Formula E Rookie Test in Berlin Includes Four Female Drivers Amid Tight Competition

The 2025 Formula E Rookie Test in Berlin featured 22 drivers, including four women—Abbi Pulling, Ella Lloyd, Jamie Chadwick, and Bianca Bustamante—highlighting the series' efforts to increase female participation. While Pulling was the highest-ranked woman at 17th place, the overall grid was tightly packed within 1.550 seconds, underscoring the intense competition. Nissan's Gabriele Minì topped the timesheets, demonstrating strong pace throughout the test, while Pulling made notable progress in her rookie and simulator driver role. Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds expressed optimism about women returning to the grid soon, citing significant progress from zero women testers to 20 in the previous year's women's test and now four in the main rookie test. He emphasized that team decisions will depend on factors such as fan engagement and sponsorship, and though a female race driver may not appear immediately, the momentum toward gender diversity in Formula E is growing. This marks a continued push by the series to develop and showcase emerging talent in electric racing, including female drivers.