Marta García makes her Formula E debut with ERT at the Berlin Rookie Test

Marta García made her much anticipated ABB FIA Formula E World Championship testing debut on Monday with the ERT Formula E Team at the Rookie Test at the Berlin Tempelhof Airport circuit, showing impressive pace as she adapted to the team’s ERT X24 Formula E challenger.

The 2023 F1 Academy champion was joined by fellow Spaniard Mikel Azcona, the 2022 WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup champion, who returned for his third test with the team. Both drivers were supported onsite by the team’s full-time driver Sérgio Sette Câmara throughout the day.

García joined the team on Sunday night, arriving straight from a race in the Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine (FRECA) at Hockenheim.

The test day was split into two parts, morning and afternoon, with Garcia primarily focussing on building familiarity and experience with the complex Formula E race car in the morning with multiple nine-lap runs, only the utilising the full 350kW output potential of the car in the final run.

García’s best time was in the morning session ending up just 1.2 seconds from the fastest time, a very competitive first showing. Azcona, who was more familiar with the car, was nine-tenths from the overall pace.

García set 49 laps during the afternoon session, with 52 for Azcona, as the team worked through a predefined test programme of mechanic and controls settings sweeps.

In the afternoon session, García found more time improving by a further two-tenths of a second, ending the day with a best lap time of 1:03.162.

Azcona set a best time of 1:02.900 in the afternoon, a strong performance given a strict test plan which prevented the team tailoring his setup to conditions as it back to backed a number of parameters. Once again Azcona impressed the team with his consistency and feedback.

The team finished the day pleased with what was achieved, the data collected and very impressed with the performance of both Garcia and Azcona. They now turn their attentions to the biggest event in the calendar for the team, its home race at the Shanghai International Circuit on May 25-26.

Marta García #3

I’m super-thankful to be part of the test here in Berlin in Formula E, it’s a great opportunity for me to show what I can do and how I work. I also really liked working with the ERT Formula E Team and its engineers, it’s a really professional team.

I came straight from a race weekend at Hockenheim and then jumped into this car, and it’s a big difference, but as a driver you just need to be able to adapt. First, the brakes are very different, and when you go on the power in this car you can feel the electric power coming in, it’s quite surprising for the first laps as you get used to it. It requires a very different way of driving and it’s also quite different aerodynamically to what I’m used to. There’s a lot of information on its systems to retain as well, and also to work with energy saving, as it’s not just about racing in this car but to do everything you’re asked to do.

I’m very happy with how the test went, it was a very positive experience and hopefully I can be here again in a Formula E test.

Mikel Azcona #33

It’s been a very positive experience to be back in the Formula E car with ERT. It’s my third time in the car, and so I’ve not got plenty of experience. We lost a little bit of time in the morning with a small issue. We tried some new configurations with the control systems and some set-up changes, which this test day is a good day to try new things like this. We found some positives there which the team will likely use in the future.

Marta has also been doing very well in her first day in the Formula E car. I know from my own first test it’s always very difficult to adapt, and even though it’s a rookie test the level is very high here. She’s built the confidence during the day and kept improving.

Sérgio Sette Câmara

I think it was a very positive test day. Mikel already knew the car and he tested a series of items which are positive, and will hopefully unlock some performance for us in Shanghai.

I was also very surprised with how quickly Marta adapted to the Formula E car. She showed such a steep curve of learning and unlocking pace during the day. In the last moments she did some really competitive laps.

It’s been a great job from all the team; it’s been a long week with a double-header and a test, I think everyone’s executed it really well and I’m really proud of everyone.

Por: ERT Formula E Team