Gen4 Testing Venues
The FIA is favouring the Almeira and Monteblanco for group tests of the Gen4 car later this year and next with both Spanish venues booked for development running. The tests will take place in November and January respectively, with individual manufacturer test days commencing in January. Former DS Techeetah and Maserati MSG staffer James Rossiter has been undertaking the majority of testing since April and continued recently at the Varanocircuit in Italy.
Formula E Notebook can reveal that a Helix derived powertrain is being used in the Gen4 test and development car. The Helix UK company previously worked with the ERT Formula E team and has also been a supplier to several others in recent years.
Some new details of the Gen4 car, including a move to a cylindrical celled battery set-up were outlined at The Race recently, including their own interpretation of what the Gen4 car might look like. The Race understands that additional teasers of the Gen4 will be issued shortly. To read The Race feature click HERE.
Stellantis Team Ownership Confirmed
Stellantis has confirmed that it will own a Formula E team for the first time in its history. At least two new brands will be introduced to Formula E in the coming seasons with Citroen and Opel set to feature on the grid. As previously reported by The Race both of these brands will ultimately replace DS and Maserati, with the latter likely to cease in Formula E after this weekend’s London EPrix.
Public confirmation, which came via a job advert posted earlier this month whereby Stellantis stated that it was ‘going big and going bold’ in what was described as ‘for the first time in our Formula E journey, Stellantis will enter its own team – built to compete without compromises.’
The precise licence that it will take over is not expected to be one of the current MSG owned franchise, with options also exist for the available NEOM McLaren or so-called 12th licence. Stellantis, via its DS brand, will part with current partner Penske after its contract with the U.S entered team ends next summer.
Pourchaire Farm Out?
FEN understands that Stellantis contracted driver Theo Pourchaire could be given his Formula E debut next season but not within the soon to re-branded MSG team or the DS Penske operation which will field Max Guenther and new signing Taylor Barnard, the latter of who should be announced immediately after this weekend’s London EPrixs.
Former F2 champion Pourchaire could be loaned to another team alongside a possible WEC seat at Peugeot. MSG, which is set to run with Citroen branding next season, is expected to confirm Nick Cassidy this autumn, with Jean-Eric Vergne tipped to move across from DS Penske, who are believed to have signed Taylor Barnard to partner Maximilian Guenther. Options for Pourchaire could be Andretti, CUPRA KIRO and Envision Racing.
Dennis/da Costa Futures
While one avenue of exploration for a possible Jake Dennis move is shut with news that Norman Nato is set to stay with Nissan for another season alongside Oliver Rowland.
Dennis appears now to have two valid options for 2026, stay with Andretti as per his contract or a sensational switch to Jaguar. The second eventuality will essentially be dictated by Antonio Felix da Costa’s status with Porsche, which is believed to be an on-going negotiation between the two parties and may not be resolved for some weeks to come.
Speaking to FEN, Dennis said that “I’ve been with this team for five years now, I really see how we progressed and how we’ve fallen as well.
“But right now, we’re back in the rebuilding phase, I would say, and ultimately it’s where I want to push the team, it’s back to where we were. But I’d be lying to you if I said I didn’t want to be involved in more testing and lead the development.
“I’m at the level of my career now where I feel like I would excel in that, but it’s something which I don’t have and I can’t do with the current situation I’m in. But we’re with Andretti for next year and my goal is to completely push these guys to the best of our capability and that’s where I’m at right now with it.”
Frijns Future Doubts
Robin Frijns’ nine season stay in Formula E is in the balance FEN understands. The two time EPrix winner is yet to hear from the Envision Racing management if he will be retained for the 2025-26 season, while his teammate Sebastien Buemi is likely to be retained for at least next season.
Should Frijns be replaced, then Jake Hughes, Theo Pourchaire (see above), Stoffel Vandoorne and Felipe Drugovich could all be possible replacements in what would be Envision’s first driver change since the autumn of 2023.
