Formula E made history on Friday as the championship ran its all-female drivers test at the Jarama Circuit in Madrid.
The session marked the conclusion of a four-day pre-season test as the drivers and teams get to grips with the new Gen3 Evo car.
The evolution to the Gen3 spec will be the fastest car in Formula E history and the fastest accelerating car in an FIA-governed championship, capable of 0-60mph in just 1.82 seconds.
Mitch Evans set the fastest time of testing in the final session on Friday for Jaguar. The Kiwi driver missed out on the Season 10 title by six points to Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein.
Following that outing on Friday, the women’s test got underway in the afternoon, with 18 drivers taking to the track. Among them was British driver Alisha Palmowski, who was driving with Envision Racing alongside Alice Powell.
Alisha Palmowski makes ‘daunting’ step up to Formula E with Envision Racing
The 18-year-old is slowly making her way up the junior ranks with some impressive results. Palmowski finished fifth in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2023 with 10 podiums.
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The Brit competed in the GB4 Championship this season and claimed three wins and 10 podiums across the year. She finished runner-up to Swedish driver Linus Granfors by 45 points.
Speaking with talkSPORT Driving ahead of the women’s test, Palmowski expresses her excitement to drive a Gen3 Evo car in what is a ‘daunting’ step up for the teenager.
“I’m super, super excited. It’s such a huge opportunity for me, a little bit daunting as well to be totally honest,” she said.
“It’s a huge, huge step up. Driving in the GB4 series this year, it’s effectively a Formula 4 car, so driving this new Formula E Gen3 Evo, it’s a big step up.
“It’s a lot different, it’s a lot faster to anything I’ve previously experienced. Very different driving style and technique needed, but I’m just really looking forward to learning. It’s a huge learning curve for me, a huge learning experience and just can’t wait to get started.”
Abbi Pulling set the fastest time in the Formula E women’s test
It was not a smooth session for Palmowski in Madrid as she missed the first hour due to issues with her car. Envision driver Sebastien Buemi also encountered issues in Madrid that hampered his testing on the first day.
Palmowski eventually got out on track and completed 24 laps of the Jarama Circuit in what was a valuable outing in what is new and advanced machinery for her.
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F1 Academy championship leader Abbi Pulling topped the session with a time of 1:30:8 with Nissan. The Alpine Academy driver can secure the title in the all-female series at the next round in Qatar, as she holds a 95-point lead over Doriane Pin.
Jamie Chadwick was three tenths behind in second for Jaguar, while Bianca Bustamante locked out the top three for McLaren.