Official: David Beckmann replaces Andre Lotterer at Andretti for the Formula E races in Jakarta

There have been rumours in the Formula E paddock for a long time, but now it's official: David Beckmann will drive the customer Porsche from Avalanche Andretti at the Jakarta E-Prix and make his racing debut in the electric series. The 23-year-old will deputize for Andre Lotterer, who will be preparing for his stint in the Porsche 963 during pre-tests for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

About a possible use of Beckmann in Jakarta had already been speculated for weeks. Lotterer's contract as Porsche works driver in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) states that races and official tests of the racing series have priority over other commitments of the driver. Participation in the "double-header" in the Indonesian capital, scheduled for June 3 and 4, was thus ruled out for the 41-year-old.

David Beckmann, who is registered as a reserve driver with both the Porsche works team and the Porsche customer team Andretti this season, had been considered the most likely candidate. The Iserlohn native has already been allowed to drive the Porsche 99X Electric during manufacturer test drives and additionally at the rookie tests in Berlin. In the German capital, he was in action for the factory team.

He has an even longer partnership with Andretti: in the previous season he was already a substitute driver for the U.S.-based team, which was still running BMW customer engines at the time. In the years before, he had attracted attention with good performances in the junior racing series Formula 4, Formula 3 and Formula 2.

"I'm super grateful for the opportunity to step in for André and represent Avalanche Andretti in Jakarta", says David Beckmann. "Formula E is an incredibly competitive championship, and I'm excited to showcase my capabilities in this unique racing series. I would like to thank Michael Andretti and the team for trusting me with this responsibility. I'm going to give my best to achieve a successful outcome for everyone involved."

Team boss Griffiths: "David will be an excellent replacement"

Roger Griffiths, Avalanche Andretti team principal says: "David has proven himself as a highly talented driver and we are delighted to welcome him back into the team for the 2023 Jakarta E-Prix. He was part of the Avalanche Andretti Formula E team in Season 8 as the official reserve driver and he has not only demonstrated his capabilities during the Berlin rookie test, but also throughout the Porsche Motorsport development activities. He will be an excellent replacement for the doubleheader weekend."

"We knew from the outset that Andre's priorities lay within Porsche's LMDh sportscar squad and were therefore supportive of his commitments outside of Formula E," Griffiths adds. "David's experience in both single-seater championships and as both the team's and Tag Heuer Porsche's reserve and development driver will undoubtedly contribute to his seamless transition into the Formula E environment. We have full confidence in his ability to represent the Avalanche Andretti Formula E team and have no doubt that he will make the most of this opportunity, contributing to our continued success in the Championship."

This brings David Beckmann full circle: 'e-Formel.de' had first spoken in April 2017 with the then 16-year-old, who at the time had already described the racing series as an "interesting alternative" for his future. More than six years later, the time has come.

David Beckmann has got something to say?

See you in Jakarta, David ? pic.twitter.com/uYQ86LtPEP

- Avalanche Andretti FE ? (@AndrettiFE) May 23, 2023