Hauger joining Formula E rookie practice in Miami

New Dale Coyne Racing IndyCar signing Dennis Hauger will be one of 10 of drivers taking part in the Rookie Free Practice Session at next week's Miami E-Prix. 

The 40-minute session, dubbed "FP0" is a mandatory exercise for every Formula E team, with each needing to field one driver. It has previously taken place ahead of the Jeddah E-Prix (2025), the Misano E-Prix (2024), and the Rome E-Prix (2023).

Hauger will drive for Andretti in the session, having raced for the team in his Indy NXT title-winning campaign last year. He previously took part in the 2024 Rookie Test in Berlin for Porsche’s factory team, but his outing in Miami with customer team Andretti will be his first outing in a GEN3 Evo machine. 

While he isn’t expected to be racing in Formula E any time soon, Hauger expects the experience to be beneficial.

“As a racing driver, being offered the opportunity to get an experience like this is always positive,” he said. “Trying different cars, learning new technology and adapting to unique challenges always makes you a more well-rounded driver. Formula E is fascinating in particular because of the emphasis on energy management and efficiency – skills that are becoming increasingly more relevant across motorsport hybridization across many different series. 

“Every time you get behind the wheel of something new, you gain knowledge that you can take away and help shape you into a better driver. To experience the GEN3 Evo package at the team’s home race makes it even more special.”

Hauger will be joined by DTM champion Ayhancan Güven, who will be driving for Porsche again after running for the German outfit in the Rookie Test in Berlin last year.
“Ayhancan impressed us in Berlin – not only because he was second fastest at the end of the test day,” said Florian Modlinger, Porsche’s director of factory motorsport for Formula E. “He comes from the Porsche Junior program, so we already knew him well. At the same time, he had never driven a single-seater before. 

“Expectations were moderate, but Ayhancan clearly exceeded them. The fact that he is also a sim racer can be an advantage in Formula E, as we carry out a lot of test and development work in the simulator. We were also impressed by the mindset with which he won the DTM title.”

Following her impressive showing in the Women’s Test in Valencia ahead of the season, where she set the fastest time of the day, F1 Academy race winner Chloe Chambers will once again drive for Mahindra in what will be her first time driving a Formula E car on home soil.

American outfit DS Penske will once again give seat time to Nikita Bedrin, who drove for the team in Berlin last summer, while its fellow Stellantis team, Citroen Racing will field 2023 Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire, who drove for the team in its previous guise as Maserati MSG Racing in Jeddah and Berlin last season.

“I’m really happy to be returning to Formula E for the rookie test in Miami, and I can’t wait to take on another new track,” said the six-time IndyCar starter. “The last time I drove the car was in Berlin in 2025, so it has been a little while, but I’ll be doing extensive simulator work with the team to make sure I’m as prepared as possible for the session.

"The Hard Rock Stadium circuit is new for everyone, so I’m looking forward to contributing to the team’s preparation and learning as much as I can in this unique environment.”

Interestingly, Cupra Kiro will use the opportunity to field its regular race driver Pepe Marti. Despite already contesting the opening two rounds of the current season – scoring points with a seventh-place finish in Mexico City despite starting front he back of the field and contending with a 10-second stop-and-go-penalty for his crash at the Sao Paulo E-Prix in December – he is still regarded as a rookie until the end of the present campaign, allowing him to take part.

“It’s good to be doing FP0 in Miami,” Marti said. “Following Sao Paulo where we missed FP1 and Mexico City where we missed FP2 due to a technical issue, having FP1 and FP2 alongside FP0 should set us up very well for the weekend. For me personally, it’s very exciting to be one of the first drivers to experience the track in a live session, and I’m looking forward to getting the season started again.”

Nissan, Jaguar TCS Racing, Envision Racing and Lola Yamaha Abt will announce their rookie drivers in the coming days.