Why Porsche nominated Ayhancan Güven and Elia Weiss for the Formula E rookie test in Berlin, what record he set, and what role the test plays
Ayhancan Güven has already scored two victories in the Manthey Porsche in this year’s DTM, putting him in a strong third place in the overall standings – and now the 27-year-old Turk has also been given a rookie test in Formula E. Together with 16-year-old Elia Weiss, son of racing driver Claudia Hürtgen – he will test for the Porsche works team in Berlin on July 14.
“This is a pretty unique opportunity for me,” says Güven, who has little experience in formula racing and only knows the Berlin circuit as a spectator. “I’m really looking forward to driving a monoposto without a roof over my head.”
Güven, who is a contract driver for Porsche, is currently going through a busy few weeks: on Sunday, he finished second in the 24-hour classic at the Nürburgring in the “Grello,” next weekend he will be at the start in Spa, the week after that he will be competing in the DTM at the Norisring—and then comes the Formula E opportunity.
Güven: Unknown systems “probably the biggest challenge”
“The Porsche 99X Electric has a lot of systems that I’m not familiar with yet, which will probably be the biggest challenge,” suspects Güven, who will be preparing for the test in the Formula E simulator in Weissach alongside his current commitments. The test will take place on Monday after the Berlin race weekend.
Twenty-two drivers who have not yet competed in Formula E will take part. Güven could pick up some tips from his DTM teammate Thomas Preining, as the Austrian completed the rookie test in Berlin last year.
Weiss youngest Formula E rookie ever
Elia Weiss will be the youngest Formula E rookie ever to compete. The talented Munich native is eligible to participate because he will have reached the minimum age of 16 required for an international B license on June 22. Weiss won the German Karting Championship title in 2024 and made the leap to racing cars when he moved to Italy to compete in Formula 4.
He is also a member of Motorsport Team Germany, the official development squad of the ADAC Sports Foundation and the DMSB.
The significance of the rookie test in Formula E
What does Porsche’s Formula E boss Florian Modlinger say about his rookies? “Ayhancan comes from our own junior squad, is well known to us and is currently performing strongly in the DTM. Elia comes from Motorsport Team Germany, which is supported by Porsche Motorsport. When he visited us in the simulator, we were particularly impressed by his interaction with the engineers. Elia only turned 16 a few days ago, but he seems much more mature as a race driver.”
The test is definitely relevant, because there are hardly any testing opportunities in Formula E. Nevertheless, the electric racing series places very special demands on the drivers. “Energy management is complex, which means that the mental demands in Formula E are very high. This reduces the pool of potential drivers. In this respect, it makes sense that the rookie test is mandatory for all teams,” says Modlinger.
