Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Andretti have announced their duo for the all-women half-day test during Formula E pre-season testing at Valencia, which takes place from 4th to 7th November this year. The American team is all set to field the Campos duo of Chloe Chambers and Nerea Marti to drive the Andretti Gen3 Evo car at the Spanish racetrack.
Chambers is an Indiana native herself, and brings plenty of experience racing across other series to the table. Having raced in the erstwhile W Series back in 2022, she moved to sports car racing the following year, after the W Series was discontinued.
Chambers made history by becoming the first woman to take pole and win a race in the Formula Regional Oceania Championship, and dominated the 2023 Porsche Sprint Challenge North America, winning eight out of 12 races.
The American's hard work paid off, with Campos signing the 20-year-old as one of their three racers for the 2024 F1 Academy season. As part of the new rule requiring Formula One teams to sponsor atleast one driver in the series, Chambers was backed by Haas in her debut F1 Academy season.
Chambers has impressed in her maiden outing as an F1 Academy racer, scoring three podiums, including a victory during the Barcelona round of the season. She sits fourth in the championship with two rounds of the season still to be contested.
She will be racing in Red Bull Ford colours in 2025, having been nominated as the team's driver for next year's F1 Academy season. Chambers will be taking over from Emely De Heus, who currently drives under the Red Bull name this season.
Her Campos teammate Nerea Marti is an experienced campaigner, who currently races in the F1 Academy season with the Tommy Hilfiger livery. Having grown up only a half-hour from the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, she will turn her first laps of the track in a Formula E car during the test in November.
The Spanish racing driver moved up through the competitive karting ranks on her family’s track, before moving into the Spanish F4 Championship in 2019, and securing a podium in her first start.
Marti claimed fourth in the 2021 W Series standings, and gained an FIA Formula 3 test day as her prize. Currently competing in her second F1 Academy season, the 22-year-old has scored one win and nine podiums, including three in 2024, and currently sits fifth in the 2024 Drivers’ Championship standings.
Chambers and Marti become the latest female entrants into the Andretti fold, joining the likes of Indy NXT racer Jamie Chadwick, former IndyCar racer Danica Patrick, Extreme E racers Catie Munnings and former Andretti Autosport racer Simona de Silvestro. The latter even raced in Formula E's season two, becoming the first female racer to score points in the series.
Beitske Visser has also represented the American outfit as a test and reserve driver in season five, when she took part in the driver test at Diriyah in 2018.
Chambers and Martí will make their Formula E debut on Thursday, November 7, from 14:00 to 17:00 during the final session of the official pre-season event at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo in Valencia, Spain.
Chambers expressed her happiness at jumping behind the wheel of an Andretti Formula E machine, speaking of the success the team has experienced in Formula E:
"I'm thrilled to be joining the Andretti Formula E team in Valencia. It will be different for me, being my first experience in electric racing, but I'm excited to take on this new challenge and expand my horizons.
"The Andretti Formula E team has had great success in Formula E, and I'm glad to be learning from some of the best! As an American, it’s especially exciting to be working with such an iconic name in racing."
Marti expressed her delight to be a part of such an opportunity, speaking of special memories and her first taste of racing cars around the circuit:
"Getting behind the wheel of a Formula E car is an incredible opportunity. Formula E represents the future of racing, and I’m going to soak up every moment and learn as much as I can from the experience.
"The series is all about innovation and pushing boundaries, and as a female driver, it’s what I’ve been striving for throughout my career, so I’m thrilled to be part of it. It's very special that the test is taking place in Valencia, my hometown.
"Circuit Ricardo Tormo is where I got my first taste of racing, so I have some very special memories there. I’m focused on making the most of every lap and showing the Andretti Formula E team what I can do. I feel humbled by Andretti’s rich history, passion and dedication across all the series they compete in, and I couldn’t have dreamed of wearing better colors. I’m ready to give it everything I’ve got."
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