Maserati MSG Racing have announced that reigning Formula 2 World Champion and current Aston Martin Aramco Cognizant Formula One Team reserve driver Felipe Drugovich will complete next Monday’s Rookie Test for the Monte-Carlo-based team, alongside seventeen-year-old Formula 3 driver Hugh Barter at the Tempelhof Street Circuit.
Next Monday will see the first Formula E Rookie Test since 2020, with it set to take place a day after the eighth round of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Maserati certainly have an exciting lineup for the test, with Drugovich at one point having looked likely to make his full Formula 1 debut. Drugovich completed pre-season testing for Aston Martin after Lance Stroll was ruled-out through injury; however, the Canadian returned for the season-opener.
Drugovich is certainly a very talented driver who demonstrated his speed last season, where he claimed the F2 title relatively comfortably. The Brazilian “can’t wait” for the test and is intrigued to discover how different the Gen3 car feels to Aston Martin’s AMR23, with that being what he’s used to.
“I can’t wait to get my first taste of the Maserati Tipo Folgore and Gen3 Formula E in Berlin. Formula E is a category that has always fascinated me, and it will be intriguing to experience the differences of a fully-electric car in comparison to the single-seaters I’ve raced in recent seasons. Knowing that I will be playing an active role in the development of such an iconic brand, in its first season back in World Championship motorsport, is a huge honour. I’m very excited.”
Whilst Drugovich has somewhat completed his junior and stay in the junior ranks, Barter is very much at the start of his journey. The young Australian-Japanese driver finished second in the Spanish F4 Championship last season before making the switch to F3 this year, where he competes for Campos Racing.
Barter is yet to claim a points finish but he’s certainly a driver with real potential, with Maserati clearly seeing something very exciting in him. The F3 youngster is incredibly grateful for the opportunity and is expecting it to be an “invaluable learning experience” for him, especially at such a young age.
“I would like to thank Maserati MSG Racing for giving me the opportunity to experience Formula E for the very first time. I’ve really enjoyed my experience in the sim so far and I can’t wait to get out on the track in Berlin. Working closely with James, Edo and Max will be an invaluable learning experience for me, especially at this stage of my career.”
Maserati Team Principal James Rossiter is “delighted” to welcome both drivers into the team for the Rookie Test in Berlin and is excited to offer “the next generation of racing talent” a chance to get behind the wheel of an all-electric single-seater, an opportunity that very few drivers have had.
“We’re delighted to welcome Felipe [Drugovich] and Hugh [Barter] to the team for our rookie test in Berlin. It provides a key chance for the next generation of racing talent to experience electric motorsport for the first time. In Felipe and Hugh, we’ll have a driver line-up formed from experience and youth. We can’t wait for them to take to the track in the Gen3 car in Berlin.”
