Ella Lloyd to test for McLaren in Berlin Formula E rookie test

Written by Vyas Ponnuri

McLaren are gearing up to field reserve driver Ella Lloyd in the upcoming Formula E rookie test in Berlin, which takes place on the same weekend as the Berlin E-Prix double header.

Lloyd became a McLaren junior in October 2024 | Credit: Formula One

The papaya team announced Lloyd's participation in the upcoming test across social media handles on Tuesday. "Look who's back! Ella Lloyd joins the NEOM McLaren Team for the Berlin rookie test!" read the caption.

Lloyd is no stranger to Formula E, having taken part in the all-female Formula E test at the Circuito-del Jarama in November, as part of pre-season testing ahead of Season 11.

“I’m really looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the GEN3 Evo car again with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. I learnt so much at the Women’s Test in Madrid and I’m excited to have another opportunity to get out on track and put all the preparation I’ve been doing in the simulator into practice.”

A well-known name in British junior championships, Lloyd joined the McLaren Driver Development Programme in October 2024, representing the British marque in the all-female F1 Academy championship for Rodin Motorsport, alongside her duties with McLaren's Formula E operation.

The 19-year-old has already experienced success in F1 Academy in 2025, as she sits sixth in the standings with 23 points to her name. Lloyd has also tasted victory earlier this year, winning the reverse-grid race in Jeddah in April.

Lloyd's young racing CV is already glittering with silverware. The Pontypridd native raced in the Ginetta Junior and Ginetta GT Championships, emerging as the runner-up in 2023. Further stints in the Formula Winter Series and the British F4 season in 2024 reaped yet more success, as Lloyd stood on four podiums in a competitive season of racing.

The resounding success earned Lloyd a call-up to the F1 Academy as a wild card driver in Singapore. Driving for defending champions PREMA Racing in 2024, Lloyd laid down a strong first impression, scoring eight points across the weekend's pair of races.

With existing McLaren junior Bianca Bustamante's mandated two-year F1 Academy stint concluding in 2024, the Woking-based manufacturer opted to field Lloyd as their backed entry in the championship, in the footsteps of her successful Singapore weekend.

“Ella is a very exciting young talent, and I’m thrilled that she will be back in the GEN3 Evo at the Berlin Rookie Test," said Ian James, team principal at McLaren.

"Having worked alongside her over the course of this season, Ella’s professionalism and eagerness to learn left an impression on the whole team. I’m sure that she will continue to build on her knowledge and experience when we head out to Berlin.”

Lloyd will certainly be looking to get more running and experience in a Formula E car around the Berlin Tempelhof circuit, revamped in 2024 to suit the faster and more agile Gen3 Formula E cars.

This will be Lloyd's first in-season test in 2025 for McLaren, who fielded Irishman Alex Dunne during the Jeddah rookie test in February.

Formula E will head to Berlin for its annual German outing from July 11-13, constituting the penultimate weekend of what has been a hectic 2024-25 campaign. Championship leader Oliver Rowland will be looking to seal his maiden Formula E title in the weekend, as he currently holds a 68-point lead in the standings.

Expect driver changes for the weekend, with the Berlin E-Prix double header falling on the same weekend as the 6 Hours of São Paulo, and drivers taking part in both series could be expected to head to the Brazilian round of the World Endurance Championship.

Rowland's teammate Norman Nato is one of them, with reserve Sérgio Sette Câmara taking his place for the double-header weekend.