Zak O'Sullivan set the best time of the 2026 Miami Rookie Test for Envision Racing, with their simulator driver setting a lap time of 55.810s and almost a tenth clear of Théo Pourchaire in second for Citroën Racing.
The 40 minute session, which was specifically for rookies, saw 11 of the brightest motorsport stars take to the Miami International Autodrome circuit – a new circuit for Formula E.
Ahead of the traditional Free Practice 1 session held on Friday afternoon at 17:00 local, the session offers a great opportunity for new talents to experience the GEN3 Evo machinery as well as teams gaining more data from the track.
PREVIEW: Formula E heads to the Sunshine State for Round 3 in Miami
Drivers such as reigning DTM Champ Ayhancan Güven (Porsche), F1 Academy Champion Abbi Pulling (Nissan) and 2025 INDY NTX Champ Dennis Hauger (Andretti) took to the track for important time behind the wheel.
Full Rookie Line-Up
| Team | Rookie Driver |
| Porsche | Ayhancan Güven |
| Jaguar TCS Racing | Alessandro Giusti |
| Nissan | Abbi Pulling |
| Nissan | Gabriele Mini |
| Mahindra Racing | Chloe Chambers |
| DS PENSKE | Nikita Bedrin |
| Andretti | Dennis Hauger |
| Envision Racing | Zak O'Sullivan |
| Citroën Racing | Théo Pourchaire |
| CUPRA KIRO | Pepe Martí |
| Lola Yamaha ABT | Hugh Barter |
As it happened…
Once the session got underway, it wasn’t long before the drivers headed out onto the circuit. It might have been overcast but the rain stayed away, with the first laps all coming on under a minute around this 2.32km circuit.
Théo Pourchaire set the early benchmark with a 58.8s lap for the Citroën Racing team, but it didn’t take long for this to improve with full-time driver Pepe Martí going quickest after the first 10 minutes. The CUPRA KIRO driver is classified as a rookie until the end of the season, under new FIA Formula E regulations, and was certainly showing the rest of the grid how it was done early doors.
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As the rest of the full-time 19 drivers looked on from their garages, there was still lots to learn for our rookies. Alessandro Giusti managed to get just 0.145s off the time of Martí as the session reached its halfway point, with the French driver making the switch to Jaguar TCS Racing for this opportunity having previously tested with Lola Yamaha ABT.
Pourchaire was back on top, setting a 55.903s with 15 minutes left on the clock. Abbi Pulling of Nissan experienced a slight spin, getting on the kerbs towards the end of the lap when exploring the limits of this new Formula E circuit.
During the final moments, lots of 350 kWh laps were occurring with Envision Racing’s Zak O'Sullivan improving on his lap to go top of the times. The Brit snatched the best time in the final moments, with Pourchaire having to settle for second and Gabriele Mini third for Nissan. Martí was fourth, with Nikita Bedrin rounding out the top five.
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 Miami E-Prix, Round 3
After an action-packed start to Season 12, you haven't got long to wait until ABB Formula E returns to your screen, and this time, we're returning to The Magic City: Miami. We'll be visiting the Miami International Autodrome. US teams Andretti, CUPRA KIRO and DS PENSKE will be looking to put on a show for their home fans on Saturday 31 January 2026.
Free Practice 1: 17:00 local | 22:00 UTC | Friday 30 January
Free Practice 2: 07:30 local | 12:30 UTC | Saturday 31 January
Qualifying: 09:40 local | 14:40 UTC | Saturday 31 January
Race: 14:05 local | 19:05 UTC | Saturday 31 January
Find out more
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