Ahead of next Monday’s Formula E Rookie Test, the Nissan Formula E Team have announced that Formula 2 driver and reigning Formula 3 World Champion Victor Martins will be driving for the Japanese manufacturer at the Tempelhof Street Circuit, Berlin.
The test will take place the day after the eighth round of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with next weekend’s Berlin E-Prix being a double-header. Also completing the Rookie Test for Nissan is F2 race winner Luca Ghiotto, who left the junior category last season.
Martins is, of course, a member of the Alpine Driver Academy and is certainly a real star of the future. The Frenchman has made an electric start to his debut season in F2, with the ART Grand Prix driver having already claimed a pole position and two podiums.
The Rookie Test will offer Martins a great opportunity to experience a different series and learn a “different style of driving”, with the young Frenchman viewing Formula E as a “very attractive series”.
“It’s a huge honor to be selected for the Rookie Test with Nissan Formula E. The team has a close relationship with the Alpine Academy, which I’m a part of, and it’s a great chance for me to experience a Formula E car for the first time. I’ve already been in the simulator and found it really interesting, there’s a lot to learn and I have to use a different style of driving.
“Formula E is a very attractive series, it’s extremely competitive and complex, so I’m excited to get going. Opportunities like this don’t come up too often, and I’ll look to make the most of it and learn as much as I can from the team and my time on track.”
Ghiotto is equally “excited” to be actually getting behind the wheel of the Nissan e-4ORCE 04, with the Italian having been Nissan’s simulator driver since the start of Season Nine. Whilst he hasn’t raced yet this season, Ghiotto is a very decorated F2 driver, with the Italian having claimed six victories in the junior series.
Given that he is Nissan’s simulator driver it will be extremely beneficial to the team and to Ghiotto for him to actually drive the car, with it set to have a positive impact on his simulator work after the test.
“I’m really excited to be part of the Nissan Formula E Team, in such an incredible championship,” said Ghiotto. “Nissan is a massive brand, which makes this even more special. I can’t wait to feel a Formula E car in real life for the first time. My job as simulator driver is to help the team by testing different settings and programs, as the on-track time in Formula E is quite limited, meaning our data from the simulator can be really important during race weekends.
“The Rookie Test will definitely aid my work at the factory, as I’ll have a reference and understanding of how the real car feels. So, on top of it being an exciting opportunity for me, it will also help for the next time I’m in the virtual world. The Berlin track looks really fun, I’ve driven it on the simulator and I’m looking forward to getting out there and experiencing it.”
Above: Luca Ghiotto – Credit: FIA Formula 2
Team Principal Tommaso Volpe is “really pleased” with the team’s line-up for the rookie test and is especially pleased to offer Martins the opportunity to drive a Gen3 car, with the Rookie Test being all about “attracting rising stars like him”.
“We’re really pleased to have Luca on board, he’s been working in the simulator since the beginning of the season so it made sense to give him an opportunity in the car. This will be valuable for the team as the test will benefit Luca in the simulator and give him plenty of experience to help us develop our performance. Victor is a young and promising driver and we’re pleased to be using our connections with the Alpine Academy and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance.
“It’s great for the championship to be attracting rising stars like him – he’s making his F2 debut this year and is showing strong signs, so it was a natural choice for us to offer him a chance in the Nissan e-4ORCE 04.”
Credit: Andrew Ferraro courtesy of FIA Formula E