Reflecting on Andretti Formula E’s Positive Preseason Test in Spain Ahead of Season 11
The Andretti Formula E team was back on track last week for the first time since Season 10’s July finale in London for four days of official preseason testing at Circuito del Jarama in Madrid, Spain ahead of Season 11. While originally scheduled to take place at Valencia’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo for the eighth consecutive year, Formula E made the decision to relocate the test to the Circuito del Jarama after flash floods devastated the Valencia region the week prior to the test.
The Andretti Formula E team’s thoughts are with the community of Valencia, a city that holds a great deal of memories for the team. In an effort to honor and support all affected by the shocking floods, both Andretti Porsche 99X Electrics proudly displayed black ribbon emblems during the week of preseason testing and the team has donated to the Generalitat Valenciana for the repair of damage and reconstruction after storm DANA.
Season 9 World Champion Jake Dennis and Formula E veteran Nico Mueller took the all-new GEN3 Evo around the 11-turn, 3.9km track from Tuesday to Friday, finalizing preparations for the upcoming season and opening round in São Paulo on December 7. The test days included five sessions, with highlights for Dennis including a top-five finishing spot in all 300kW power classifications and a pair of second-place finishes in Session 1 and 2’s 350kW power running.
“From my side, we managed to get through the whole run plan while being competitive in every single outing – whether that be on old or new tires,” said Dennis. “It’s honestly one of the first tests we’ve ever had where we’ve been competitive before entering the first race. My confidence is high, I’m feeling good and I’m more motivated than ever.”
Joining Dennis for Season 11 and driving the No. 51 Andretti Porsche 99X Electric, Mueller clocked 199 laps around the Circuito del Jarama throughout the week. Like his teammate, the Swiss driver showed strong pace in 300kW power running, setting the fastest lap in Session 1 and 3.
“I’ve been welcomed with open arms, which has made life pretty easy to be honest. It’s really a racing family and you can feel that. It’s not a job for these people, they live for it and have it in their heart, which makes working with them super easy. Testing opportunities like this are extremely important for us as a customer team, particularly for me having to learn everything about the new car and its systems. The track was very fun to drive and the week has given us a solid amount of data heading into the first race in Brazil. I can’t wait to go racing!”
Drivers impress in dedicated all-women test session
The final test session on Friday afternoon was reserved for the series’ groundbreaking all-women test; the first ever in an FIA Championship. With each team encouraged to field at least one driver in the session, Andretti Formula E made the decision to run two cars, selecting F1 Academy Driver’s Chloe Chambers and Nerea Martí to take to the track in the final session of preseason testing. Both drivers reflected the team’s strong pace in 300kW running from previous sessions with Martí clocking a 1:34.944 to put her 10th while Chambers finished 12th overall with a 1:35.152.
“We were improving every time we went out and taking big steps from session to session,” said Martí. “I know I could have improved with more time in the car, but I learned a lot and had an amazing time.”
“It’s a pretty cool car to drive. I’ve never driven anything quite like it,” said Chambers. “Being able to have the opportunity to take part in the three-hour session has me longing for more time in the car too. It definitely left me wanting to come back for more.”
American named Reserve and Development Driver ahead of test
While preseason testing was ramping up, off the track, Andretti Formula E announced Jak Crawford as the team’s Season 11 Reserve and Development Driver. Crawford impressed in his all-electric debut at the 2024 Berlin E-Prix Rookie Test, finishing second overall and showcasing a solid understanding of the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric. The American will contribute to the team’s GEN3 Evo development through his simulator sessions and attend select events throughout the season, including the test last week in Madrid.
“The week with the team was great,” said Crawford. “I spent a lot of my time at Jarama watching cars from various corners and learned a great deal. The car is still fairly new for me still, so to see them in action in testing was very beneficial. It was also useful to sit in with the team during briefings post and pre-session to learn more about the system and software.”
The dawn of the GEN3 Evo era
Total running over the four days of testing in Madrid saw the Andretti Formula E team clock 1,984km across 549 laps around the Circuito del Jarama between the four drivers.
“It was a very positive test as Jake and Nico performed extremely well and faced no issues throughout the week,” said Andretti Formula E Team Principal Roger Griffiths. “We learned a huge amount about the new GEN3 Evo package and how it’s going to perform this upcoming season. In addtion, both Chloe and Nerea had a very solid session and did everything we asked of them. I think they had a great time, and hopefully the test offered a great experience for them.”
With official preseason testing completed and the Andretti Formula E lineup solidified, the team will finalize preparations for the opening round of Season 11 in Brazil in just under four weeks’ time.
