Yesterday, the FIA revealed the provisional calendar for the first season of the Formula E World Championship’s GEN4 era, which gets underway this December in Saudi Arabia. Here’s my thoughts on what’s on the schedule for next season. 

In its biggest campaign yet, Formula E will visit 11 countries across a total of 13 weekends and 21 races. Alongside 10 returning venues, three new circuits have been added to the calendar. This includes the likes of Brands Hatch, which welcomes back world championship open-wheel racing for the first time since Formula 1’s 1986 British Grand Prix (or since 2003, if we consider the Champ Car World Series!).

The returning locales

Jeddah will host the season-opener on December 18-19th with two races under the lights at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Saudi Arabia last hosted the opening round in 2022 when the season kicked off at Diriyah, which was also the last time that a season commenced with a doubleheader.

Formula E currently uses its own 3.001km layout, situated entirely around the paddock and the lake within. It deviates from the Grand Prix layout at Turn 3 with a hairpin that joins up to Turn 21. A bus stop chicane at Turn 25 then follows, along with two triangular chicanes on the main straight. 

Jeddah has always had entertaining races since it joined the calendar last year. With the increased performance and regenerative capabilities of the GEN4, I wouldn’t be surprised if the championship elects to change the layout.

Perhaps they’ll extend northwards to the short circuit loop and/or remove some or all of the chicanes? Time will tell…

Former season-opener venue Mexico City will host the first race weekend of 2027 as well as the first of four consecutive weekends in the Americas. The E-Prix will be held on January 16th. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez has been a mainstay on the calendar since 2016, only disappearing for 2021 when parts of the circuit were used as a hospital to treat COVID-19 patients. 

Formula E has used four different layouts in Mexico City. The configuration used in this season’s race was a return to the 2.606km layout used in 2020 and 2022, which differed from the 2.628km used in the past three seasons in that it runs without the Turn 9-10-11 chicane.

Mexico City has similarly had entertaining races in recent years, with this year’s edition in particular being a personal favourite of mine. Whilst I personally believe the current layout would still be suitable for the GEN4, rumour has it that Formula E are evaluating possible changes.

The third stop of the Americas leg after COTA will also be in the United States, this time in Miami on February 20th. 

Miami is an interesting venue historically. Formula E’s first Miami E-Prix was in 2015 on the Biscayne Bay Street Circuit. The race then returned last year, this time on a modified configuration of the Homestead-Miami Speedway’s road course. 

The excitement around its return, however, was arguably let down by the low attendance, the underwhelming choice of venue, and the controversial race finish which saw multiple cars receiving penalties for violating attack mode rules after a late-race red flag.

For 2026, the race moved to the Miami International Autodrome’s 2.320km MIA Loop. Whilst a much more fitting venue for the Miami name, attendance numbers were (to my understanding) again low, and the cold weather coupled with greasy track conditions resulted in a more subdued race.

That being said, I don’t think this year’s edition was representative of what Formula E in Miami could be. With some better weather and an extended layout, which has been touted as an option for this race, I think the race could definitely become a highlight on the calendar.

São Paulo then follows on March 13th. The 2.933km Anhembi Sambadrome – which formerly hosted IndyCar’s São Paulo Indy 300 – joined the calendar in the 2022-23 season and is the only addition from that season that the championship still races at. It has hosted the opening round for the last two seasons.

Interestingly, if I had a nickel for every time the São Paulo season-opener was red-flagged for a crash between a Jaguar-powered car and a Porsche-powered car in which the Porsche-powered car flipped upside-down, I’d have two nickels.

Which isn’t a lot. But it’s weird that it happened twice, right?

With its long straights and good circuit width, this is the first venue in which I think the current layout is perfectly adequate for the GEN4, unless Formula E think different. Either way, I’m happy that São Paulo is staying on the calendar and I hope it continues to host exciting races.

After the Americas, Formula E has a springtime hop to Sanya on April 17th before the European leg. The championship returned to a revised Haitang Bay Circuit on the Chinese island of Hainan last week after previously visiting in 2019.

The layout was extended from 2.236km to 2.520km for this year’s edition. The first sector was reconfigured and Turns 11 and 12 (previously Turns 10 and 11) were reprofiled. There will reportedly be more changes ahead of Formula E’s return next year.

The championship has repeatedly said that it wants to maintain a strong foothold in China, for both the fans and the manufacturers. Its long-term goal is to attract a Chinese manfacturer, such as the likes of BYD or those under the Geely conglomerate.

With that in mind, I do understand why Formula E are committing to having a second Chinese race. However, I do also hope that the layout will indeed be changed for GEN4 as in my opinion, Sanya was borderline unsuitable for even the current generation.

Formula E’s first stop in Europe will be on May 8th-9th with a doubleheader in Berlin, the first of seven consecutive doubleheaders until the end of the season.

The German capital is the only city to appear on every single Formula E calendar. A trip to Karl-Marx-Alle aside, Tempelhof Airport has hosted Formula E since 2015 and was also the venue for the nine-day 2019-20 season finale when the championships hosted three doubleheaders on as many layouts. 

As a result, Tempelhof has had six different layouts in total, including a reverse layout of the 2017-23 configuration and an extended layout used exclusively in 2020. The current 2.374km layout, introduced last year, is expected to remain the same for next season. 

There were rumours that Berlin would be held at the Norisring in Nuremberg as part of a deal with DTM. Discussions deteriorated, however, when Formula E reportedly proposed changing the layout, which would’ve affected spectator capacity.

Berlin has been a hit with fans and teams for years and has already cemented itself as an important part of Formula E’s history. I hope I can go one day!

