Formula E graces the Miami International Autodrome (Hard Rock Stadium) street circuit this weekend, a first for the championship, as the venue previously only held F1 races.
The Miami E Prix used to take place at Homestead-Miami Speedway before a deal was reached last year with the F1 circuit.
The track will use one of the shorter Autodrome configurations optimised for Formula E’s cars.
Not only the current drivers will have to handle a new track, but so will eleven rookie drivers.
Rookie free practice is a 40-minute rookie-only Free Practice (FP0) for drivers who have never previously competed in a Formula E race.
(If you are familiar with the F1 rookie FP1 concept, the FE concept is much the same, with similar rules and loopholes.)
The rookie free practice concept was first run at the Rome E-Prix in 2023, then at Misano in 2024, and finally at Jeddah in 2025.
This year it takes place in Miami, on the third round of the 2025/26 Formula E season.
These sessions are distinct from the Rookie Test events, which are separate test days rather than part of a race weekend.
The official sporting regulations state that “one (1) occasion […] each Competitor must use at least one Rookie Driver … during the Rookie Free Practice of the Competition(s).” This effectively means one rookie outing per team per event.
A recent communication from the FIA confirmed that allowing a team to enter two drivers (one in each car) in the rookie session is optional, not mandatory.
CUPRA KIRO and Andretti can keep their current drivers, as Pepe Marti and Felipe Drugovich qualify as rookies under the rules despite having full-time FE contracts.
The rest are a mix of drivers, men and women, with different levels of experience:
Dennis Hauger for Andretti
Hauger has not driven a Formula E race car in an official session before, but he did take part in the Rookie Test in Berlin with Porsche. Miami will be his first FP0 in a GEN3 Evo as part of a race weekend. He currently races in IndyCar.
Théo Pourchaire for Citroen Racing
Miami FP0 will be Pourcharie’s first official Formula E practice on a race weekend (not just private test miles). He currently races in WEC and previously in IndyCar.
Ayhancan Güven for Porsche
Güven took part in the FE 2025 Berlin Rookie Test but hasn’t taken part in a practice session before. He recently raced in WEC.
Nikita Bedrin for DS PENSKE
Bedrin also took part in the Berlin Rookie Test last season, giving him track time in Formula E cars ahead of the Miami race. He currently races in GB3 (Formula 3 equivalent).
Abbi Pulling for Nissan
Pulling has already made multiple run-outs in GEN3 Evo machinery, including the Women’s Test days in Valencia in 2025 and the 2025 Berlin Rookie Test, so she has repeat exposure to Formula E cars. She currently races in GB3.
Hugh Barter for Lola Yamha ABT
Barter participated in last season’s Berlin Rookie Test and is a test and sim driver.
Pepe Martí for CUPRA KIRO
Although he’s raced in actual Gen3 events and scored points this season, Marti is classified as a rookie under the rules and will be doing his first dedicated rookie practice session.
Chloe Chambers for Mahindra Racing
Chambers saw success at the Women’s Test in Valencia as she posted the fastest time, but Miami will be her first FP0 session in a real Formula E weekend environment and her first run on an FE track in front of teams and data engineers. She recently raced in F1 Academy (Formula 4 equivalent)
Zak O’Sullivan for Envision Racing
O’Sullivan participated in the Jeddah rookie free practice session for Envision Racing and posted competitive times relative to other rookies. He also took part in the official Formula E rookie test in Berlin, giving him multiple run-outs in a Gen3 Evo car ahead of the Miami rookie session. He currently races in Super Formula
Gabrielle Mini for Nissan
Mini previously participated in the 2025 Berlin Rookie Test, where he topped both sessions and showed excellent pace. He currently races in Formula 2.
Alessandro Giusti for Jaguar TCS Racing
Similar to Mini, Giusti has previously driven a Formula E car at the 2025 Berlin Rookie Test. He currently races in Formula 3.
Image Credit: Simon Galloway/LAT Images/Formula E Media Bank
