Nerea Martí: "Last year we were in Madrid for the test and this time it'll be even more special because it's at home"

Nerea Martí has reunited with Andretti Global to represent the Andretti Formula E team for the second time at the ABB FIA Formula E Women’s Test this week. Martí will take to the track in the Andretti Porsche 99X Electric this time, driving at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Credit - Andretti Global

Valencian native Martí has a strong reputation in motorsport, finishing fourth overall in the 2023 and 2024 F1 Academy season and earning multiple podiums. The 23-year-old had success in W Series, where she was the highest-ranked rookie in 2021. She has also tested in an FIA Formula 3 car and competed in the F4 Spanish Championship.

“I’m really excited to be competing with Andretti again in Valencia,” she tells Females in Motorsport. “Last year, we were in Madrid for the test and this time it will be even more special because it's at home.

“Our goals for the test are just to keep learning and enjoy it as much as possible. Last year, I learnt a lot, and I was improving a lot during the test, but we did just the session in the morning; this time we have all day, with a session in the morning and also in the afternoon.

“I think it will be nice to have more time on track. I learnt a lot the last time in Madrid. I already have a feel for the car and I understand how the team works, how they work together, including engineers, mechanics, and everyone. Also, the drivers are driving before us, so it will be nice to have them for reference and they will also be there while I am driving. I will take in as much information as possible from the beginning of the test and try to keep learning. Because in the end, there is a lot of information.”

Photo Credit - Andretti Global

This year, Martí competed in the Supercars Endurance Series - GT4 Pro with BMW España Motorsport, winning two races, including one around the Circuit Ricardo Tormo. She is currently ranked third in the series with four races to go. She has also competed in the UIM E1 World Championship, meaning she hasn’t driven a Formula car in the past year.

“I haven’t driven Formula, so it will be nice to be back in Formula E and try and do my best,” she says. “Formula E is completely different. I’m also now doing GT4 and E1 series with boats on the water, so many different things. But in the end, Formula E is the thing that I feel the most, it’s an electric car, it's so different in terms of procedures, different lines, breaking, everything is changing a lot, but we have already tested a bit on the simulator and I have been working with the engineers.”

Photo Credit - Nerea Martí

After winning in GT4 around Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Martí says that it’s always special to win at home and even more so with BMW España Motorsport teammate José Manuel de los Milagros, after she struggled at the beginning of the year. She has progressed quickly, also winning in Jarama. She explained that the GT4 circuit had a different layout from the Formula E test, but it was good to drive around the track, as it had been a long time since she had driven there.

“I’m always doing my physical sessions like training,” she says. “I’m preparing on the simulator as much as possible, but in the end, it’s difficult to do more because the best thing is to have more time on track, which is impossible now. Physical and mental health are very important, and this year I’m paying more attention to them. I’m trying to be more prepared for the test.”

Photo Credit - Iberian Supercars

Martí thinks it's just a matter of time before we see another woman on the Formula E grid. 

“I think we are doing a really good job,” she says. “Everyone is pushing a lot to be at the top. I think the easiest time to prepare is from the beginning. I think I started late. But it’s fine because I think we have opened the opportunities for the girls who are now coming up. I don’t want to say I’m old, for sure. I want the chance to have it in my life. So I would love to be competing in Formula E, but it’s just a matter of time. I think they are waiting for a girl who can be 100% prepared to do it all, all season. So, let’s see, maybe we can do it in the future. You never know. I will prepare for sure.

“I’m really excited to be with the team. When it’s Andretti, they have everything behind them. I will keep pushing to try to help as much as possible. For example, we have a team here in Valencia, like a karting team. And I have some girls at the school. So I tried to tell them everything I had learnt over the years. But I’m really excited because they are taking me as a reference. So it’s really nice to see, they study, talk and look at everything and are learning everything.”

Photo Credit - F1 Academy Limited

Formula E Women’s Test

The women’s test has been modified from last year, with a full day of testing divided into a three-hour morning and a three-hour afternoon session. Up to 20 elite women drivers can take to the track, with all ten current teams represented. 

Each driver will run the current GEN3 Eco, the same car raced by the current Formula E drivers.

The women participating in the women’s test are: 

• Abbi Pulling

• Janina Schall

• Jamie Chadwick

• Chloe Chambers

• Juju Noda

• Gabriela Jilkova

• Marta Garcia

• Jessica Edgar

• Lindsay Marie Brewer

• Nerea Martí

• Alice Powell

• Ella Lloyd

• Tatiana Calderon

• Bianca Bustamante

As a result of last year’s test, five women went on to secure team roles and three moved into permanent ongoing positions within Formula E teams.

Photo Credit - ABB FIA Formula E