alternative and visibility in our collection, nonetheless, situations for all must be the identical to help their growth and take a look at themselves in opposition to these already on the beginning grid.
“Not like different collection the place girls drivers have to make use of outdated or restricted equipment, they’ll be utilizing the state-of-the-art Gen3 Evo automotive that accelerates 30% quicker than an F1 automotive, simply as our championship drivers do.
“We additionally recognise that one take a look at is not going to clear up the longstanding challenge, however we have now to begin someplace, realizing there’s a lengthy approach to go and ensuring we’re making proactive, constant steps that proceed to make ahead progress.”
When is the System E all-female take a look at?
Powell has examined for Envision a number of instances however has by no means raced in System E
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
Date: Thursday 7 November 2024
Begin time: 1pm GMT/2pm native time
The System E all-female pre-season take a look at will happen on Thursday 7 November 2024 and is scheduled to run for 3 hours, beginning at 1pm in the UK and 2pm native time in Valencia.
It will likely be held at System E’s model of Circuit Ricardo Tormo, a 2.098-mile observe on the outskirts of the Spanish metropolis that was a part of the championship’s 2021 calendar.
This can happen throughout pre-season testing on the 4-7 November. The afternoon session of the ultimate day is unique to feminine drivers who can have already competed in a variety of motorsport championships.
System E will stage this take a look at forward of its Sao Paulo season opener on the 7 December, the place Pascal Wehrlein arrives because the defending champion having pipped two-time runner-up Mitch Evans to his maiden crown.
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Who’s competing within the System E all-female take a look at?
There are eight drivers who’ve to this point been confirmed for System E’s all-female take a look at in November. Andretti was the primary workforce to substantiate its full line-up and that may include F1 Academy pair Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti, who respectively sit fourth and fifth in that championship.
Chambers, 20, is presently affiliated with the Haas System 1 Workforce however will change to representing the Crimson Bull Ford Academy Programme subsequent season.
The American’s single-seater profession dates again to 2021, the place she contested the System 4 United States Championship. She has since progressed to W Sequence, the System Regional Oceania Championship and F1 Academy, successful this 12 months’s second race in Barcelona.
Chambers is a race winner in F1 Academy, and can be part of Marti at Andretti
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
Marti can also be a race winner within the all-female collection, as she gained at Circuit Paul Ricard in 2023, but this season the 22-year-old has three podiums however no victories. Her single-seater profession goes again to 2019 with Spanish F4, with Marti additionally a part of the W Sequence alumni.
McLaren was subsequent to substantiate a driver, as 19-year-old Ella Lloyd will drive for the British squad having lately joined its growth programme. This comes after beginning her profession in 2022, the place the Welsh driver competed within the Ginetta Junior Championship earlier than progressing to Ginetta GTs the next 12 months.
In 2024, Lloyd competed throughout numerous championships just like the System Winter Sequence and British F4 earlier than racing at F1 Academy’s Singapore spherical in September as a wildcard entry, the place she completed ninth and seventh within the two races.
Lloyd might be partnered by Bianca Bustamante, who has been a part of the McLaren Driver Improvement programme since October 2023. That got here after an encouraging F1 Academy season during which the Filipino claimed two victories – Valencia and Monza – en path to seventh within the championship.
Envision Racing has additionally introduced each its drivers, as Alisha Palmowski and Alice Powell will take a look at for the British outfit. Palmowski is a BRDC Rising Star, having gained the 2022 Ginetta Junior Scholarship earlier than ending runner-up on this 12 months’s GB4 Championship.
The 18-year-old gained on her GB4 debut at Oulton Park in March resulting in her turning into one of many last 10 candidates for the 2024 Silverstone Autosport BRDC Award.
“My cellphone blew up [after the Oulton win],” she told Autosport. “I am nonetheless replying to messages now from that win. I had lots of of notifications from individuals like Karun Chandhok and Susie Wolff. It is good to have my identify on the map, individuals are noticing what I am attaining now.”
Powell, in the meantime, is a racing veteran and the 31-year-old has been a Take a look at and Improvement Driver for Envision since 2019.
Bustamante will proceed McLaren affiliation from F1 Academy into System E take a look at
Picture by: Andy Hone / Motorsport Pictures
Porsche has additionally confirmed its line-up, which consists of 2023 F1 Academy champion Marta Garcia and Gabriela Jilkova.
Jilkova’s call-up was anticipated, because the 29-year-old is Porsche’s Improvement and Simulator Driver who accomplished 43 laps for the workforce in pre-season testing final 12 months.
However Garcia is a shock addition because the Spaniard, who contested the 2024 System Regional European Championship, drove for ERT – now referred to as Kiro Race Co – in Could’s Berlin rookie take a look at and was anticipated to as soon as once more be part of the recently acquired squad that will now use Porsche powertrains.
| Workforce | Drivers |
| Maserati MSG | Tatiana Calderon, Carrie Schreiner |
| Envision Racing | Alisha Palmowski, Alice Powell |
| McLaren | Ella Lloyd, Bianca Bustamante |
| Jaguar | TBC, TBC |
| Abt | TBC, TBC |
| Porsche | Gabriela Jilkova, Marta Garcia |
| Nissan | TBC, TBC |
| Mahindra Racing | TBC, TBC |
| DS Penske | TBC, TBC |
| Andretti | Chloe Chambers, Nerea Marti |
| Kiro Race Co | TBC, TBC |
Has a girl ever competed in System E earlier than?
Garcia has earlier take a look at miles with the ERT squad that has morphed into new Kiro Race guise, however will check out for Porsche in Valencia
Picture by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Pictures
Three girls have competed in a System E race for the reason that all-electric championship started in 2014.
That 12 months’s Beijing season opener noticed Katherine Legge and Michela Cerruti turn out to be the primary females to take action. Legge lined up alongside Takuma Sato for Workforce Aguri and completed fifteenth in a irritating outing for the Briton, who acquired a drive-through penalty transformed into 57s for crossing the white line at pit exit following the mid-race automotive swaps.
The Indianapolis 500 common returned for the next spherical in Malaysia and got here fifteenth once more having acquired one other penalty – this was a drive-through transformed into 23s for inflicting a gap lap collision with Cerruti.
Legge was subsequently dropped forward of the subsequent race and the 44-year-old has predominantly raced in sportscars.
Cerruti, in the meantime, contested the opening 4 races of the 2014-15 marketing campaign for the Trulli System E Workforce. The Italian completed 14th in Beijing and retired in Putrajaya following her collision with Legge, earlier than inserting a series-best of twelfth in Uruguay.
She then retired from the next spherical in Argentina and was changed by ex-F1 driver Vitantonio Liuzzi forward of Miami. Following her System E stint, Cerruti contested the TCR Worldwide Sequence in 2016 and 2017 earlier than specializing in administration because the workforce principal of Alfa Romeo ETC outfit Romeo Ferraris.
Simona de Silvestro turned the third feminine to compete in a System E race, because the Swiss-Italian joined Andretti for the ultimate weekend of the championship’s debut 12 months. She completed eleventh and twelfth within the two races in London earlier than contesting a full marketing campaign for the American squad the next season.
Silvestro completed 18th within the 2015-16 standings having scored factors in Lengthy Seaside and Berlin, but didn’t return the next 12 months. Subsequently, the 36-year-old has competed in IndyCar, Supercars and GT Masters, whereas being a System E take a look at driver for Venturi and Porsche too.
De Silvestro achieved a greatest results of ninth in System E after making her debut in London within the 2014/15 season finale
Picture by: Ralph Hardwick