Next up is Monaco on May 15-16th, a location which needs no introduction. Formula E has visited the Principality since its inaugural season, when it initially alternated with the Historic Grand Prix and ran on a short 1.765km layout that connected Sainte-Dévote and the Nouvelle Chicane via Avenue J.F Kennedy.

In 2021, the championship ran on the Grand Prix layout with a modified chicane (dubbed the “New Nouvelle Chicane”), which shortened the layout by 19m. It transitioned to the standard 3.337km configuration the following year. 

The E-Prix has since been held annually and became a doubleheader last year. With a rich history of exciting races, the most iconic street circuit in the world will no doubt continue to be a staple on the Formula E calendar for years to come. After attending the 2025 edition, I’m itching to go back!

After two first-time venues, Madrid will return on June 26-27th. The Circuito de Madrid Jarama, which will also host pre-season testing, held both a race weekend and the annual rookie test back in March.

Jarama last hosted world championship open-wheel racing 45 years ago when it held its final F1 Spanish Grand Prix, won by Ferrari’s Gilles Villeneuve ahead of Ligier’s Jacques Laffite and McLaren’s John Watson. Since then, the circuit has altered its layout and also paved a new chicane for Formula E on the main straight, which extended the 3.850km circuit by 84m. It is highly expected that the race will run without the chicane next season.

After attending both Formula E and the Eurocup-3 & Eurocup-4 Spanish Winter Championship, I can positively say that Jarama is one of my absolute favourite circuits in the world. I thoroughly enjoyed the great show that Formula E put on and I firmly believe that GEN4 will provide an even greater spectacle.

Shanghai kicks off the season-ending Asian leg on July 10-11th. Formula E will once again race at the Shanghai International Circuit, which has hosted F1’s Chinese Grand Prix since 2004.

The championship began racing in Shanghai in the 2023-24 season as a doubleheader and was its first visit to China since Sanya’s 2019 race. The E-Prix is currently held on the West Long Circuit, which connects Turn 9 to the main straight by cutting across the Grand Prix pit entry. It is currently unknown if there are any plans to change the layout.

As I mentioned before, Formula E having two races in China is reflective to its aim of maintaining a strong presence in the country. Therefore, I believe Shanghai will most certainly remain on the calendar for the foreseeable future. Which is good, because I’m actually rather fond of it.

Next season’s finale will be two night races in Tokyo on July 24-25th. The Tokyo Street Circuit – situated around the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition centre – also joined the calendar in the 2023-24 season. It debuted with a slightly different layout to what Formula E currently races on, as it had a chicane situated at what is currently Turn 16.

The present configuration, introduced last year, is 10m shorter at 2.575km. It is expected that Formula E will again change the layout for GEN4.

Tokyo has been a major boon for Formula E since it joined and has proved popular with the Japanese fans. Regardless of whatever changes are made to the circuit, it will no doubt still be a tight, twisty and frenetic affair. The perfect conditions for an unmissable finale!

The NEW ADDITIONS

The first new location is the Circuit of the Americas, which will host the Austin E-Prix on February 6th. The circuit has notably hosted F1’s United States Grand Prix since 2012, MotoGP’s American round since 2013, the World Endurance Championship’s Lone Star Le Mans since 2013 and NASCAR since 2021. 

Formula E will reportedly use the 3.862km NASCAR circuit, which bypasses Turns 7 to 11 of the Grand Prix layout and rejoins two-thirds down the back straight.

In all honesty, I’m a bit on the fence about the championship racing at COTA. It’s a good circuit, make no mistake, but I’m not sure if it’s the right choice for a second US race. I suppose we’ll have to see how the race pans out and if the attendance is good.

The next debut locale will be Brands Hatch on May 29-30th. The historic venue replaces Excel London as the venue for the London E-Prix, which has been the season finale for the last three years and will do so for the final time this August.

It will be held on the 3.916km Grand Prix layout with some slight modifications. It is expected to be the longest circuit on the calendar. 

When F1 last visited the circuit, Nigel Mansell led teammate Nelson Piquet in a Williams 1-2 ahead of McLaren’s Alain Prost. The Champ Car World Series race, labelled the London Champ Car Trophy, was won by Sébastien Bourdais ahead of Newman/Haas teammate Bruno Junqueira and Herdez Competition’s Mario Domínguez.

If you know me, it’s no secret that I absolutely love this place. Like Jarama, it’s an old-school undulating and technical circuit that absolutely deserved to host top-tier open wheel motorsport again. I’m super excited that Formula E at Brands Hatch is finally happening!

Lastly, Zandvoort will follow on 18-19th June for Formula E’s first trip to the Netherlands. The Dutch circuit will hold its final F1 Grand Prix later this year after it returned in 2021 and currently also notably hosts DTM and GT World Challenge Europe.

Whilst unconfirmed at the moment, it is currently expected that Formula E will use the roughly 3km-long Nationaal circuit instead of the 4.259km Grand Prix layout. This configuration connects Turns 5 and Turns 11 via a hairpin roughly halfway down the straight between Turn 10 and 11. Uniquely, the Friday race will also be held later in the evening, with the Saturday race held earlier that afternoon.

If you ask me, Zandvoort is a circuit that is perfect for Formula E. It’s historic, easily accessible for fans and has a unique backdrop, in this case being the North Sea! I’m quite optimistic about this and I hope it delivers on the expectations.

I may or may not have already booked my accommodation for it…

The 2025-26 Formula E World Championship continues with two races next weekend at the Shanghai E-Prix. In the United Kingdom, you can watch Free Practice for free on YouTube and the rest of the action for free on ITVX.

Globally, head to the Formula E website to find out where you can catch all the action.

Header image credit: Joe Portlock / LAT Images