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Red Bull and IndyNXT represented at special Formula E test day
- GPblog.com
Formula E will hold a rookie test day on 24 April, designed to give young talents a chance to drive a Formula E car. Five of the drivers for that test day have been announced, including a one-time F1 driver and a Red Bull junior.
For Formula One audiences, Jack Aitken is probably the best-known name from the line-up. Aitken drove in the topclass of motorsport once in 2020, at the Sakhir Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton was unable to take part in the race due to a covid infection, and so then-Williams driver George Russell was put in Hamilton's Mercedes. The seat at Williams was then filled by Aitken. His F1 debut was not very successful: Aitken finished second-to-last, with only fellow invader Pietro Fittipaldi behind him. Since then, Aitken has been involved in the World Endurance Championship and the DTM. During the test day, Aitken will test for Envision.
Another familiar name in the line-up is Zane Maloney. The 19-year-old driver from Barbados is one of six Red Bull Juniors competing in Formula 2 this year. After three race weekends, Maloney finds himself in eighth place in a heated battle in the midfield. Maloney will sit in the Formula E test in an Andretti Avalanche car, as will reigning IndyNXT champion Linus Lundqvist.
Title contender Porsche seeks in-house talent
The big contender in Formula E is currently Porsche's team. Among constructors, the German racing stable holds a comfortable lead, and Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein leads among drivers. Porsche is looking a little closer to home for the test: David Beckmann and Yifei Ye are the designated drivers for the test day. Beckmann is already currently a test driver for the German brand's Formula E team, and Ye competes for Porsche in the Asian Le Mans competition.