Sophia Flörsch has become the first driver to be announced as joining Formula E’s newest team, Opel, ahead of its debut in the all electric racing series in the 2026/27 season. The twenty-five year old German has signed on as a test and development driver for the team.

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“Formula E is currently the toughest racing series in the world – and that’s exactly where Opel and I are now competing together…The fact that a brand with 125 years of motorsport DNA is now taking the step into a world championship is impressive. As a German driver, being part of this factory team is more than a privilege for me.” - Sophia Flörsch

Sophia will make her first public appearance on April 21 and 22, when the new Gen4 cars of the all-electric series will be officially presented in France. She is then expected to get her first laps in the Stellantis Gen4 development car at the launch event. The Opel GSE Formula E team will be front and centre at the event too.

While yet to be confirmed, it appears that Opel are targeting Mitch Evans and Theo Pourchaire to be their full time drivers for their first season in Formula E. Sophia’s addition as a test and development driver makes her the sixth female driver to be associated with a Formula E team in 2026. The news also comes after a recent rookie test session for Formula E in Madrid that all five of those drivers take to the track.

“Her precise technical feedback, as well as her analytical way of working in the simulator and on the track, will play an essential role in the further development of our Gen4 package. At the same time, her fresh approach fits perfectly with our ‘OMG! GSE campaign’, with which we present the emotional side of our all-electric high-performance models. We combine targeted talent promotion with high sporting standards and thus strengthen the visibility of a new generation in motorsport that combines sporting performance with public presence.” - Jörg Schrott, Opel Team Principal

Sophia was previously meant to make her Formula E debut back in 2018 in Saudi Arabia but injuries sustained during the Macau Grand Prix prevented her from doing so. In 2024, she was meant to be on track again with Formula E for the all female test in Valencia, only for it to be called off because of the floods in the region at the time. It would appear that the third time is now the charm for Flörsch. Hopefully her inclusion in a brand new team, combined with the presence of the other female test and development drivers in Formula E means it won’t be long now before we see a female driver in a full time race seat in the series.

Prior to Formula E, Sophia has competed in a vast array of motorsport series, including DTM, Indy NXT, the Macau Grand Prix, the European Le Mans Series and remains the last full time female driver in Formula 3.

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Formula E returns May 2nd in Berlin, Germany.

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Earlier this year, it was announced that there would be another Formula E rookie test session - this time in Madrid, Spain at the Jarama Circuit. Of the twenty drivers selected to participate, four were women. With both the latest race weekend and the test sessions themselves in the rear view mirror, let’s take a look at how those four drivers fared.

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Pulling sets the early Pace

As the morning session got underway, it was Abbi Pulling who set the benchmark time in the opening minutes. Those keeping a close eye on Pulling’s time in Formula E so far will know that she’d visited this particular track before - having participated in the inaugural Women’s Test in 2024.

By the end of the morning session, Pulling had put in a time worthy of P8 out of the twenty drivers participating. The British driver remained consistent throughout the afternoon session too, finishing in a respectable P9 overall, 1.4 seconds off the best lap time set by Nikita Bedrin for DS Penske.

Gaining More Experience

One of the other three female drivers at this test was Bianca Bustamante. This wasn’t Bustamante’s first time in Jarama as the Filipino took part in last year’s all women test session at the Spanish circuit.

But Bianca struggled primarily with managing the traffic out on track during the morning session. It’s not the most surprising issue to have in a session filled with drivers that don’t know when their next opportunity to test a Formula E car will be. She finished that first session in P16 overall and the second in P17.

“I had the amazing, lovely, lovely chance of, yeah, getting behind the wheel

again in Valencia, Spain, which honestly, I’m not gonna lie, it’s probably the toughest it’s ever felt physically.” - Bianca Bustamante

Ella Lloyd hit the track for Envision Racing, finishing in P17 and P18 in both sessions respectively. Juju Noda made her second appearance for Jaguar TCS Racing, having also participated in the all female test at the tail end of last year. The Japanese driver finished in P18 and P19 across the two test sessions.

“Being part of this incredible team is something truly special, and I’m thankful for every lap, every lesson, and this amazing opportunity. It only makes me more motivated to get back behind the wheel of the I-Type 7, keep pushing, and come back even stronger.” - Juju Noda

But there was more to the lap times than met the eye. While Saturday’s race day for Formula E was held in mixed conditions - and therefore goes some of the way to explaining the massive gap in lap times set by the full drivers when compared to the rookies in the latter’s favour, Free Practice was held the previous day and, like Sunday’s rookie test, in dry conditions. 1:29.403 was the fastest lap time set in that session. Bedrin’s quickest time from the rookie test for comparison was 1:29.250. So while, Pulling, Bustamante, Lloyd and Noda were not at the top of the time sheets the lap times they set were not as far off the pace set by the full time drivers as some might think, especially when the full complement of full time drivers and their lap times from Free Practice are taken into account.

Moreover, the times set at Jarama back in October during the all women’s test are also worthy of note. On that occasion, Chloe Chambers set a fastest lap time of 1:22.767. With the five other drivers making up the top six in that session all within a second of her lap time as well as the slowest driver still setting a lap time quicker than those set by Bedrin and the full time drivers this weekend, it becomes something worthy of a more in depth look in the near future - particularly when last year’s rookie test session in Berlin is taken into account too.

Nerea Marti Returns to Formula E

There was a bonus driver out on track too over the course of the Madrid race weekend in the form of home hero Nerea Marti. The Spaniard is an ambassador for the Andretti team and as part of her duties, she got to take the Gen3 Evo car out onto the Jarama Circuit for a demo run. Check it out below.

