Arthur Leclerc will make a shock return to the Formula E paddock in Berlin after being handed a seat by Maserati to drive in the upcoming rookie test at the Tempelhof Airport Circuit.
Charles Leclerc's brother will join Maserati for the one-day test on July 14, and will be partnered by 2023 Formula 2 champion Theo Pourchaire.
Pourchaire represented the Monaco-based outfit in Jeddah earlier this year in the rookie practice session, and is known to be pushing for a seat on next season's grid.
The Frenchman has faced little luck in the single-seater world since claiming the F2 title, with him having left the Sauber academy at the end of 2024, but has taking a liking to the FE paddock.
"I’m really excited to be back with Maserati MSG Racing for the rookie test in Berlin," said Pourchaire.
"Driving the Gen3 Evo in Diriyah was an incredible experience, and I learned a lot from the team. Formula E is such a unique and challenging championship, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to get more seat time and continue learning in this environment."
As for Leclerc, the Monegasque is no stranger to FE or Maserati, having previously been its reserve driver in 2019 when it raced under the Venturi name.
Leclerc joined the outfit in 2017 as its development driver, before progressing to a reserve and test role across the 2019-2020 campaign. In that time, he featured in the 2019 Marrakech rookie test, using Gen2 machinery.
Since moving on from F2 at the end of the 2023 season, Leclerc has been a Ferrari F1 development driver – he drove in Abu Dhabi first practice last year.
Alongside his role with the Maranello-based outfit, he currently competes in the GT World Challenge series; however, is eager to return to the FE paddock in Berlin.
"It feels good to be back in Formula E, especially with my home team," said Leclerc. "It will be the first time that I will drive the Gen3 Evo so I am looking forward to seeing the evolution compared to the previous generation that I tested a few years ago.
"I want to give a big thank you to Maserati MSG Racing for the opportunity and I can’t wait to start working with the team in Berlin!"
Formula E rookie test line-up
| Team | Drivers |
|---|---|
| Nissan | Abbi Pulling & Gabriele Mini |
| Porsche | Elia Weiss & Ayhancan Güven |
| Andretti | Jak Crawford & Frederik Vesti |
| Jaguar | Jamie Chadwick & TBA |
| McLaren | Alex Dunne & Ella Lloyd |
| Cupra Kiro | Bianca Bustamante & Callum Voisin |
| Envision | Zak O’Sullivan & Johnathan Hoggard |
| Mahindra | Kush Maini & Dino Beganovic |
| Maserati | Theo Pourchaire & Arthur Leclerc |
| DS Penske | Daniil Kvyat & Nikita Bedrin |
| Lola Yamaha ABT | TBA & TBA |
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