Minì masters Berlin: Nissan rookie tops both 2025 Formula E Test sessions

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Gabriele Minì showed his pace at the 2025 Formula E Rookie Test in Berlin, topping both the morning and afternoon sessions for Nissan. The Italian driver’s early pace was unmatched, with a 57.643s lap set midway through the morning session as conditions turned dry, warm, and sunny at Tempelhof. It proved faster than any time recorded over the race weekend.

Over 1,100 laps were logged across the three-hour session, as teams and drivers pushed through intensive development plans. Minì led a tightly packed field, with just two seconds covering all 22 runners by the chequered flag.

Maini and Crawford keep pressure on in the morning

Kush Maini impressed once again, ending the morning session in second for Mahindra. The first Indian driver to win in Formula 2 continues to thrive in electric machinery, following his headline-grabbing run during the Jeddah Rookie Free Practice.

American Jack Crawford, a fellow F2 race winner, secured third for Andretti with a late flyer at the end of the morning stint. Maserati MSG Racing’s Théo Pourchaire – the reigning F2 champion – claimed fourth, echoing his result in Jeddah earlier this season.

Dino Beganovic, representing Mahindra, and Maserati’s Arthur Leclerc rounded out the top six. Leclerc’s return to Formula E marked his first drive since testing with Venturi during the GEN2 era back in 2019.

Youngest driver makes history

German teenager Elia Weiss became the youngest person to take part in an official Formula E session. The Porsche rookie completed 46 laps on his debut and gathered crucial experience, even if he finished 21st in the order.

Meanwhile, a trio of British female drivers added more diversity to the test. Abbi Pulling – who topped the all-women’s Formula E test in Madrid last year – was joined by Jamie Chadwick and Ella Lloyd. All three completed over 150 laps combined, finishing the morning in 17th, 18th and 20th respectively while tackling detailed development programmes.

Minì shines again in the afternoon

Mini backed up his morning performance with an even quicker time in the afternoon, posting a 57.428s lap to once again top the standings. The time was two tenths faster than his morning benchmark, as Nissan continued to make the most of the session.

The field remained tightly bunched, with only 1.5 seconds separating all 22 drivers. Porsche’s Ayhancan Güven was just 0.226s behind Mini in second, delivering an eye-catching debut for the German squad.

Maini maintained his strong form by taking third again in the afternoon, while Britain’s Callum Voisin finished fourth for CUPRA KIRO. NEOM McLaren’s Alex Dunne—fresh from his Formula 1 Free Practice debut in Austria—slotted into fifth. Crawford completed the top six for Andretti.

Takeaways from Tempelhof

The day saw competitive lap times and promising performances across the board. With teams clocking thousands of kilometres and gathering reams of data, the Berlin Rookie Test highlighted the depth of upcoming talent and gave teams vital insights into their development work with the GEN3 Evo car.

From Mini’s commanding pace to historic rookie appearances and the narrowest of time gaps, the 2025 Berlin Rookie Test underlined Formula E’s commitment to fostering the next generation of motorsport stars.