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There is more to delve into regarding this test session, especially when taken into the larger context of Formula E and other test sessions of a similar notion that have been held in recent times. But one thing is certain. These rookies tests are vital for ensuring that the best fresh talent rises to the top. Motorsport is always about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, taking chances and being bold. For Formula E, that’s always been something embedded in their DNA.

Love it or hate it, it’s a series that isn’t afraid to try new things and when that approach is combined with these four female drivers showing up consistently and performing, with a fraction of the experience and opportunities available to those around them, the question has to be asked of when we are going to get to see one of them in a full time race seat in Formula E. Their presence in these sessions alone removes the idea of if from the equation - and forces everyone to accept that it has to be a matter of when. Hopefully that means it’ll be sooner rather than later. These tests are just the start.

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More female drivers have been taking part in these rookie practice sessions, too, a welcome occurrence that builds upon the separately held all-women’s test sessions. What’s more, the venues for these sessions keep changing, with previous editions being held in Miami and Berlin, for example. The variety of locations is naturally beneficial to these rookie drivers as they get to better understand circuits that they may have only ever experienced on the team’s simulator. Hopefully, these up-and-coming drivers can gain enough experience to warrant their teams looking to sign them full-time for a season of Formula E in the near future.

Let’s take a look at the women driving in this latest rookie test session at Circuito del Jarama in Madrid.

Bianca Bustamante - Cupra Kiro

In 2025, Bianca was signed as a development driver for Cupra Kiro in Formula E. As a result, the Filipino driver has already gotten the chance to take the car out on multiple occasions. The first of these came just after the team’s race weekend in Berlin. Her next opportunity then came at the Formula E Women’s test in Valencia towards the end of last year. Bianca finished in P3 overall in that session.

The Madrid test will now be Bustamante’s third outing for the Cupra Kiro team and at her third different venue to boot. Bianca becoming more accustomed to street circuits will have multiple benefits for her future too. Getting to grips with different circuit types not only strengthens her overall racecraft but further highlights her worth for a possible full time future in Formula E or a series like Indy NXT in the U.S where racing on street circuits is the norm.

Ella Lloyd - Envision Racing

Ella Lloyd made her Formula E debut back in November 2024, alongside Bianca Bustamante, at the all women’s test in Jarama. She finished the session in a respectable seventh place on that outing. Her next chance to test Formula E machinery came in Berlin in July last year which was then followed by another appearance at the all women’s test in Valencia. On that occasion, she finished in fifth place overall.

With McLaren now having departed Formula E, Ella has made the switch to Envision Racing, for whom she’ll drive for in Madrid.

Juju Noda - Jaguar TCS Racing

Hailing from Japan, Juju has already had one bite of the Formula E apple, back in 2025 at the all women’s test in Valencia. She finished in P9 overall, ahead of drivers such as Marta Garcia and Jessica Edgar.

Away from Formula E, Juju began karting back when she was just three years old. In 2023, she won the F2000 Italian Formula Trophy and in 2024, she made history by becoming the first Japanese woman to race in Super Formula - a series she is set to return to in 2026.

Abbi Pulling - Nissan Formula E Team

Another of the latest wave of female drivers to step into Formula E, Abbi Pulling has already participated in two of the women’s tests held by the all-electric Championship. In Valencia, she was just 0.004 seconds behind Chloe Chambers - the driver who topped the time sheets on that occasion. Bianca Bustamante was 0.770 seconds behind Chambers in third.

These opportunities fell under Pulling’s purview as both a rookie and simulator driver for the Nissan Formula E Team. Back in Miami in January, Abbi also took part in the rookie practice session held there as she got to grips with the latest evolution of the Formula E car.

Nerea Marti - Andretti Ambassador

Like Lloyd, Nerea Marti got her first taste of Formula E back in 2024 in Jarama. She tested for Andretti alongside Chloe Chambers - who has since switched allegiances to Mahindra. She finished in P13 at the end of that test and would return to the driver’s seat a year later at the all women’s test in Valencia where she finished in P8 overall.

While not driving in the Madrid rookie test, Nerea will be present throughout the weekend. This is due to the recent news of her becoming an ambassador for the Andretti Team, a role Marti is happy to take on.

“My role as an ambassador is about representing the Andretti name and its values at Formula E circuits around the world. It’s about connecting with fans, bringing them closer to the team and the Championship while helping share what makes Formula E and Andretti so special. I see it as being a link between the team and the fans, especially in key markets, while continuing to contribute from a performance perspective.” - Nerea Marti

Calderón & FIA Girls on Track

The rookie test this weekend also comes after a demonstration run held in Madrid that saw Tatiana Calderón jump back into Formula E machinery. This proved to be the perfect way to invigorate the locals ahead of the race weekend and hopefully means that this won’t be the last time that we get to see Calderón in Formula E this year. The Colombian driver was previously a test driver for DS Techeetah back in the 2018-19 season. Last year, she joined Lola Yamaha ABT for the rookie test session held in Jeddah before switching to Citroen for the all-women’s test at the tail end of the year, where she finished in P7 overall.

Elsewhere at the circuit this weekend, the FIA Girls on Track initiative returns to Formula E. As part of its running this time around, they will be hosting up to 120 young women for it for its programme across the race weekend. Those in attendance will be able to take part in activities such as workshops, gaming, career talks and a Pit Lane Walk.

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