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TESTING WRAP: What we learnt in Valencia ahead of Season 12

FEATURE 31 Oct 2025 4 Mins

Pre-season testing is complete at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, with plenty of storylines developing over the four day test for our grid of 20 drivers.

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Feature by Katy Fairman

Just like that the official Formula E pre-season test comes to a close for another year. Six sessions, 18 hours of track time and 5,474 laps completed. All 20 full-time drivers got a chance to familarise themselves with their Gen3 Evos around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, with lots of learnings coming out of the four-day test.

Although testing might not be totally reflective of the pace when we get ready to race in São Paulo, it is still a good indicator about how the season could unfold.

These are five takeaways from Season 12 of pre-season testing.

Mahindra making big moves

After securing five podiums in Season 11, Mahindra Racing have set a solid benchmark and are hoping the only way is up. With their last race win in 2021, thanks to Alex Lynn at the London E-Prix, the team appear confident that fans will be hearing the Indian national anthem on the top step of the podium soon.

Both Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara have been quick this week, with the Swiss-Italian Mortara topping two of the sessions. He also took the top spot in the unofficial simulated race on Tuesday afternoon, but either way the team appear to be in a good space going into the new season.

Between the two drivers, they managed to complete 533 laps and Mortara set the best time of the test with a 1m21.493s on the second day.

New kids on the block

Although Pepe Martí is the only driver racing this season that’s never stepped foot in a Formula E car before, there are some newer faces on the grid this year.

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Formula 2 Champion Felipe Drugovich makes his return to single-seaters full time, racing with Andretti alongside former champion Jake Dennis. It’s not Drugovich’s debut, with the Brazilian previously participating in rookie tests as well as stepping in for two races in Berlin last year for the Mahindra squad. It was also a test with a lot of time in the car for Drugovich, as he recorded 293 laps, just one less than Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) who did the most.

Joel Eriksson is also back, but has 10 Formula E race starts under his belt. He’s not exactly a rookie, but this will be his first full-time season as he races for Envision Racing as teammate to Sebastien Buemi. These cars are very different to what the Swede has driven before, so it will be quite the change for him despite his experience.

Martí was the highest placed newbie, finishing just outside the top 10 in the overall times. He seems to have really settled in well with the CUPRA KIRO gang, and will definitely be one to watch this season.

Record-breaking lap times

When we last tested in Valencia ahead of Season 10, we were still using the GEN3 car. Since then we’ve upgraded to the GEN3 Evo, our most technically advanced and fastest car yet. Not only is it the quickest accelerating FIA single-seater race car, capable of 0-60mph in 1.82 seconds, it’s also faster, stronger, more agile than the machines that have come before it.

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With the help of all-wheel drive at critical moments, like the race start or when activating ATTACK MODE, and grippier Hankook type compounds, it’s no surprise that the times were much quicker this season.

The times were quicker almost immediately thanks to these new cars, with the best from 2023 being a 1m24.474s from the Jaguar TCS Racing of Mitch Evans. This time around, it was Mortara who shot to the top spot with a 1m21.493s – almost three seconds quicker.

New season, new team…

Several drivers have had a change of scenery coming into Season 12, with lots of big names making even bigger moves.

Some of the most notable include Nick Cassidy’s move to Citroën Racing, as well as Antonio Felix da Costa joining Jaguar TCS Racing. Taylor Barnard has also made the move to DS PENSKE, with Nico Müller now at Porsche.

Between them, Barnard set the best time with his new STELLANTIS powertrain to go third overall. The young Brit looks at home already in his new team, and set a time just 0.007s off Mortara’s best for the week. After that the next best was Cassidy, who has made the swap from the Jaguar works team to Citroën as the iconic French manufacturer makes their debut in single-seater racing through Formula E.

Nissan top both sessions of the final day

The chequered flag was shown for the final time on Thursday afternoon, as another year of testing comes to an end. It was Nissan who made the headlines though, with Norman Nato quickest in the morning and reigning champ Oliver Rowland best of the rest in the sixth and final session.

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Both drivers were in the top five of the overall classification, with Mahindra racing also managing this feat. Although it’s testing, it will still be a good indication of pace and reliability, and undoubtedly Rowland will want to make it back-to-back titles in 2026.