Kiro Race Co's Formula E Shakeup: Porsche Protégés Vie for Coveted Seats

The Formula E driver market is abuzz with speculation as the newly renamed Kiro Race Co team prepares for a potential shakeup in its lineup. With the team's long-term future secured and a new partnership with Porsche, the stage is set for a surprising twist in the driver selection process.

Kiro Race Co's Pivotal Moment: Navigating the Driver Landscape

Ticktum Remains, but Sette Camara's Seat in Jeopardy

Dan Ticktum's position at Kiro Race Co is secure, having shaken down the team's first Porsche-powered car last week. However, the future of Sergio Sette Camara, who had been widely expected to continue for a third consecutive season, is now in question. Recent developments have opened the door for a Porsche-affiliated driver to potentially replace the Brazilian.

Kiro Race Co's management has held talks with former Nissan driver Sacha Fenestraz, who was released from his contract in September. However, those discussions have since ended, with Fenestraz likely to secure a seat in endurance racing or Super GT next season.

The team's new American owners and the decision to race under a US license have not led to a pursuit of an American driver, as some may have expected. Instead, the focus appears to be on exploring the possibility of signing a Porsche-affiliated driver, either the manufacturer's official reserve, David Beckmann, or the 2023 DTM champion, Thomas Preining.

Beckmann: Porsche's Protégé Seeks Formula E Opportunity

Porsche reserve driver David Beckmann is set to test for Kiro Race Co at the upcoming Valencia pre-season test, essentially auditioning for a seat alongside Dan Ticktum. The 24-year-old German has served as a reserve for both the Porsche factory team and Andretti, making his Formula E debut in Jakarta earlier this year when he replaced the Le Mans-bound Andre Lotterer.

Beckmann's performance in his two Formula E outings was not particularly impressive, scoring a 16th-place finish in one race and crashing out of the other. However, Porsche is keen to find a suitable racing berth for the young driver, and the Kiro Race Co seat could provide him with the opportunity to showcase his skills and prove his worth in the all-electric series.

Porsche's Formula E motorsport director, Florian Modlinger, acknowledged that the decision on who to put in the car is ultimately up to Kiro Race Co, but he highlighted Beckmann's familiarity with the Porsche systems and approach as potential advantages. "He is in discussions with the team," Modlinger said. "But it's up to them and this means the team need to agree or to don't agree, or to convince or not convince."

Preining: The Intriguing Porsche Alternative

If Porsche decides to look beyond Beckmann, another contender for the Kiro Race Co seat could be Thomas Preining. The Austrian driver is highly regarded by Porsche's key management and has tested for the manufacturer on several occasions, most recently in the official rookie test at Berlin Tempelhof in May.

Preining's racing experience in single-seaters is limited, as he last competed in Formula 4 in 2016, going up against the likes of Mick Schumacher and Juri Vips. Since then, he has focused on Porsche's various racing series, including the Porsche Super Cup and Carrera Cup, before becoming a Porsche young driver and then a factory driver in 2018.

While Preining may not have the same level of Formula E experience as Beckmann, his strong ties to Porsche and the manufacturer's faith in his abilities could make him an intriguing option for the Kiro Race Co team as they seek to bolster their lineup for the upcoming season.

Garcia: The Wildcard Porsche Protégé

Marta Garcia, the inaugural F1 Academy champion, was initially set to test for Kiro Race Co at the Valencia pre-season test in the all-female session. However, in a surprising move, she has since been taken by Porsche, alongside occasional tester Gabriela Jilkova.

The decision to shift Garcia to the Porsche team for the Valencia test seems counterintuitive for her to be seriously considered for a race seat alongside Dan Ticktum at Kiro Race Co. While becoming the first female driver to race in Formula E for almost a decade would undoubtedly bring significant publicity to the new US-based team, Garcia is more likely to develop her relationship with Kiro Race Co as a simulator and test driver in 2025, in conjunction with her activities with the Iron Dames organization.

Kiro Race Co has remained tight-lipped about its driver selection process, stating that the team's drivers will be announced in due course. With the November 15 deadline for nominating drivers for the 2024-25 season looming, the team's decision on who will join Ticktam in the cockpit is sure to be a closely watched development in the Formula E driver market.