Speed and de Ferran to Test with Andretti Formula E

Gil de Ferran back behind the wheel

Andretti Formula E will see two familiar drivers in their fully-electric race cars for the upcoming FIA Formula E Championship test on July 3-4 at UK's Donington Park. Former Formula 1 and full time Andretti Rallycross driver Scott Speed and two-time IndyCar champion and Indianapolis 500 winner Gil de Ferran will both have the opportunity to test Andretti's Spark-Renault SRT-01E on the 2.498-mile (4.020-km) circuit.

Speed, who in 2006 became the first American in Formula 1 since Michael Andretti in 1993, will complete the two-day test alongside Andretti Formula E's first confirmed driver Franck Montagny.

"I'm excited to get into a single-seater again," said Speed. "I expect it to be a very steep learning curve seeing as I haven't driven anything with downforce in seven years. The Andretti organization has been an amazing company to drive for, and I'm happy to grow my role as one of its drivers while helping out with the Formula E test."

Joining Montagny and Speed will be racing icon Gil de Ferran who will lend his expertise in completing some laps for the team, giving the Formula E Ambassador an opportunity to gain in-seat experience on the new sustainable racing championship.

"Being an Ambassador and strong supporter of Formula E, from day one I have been very curious and interested in how an electric-powered racing car would behave and handle," said the Brazilian with more than two decades of racing experience. "I am highly interested in the technical side of motorsports so this has been a great curiosity for me. Obviously I haven't driven anything feverishly for over five years, so it will be certainly a challenge but something that I am really looking forward to. I want to take the opportunity to thank Michael (Andretti) and the team for allowing me to do this run. Hopefully now I will be able to speak about Formula E and its qualities from a first-hand perspective."

Team principal Michael Andretti added, "I'm delighted to see both Scott (Speed) and Gil (de Ferran) in our cars for the upcoming test. Scott is one of our contracted drivers with great open-wheel experience, so we're happy to have him fill the seat while we evaluate options for our second full-time Formula E driver. Gil has been a longtime friend of the team and we look forward to hearing his feedback about the cars."