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Alex Dunne and Ella Lloyd were back behind the wheel of our GEN3 Evo in Berlin on Monday, giving the pair another chance to work with the team and show how they’ve developed since their last appearances in the all-electric machinery.

Taking part in Formula E’s Rookie Test, aimed at supporting emerging talent, with drivers only permitted to run if they hadn’t previously competed in a Formula E race, Alex and Ella were unleashed in our GEN3 Evo car for the second time.

Alex had made his debut in Free Practice 0 on the Thursday of this season’s Jeddah E-Prix, while Ella got behind the wheel for the first time in last year’s Women’s Test in Madrid, Spain.

This was their first time in the cockpit since, and both said they noticed a marked improvement from their initial experiences of driving the car.

“It was definitely much more positive,” Alex said. “It’s always nice to have more track time. Previously, I’d only had one 40-minute session in the car, which isn't enough to tell you exactly what the car is like – it was challenging to get fully into the swing of things and to understand exactly how to drive the car and where to improve.

“To have a full day, where I could build into it, rather than trying to go out and be on it straight away, was nice. I tried to do it in the most methodical way possible and get a good understanding of what the car was doing. For me, that was the most important thing. I think I definitely improved and now understand the car much better from a driving point of view.”

Ella added: “When I first drove the car, I noticed straight away how different it was to the Formula 4 car, so that was definitely a big challenge in the first test. Whereas now, I know what I’m expecting. Having that knowledge from the first time driving the car has benefited me a lot, as have the sim days I was doing beforehand, but I also think that my driving has developed quite a lot.

“I think I’ve grown a lot as a driver since the first test. Everything came a bit more naturally, and it is now easier to adapt from car to car and from circuit to circuit. I was still quite fresh to racing when I did the first test, whereas now, being in F1 Academy and in British F4, I think I’ve grown a lot over the last few months.”

Opportunities like this are key to Alex and Ella’s progression in the Driver Development Programme, aiding their growth and increasing their profile.

For Ella, it was another opportunity to work with and impress the team at a Formula E event. Whereas Alex, who is NEOM McLaren’s Reserve and Development driver, has become a recognisable face in the Formula E paddock this season. Having worked closely with the team throughout the campaign, this was his chance to apply what he’s learnt while working with them and to show what he could do out on track.

“Now that I have a better understanding of the car, it’s easier to give more valuable feedback,” Alex said. “Jeddah was more about it being my first time in the car, so it was difficult to give super good feedback, but now that I have a good understanding of the car, it was easier to make more informed comments.

“Formula E is very different to anything else I've ever raced in the past - the driving style is very different to F2, so it’s trying to take on board the small things and minor details that Sam and Taylor do as drivers to manipulate what the car is doing, that’s the main thing – listening to how they describe the car and what they feel it’s doing.”

Ella added: “I feel more comfortable around the team and confident in my feedback – knowing that it’s accurate. I think I can learn a lot from Sam, Taylor, and Alex, so I was just trying to take in as much as possible. Having done the test last year, I knew what to expect, so my plan was just to take a step forward, and to take in as much information as possible, from both the drivers and from the whole team.”

Away from this test, Alex and Ella are continuing to improve in their own individual series, with the support of the McLaren Driver Development Programme.

In addition to his role as NEOM McLaren’s Reserve and Development driver, Alex has driven the 2023 McLaren Formula 1 car in private tests, and made his F1 competitive debut in our 2025 car in FP1 at the Austrian Grand Prix.

In his rookie season of Formula 2, Alex is competing for the title – he’s third as it stands, with two wins and a further three podiums, keeping pace with the more experienced Richard Verschoor and Jak Crawford, in their fifth and third seasons, respectively.

Ella is undertaking a dual campaign, competing in F1 Academy and British Formula 4. After winning her first F1 Academy race in in Jeddah, Ella clinched a remarkable three podiums in one weekend in Montreal, finishing second in all three races.  

“The opportunities the McLaren Driver Development Programme have given me are amazing – being able to do the Women’s test, and now the test in Berlin,” said Ella, who is fourth in the F1 Academy Drivers’ Championship. “I have Warren Hughes with me trackside, which is a huge help, to have a driver’s perspective on different things. As well as this, the programme provides fitness, media and other off-track support, which is incredibly valuable. I’ve been trying to take in as much as possible, and all of it has really progressed my learning this year.”

Alex adds: “Having the opportunity to drive the F1 sim and to test F1 cars has been a big thing for my development. Gaining more experience outside of F2 has helped me a lot, and everything McLaren have done, I feel, has made me a better driver. Like Ella, I have Warren Hughes with me trackside every weekend, and having someone like him in your corner helping you to develop is very nice.

“I think I’ve improved a lot as a driver over the last couple of months. This year, the rate at which I’ve improved has increased significantly, and I think a lot of that is down to McLaren and how much they have helped me - they’ve put a lot of effort into me."