Abbi Pulling and Gabriele Minì will be back in action for Nissan Formula E Team in the upcoming FIA Formula E Rookie Test. The pair will return to the wheel of the Nissan e-4ORCE 05 on Monday 14 July at Berlin’s Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit.
Reigning F1 Academy champion Pulling impressed by finishing top of the timesheets at the all-women’s session in Jarama last November. This will be her first on-track appearance with the Japanese outfit in her new role as Nissan Formula E Team’s rookie and simulator driver. The British racer is currently competing in GB3 Championship, where she scored a strong fifth on debut at Silverstone.
In addition, Minì returns to the squad for a third time thanks to Nissan Formula E Team’s collaboration with Alpine Racing. The Italian driver will be looking to develop the skills he learned in his previous two outings in a Formula E car, having taken a top-10 finish in last year’s Berlin Rookie Test, before securing an impressive second in FP0 in Jeddah. Minì has enjoyed a solid debut FIA Formula 2 campaign so far, earning a podium finish in the Monaco Sprint Race.
The pair will take on two sessions at the 2.343-kilometre circuit, which features 15 corners and runs anti-clockwise. Drivers’ tire management will be tested by the famously abrasive surface, which will add another level of difficulty for the rookies.
On-track action begins at 09:00 local time (UTC+2) before the checkered flag at 12:00. Testing resumes with the second three-hour session at 13:00, running until 16:00.
Tommaso Volpe, managing director and team principal, Nissan Formula E Team: “We’re very happy to have Abbi and Gabriele with us for the Berlin rookie test this year. It will be Abbi’s first on-track action since joining us as our rookie and simulator driver, and we’re happy to welcome Gabriele again thanks to our close collaboration with Alpine Racing. We’ve worked with them separately in the past with a lot of success, so it will be great to see them teaming up for this test. They’re both very talented drivers and for us it is great to have continuity with our rookies, so they can keep developing at the same time as doing a better job for the team every time.”
Abbi Pulling, rookie and simulator driver, Nissan Formula E Team: “I’m really excited to get out on track and to work with the team again. I’ve driven street circuits before but never in such a high-powered car, so it will be an amazing opportunity. Berlin looks like a fun track – Gabriele has been there with the team before, so it will be interesting to work with him and get up to speed from his previous experience. I’ll be there for the race weekend prior to the test as well, so my goal is mainly to pick up as much information as possible, improve my understanding of the car, and make the most of the experience for both the team and myself.”
Gabriele Minì: “It’s great to be back, I’ve enjoyed my two previous outings with the team, so I’m delighted to work with them again. It’s a track I know well, having driven there in the Rookie Test last year. I also had the chance to drive the GEN3 Evo in the FP0 session in Jeddah, with the 350kW power mode, new tires, and all-wheel drive, so I will be aiming to put these two experiences together. My main goal is to keep learning and to help the team complete its program for the day, like we did in Jeddah, while also showing my pace.”
