Lola Yamaha Abt have announced 2023 F1 Academy Champion Marta García as their test driver for the second all-female test in Valencia at the end of the month.
Garcia first sampled a Gen3 Formula E car before having taken part in the 2024 Berlin rookie test for the ERT team which then morphed in to the present CUPRA KIRO squad. She also worked with that operation at some that season and was also seen at some EPrixs last year too.
The Spaniard is currently racing in the Michelin Le Mans Cup with Iron Dames in GT3 and has self-admittedly had a rollercoaster of a season. During the first race in Barcelona, she suffered a huge crash with an impact of 20-25g. García told FEN “When you drive you’re not thinking about crashing so when it happened it was quite surprising. You know it can happen but the fact that there was a fire and was also a big impact.
“I was lucky enough because the car didn’t stop too much. I think in the beginning it was a bit of a shocking situation just because of the fire. I couldn’t get out of the car. I was there for like one minute and a half. So it was a long procedure of stress.
“But I got back in the car after one month after Barcelona, which was Paul Ricard for the second race. In the beginning probably I was like coming with this subconscious crash thing, but once I got in the car and just driving, you stop thinking about that or just you focus on the driving, on going faster.”
Although there was another upset when the she was left unable to start at Le Mans in June due to a health issue with her teammate Vanina Ickx, García went on to achieve a podium finish in Spa, and then to Silverstone to achieve Iron Dames first win in GT3 in September 2025.
She said, “It’s our first win in GT3 and also we are the first women to win the Michelin Le Mans Cup in the championship in the GT3 category as well. So really happy with how it’s been going in the last few races.”
Sim Prep Starts…
With still one more race for García this weekend at the season finale race in Portimão, the preparation for the all-female test will begin at the end of next week at the Abt’s base in Germany.
García explained that “Formula E is harder in terms of strength, because the steering wheel is quite hard when I did the Jarama Test last season. So I’m trying to work some more on the strength here in the forearms and in the arms, just to be a bit more sharp and stronger and not having any issues.
“It’s true that it’s a bit difficult when also I’m racing this week. But the idea at the end of next week to go to the sim in Munich where the team is and do some sim work. Being around there two days, knowing the whole team, also getting to know the drivers if they’re around there.
“We’re going to do those days of sim in a few weeks, 10 days or something like that to prepare.”
The F1 Academy champion has previously driven the Gen3 car during last seasons all-female test in Jarama with Porsche where she lined up in Antonio Felix da Costa’s car for the day.
“I think the expectations are to try the car,” she added. “It’s the first time with a team. I think it’s going to be great to meet all the teams, to work with engineers, to try new things that they want to try, because it’s also a team that is the second season in Formula E.
“For me, it’s just getting the experience of the test, of getting to know even better the car, because I would love to be involved for next season as well, doing some development. That would be my ideal point.
“Also because it’s Valencia and it’s my home track, I’m excited because I know the track. I’ve been there quite a lot. We won Formula 1 Academy there. I know the track already. So it’s just getting to know more the car and trying to give as much feedback as possible and try to make the best out of the test for myself and for the team as well.” she said.
Permanently in the Paddock?
In June 2025 Abbi Pulling joined the Nissan Formula E Team as their rookie and simulator driver after gaining experience in the Berlin and Valencia tests. Bianca Bustamante, who previously drove for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team during the Jarama test last season, was also announced as the new CUPRA KIRO development driver just prior to her involvement in the Berlin test this year.
A possibility surrounding García joining the list of female drivers becoming more involved in Formula E with permanent roles in development/simulation driver capacity seems positive.
“I think Formula E is something that is progressing more and more in general, with it being electric.
“So for me, it would be great to be involved somehow with a team like Lola. Let’s see how everything is, what we can do together. And then, as I said, my target also would be to work with them in a more long-term relationship, but this is something in the air. But it’s a target for me also, I would like to be more involved in Formula E. So this is also something of my interest.”
The rumoured EV all-female support series for Formula E is also seemingly a “good idea” to the Iron Dames driver, she told FEN that “in the example of Formula 1 Academy and Formula 1, Formula 1 decided to do the Formula 1 Academy Championship to give those drivers the experience and be in the same tracks as the Formula 1 drivers and be with junior single-seater teams that can help them.
“I think, obviously, I would love to be on the same grid as the guys, which I think it could still be possible. But we need to do a lot of work as well. We need to have a lot of preparation, and someone on some teams also needs to invest in a woman driver, for example, like they do, for example, in a guy.
“I think the idea of the championship is great. I think it’s good for us to be also involved in the Formula E, in electric, a lot of us. I don’t know how much the grid will be, how many drivers, but I think it’s a great idea to bring more visibility, to give us more of the experience, and the track time as well, and getting to know more of the Formula E cars.
“For me, it’s great, but I still think it would be great to have a girl in the grid with the guys, which I think it’s possible.”
Looking to the future of her racing career, García adds that 2026 is “still a bit up in the air” currently but she has a lot of ideas and options available. “We are looking with the endurance racing first, because I’m doing Michelin Le Mans Cup this year. The idea would be to, whether repeat Michelin Le Mans Cup or jump into something like LMS, which will be my ideal plan as well as a driver.
“But it’s a bit difficult situation because let’s say we’re still waiting for also the programme of Iron Dames. What’s gonna be our opportunity or where are we going to be at? So this is still not confirmed for now.
“But as I said also, I would love to have a contract as a performance driver or also like research driver from any team in Formula E, because I think it’s the future as well. So that would be great.
“And just to be involved in motorsport somehow. We’re trying to help women in motorsport. Doing even my own series in Spain is something I would love to do and help those girls, like Jamie Chadwick has in the UK. I think it’s an amazing project. So this is the idea that’s going on. But in terms of racing, we’re still trying to create a project and the budget so on. But the idea is to keep on endurance racing and to target to do some Formula E long term.”