When asked by FEN whether or not he felt he had the backing of Envision senior management, Frijns said “I don’t know. I can’t say it’s a yes or no. I’ve got the backing from the engineers, that’s for sure. They see the results of the driving I’m doing.
“Nothing will change for me this weekend. I’m not going to take more risk or less risk. I’m here to score points, I’m here to finish in the podium, I’m here to win races. I even said after the first race in Berlin, when I qualified second and didn’t score points, Saunders (Formula E TV interviewer, Saunders CB) interviewed me after the race and said, ‘you have better luck the next day?’ I said, ‘we’ll be the same again tomorrow.’ And I was. So, it doesn’t put me down in the sense of I’ll qualify P20 tomorrow and see what happens. But it’s just very frustrating and it affects some people, I think.”
Is Dan Porsche’s Man?
On paper, literally, Dan Ticktum’s immediate future appears to be at CUPRA KIRO after an option on his services was triggered earlier this month for the 2025-26 season. However, speculation has started to mount that should Antonio Felix da Costa move on from his current role with TAG-Heuer Porsche that the Jakarta EPrix winner could partner with Pascal Wehrlein next season.
“Obviously there is some interest in Porsche, some rumours and stuff going around,” Ticktum told FEN.
“There’s no point in speculating really at the moment. All I can say is obviously there is some contact, some communication between us. I’ve obviously had high praise from Florian (Modlinger – via The Race at the Tokyo EPrix in May), which is good.
“I still don’t know what’s happening really with the whole thing. I’ll definitely be within the Porsche family going forward, it’s the place to be. I’m especially looking forward to Gen 4 as well.”
Andretti/Nissan for Gen4
Andretti is set to switch from Porsche to Nissan power for the Gen4 period with a deal which is believed to have recently been at least verbally agreed.
Nissan’s Tommaso Volpe told FEN in London that “we haven’t agreed formally anything yetand we have parallel conversations” and that “we have a couple of options, but definitely we have a preferred one in our mind (believed to be Andretti).
Meanwhile, Andretti’s team principal Roger Griffiths stated to FEN that “we’ve narrowed down our options. I real deadline is December, but I think everyone going into the summer wants to know where their future lies. I think we’re reasonably set on what our future looks like.
“There’s a lot of work to be done to formalise that, but I think we’re all moving in the right direction.”
Mahindra and Penske Late Entries?
FEN can reveal that both the Mahindra and Penske organisations are eying a potential last minute entry as manufacturers in to the Gen4 era. Mahindra have been scoping out both this line of attack and becoming a customer for the first time since 2015, with a decision set to be made next week. Penske meanwhile is preparing for the possibility of entering with its own derived powertrain although it is not known if this will be for the 2026/27 season (the first in Gen4) or at the midway point of the homologation for 2028/29.
Creative Pit Boost Strats?
Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa has outlined why the Pit Boost pit stops tomorrow might see a different and much busier pit lane early on in the SOC window that allows the pit stops to be carried out.
“I think so, yes,” said the TAG-Heuer Porsche driver when asked by FEN if an expansion of more creative strategies might be deployed in Saturday’s race.
“I think we might see something interesting because the race is still pretty slow. We will see a little bit of… I won’t call it a peloton, but like a compact pack throughout the race. Then I think as soon as the pit window is open, everybody’s going to try and floor it. So, gaps will open and people will be looking for free air.
“But it’s really hard to do as there’s a window of five laps that 20 drivers want to find free airand the chances of actually getting the free air are pretty slim,” added da Costa. “But I think that will win you a lot of track time and track position is finding the free air because here, being on the gearbox of someone or whatever, it can cost you seconds a lap. I think the pace will increase once the window opens, but being lucky with the lap that you box, it’s going to be a big thing for your race.”
More Automotive Industry Shock
The Stellantis group, which counts the Maserati, Citroen, DS and Opel brands among its owned brands, has stated that US President Donald Trump’s contentious tariff policies have already cost it €300m (£259.6m). The company said the financial hit was a result of tariffs ‘impacting trade and the company’s loss of planned production.’ in its response to the tariffs, which included a 25% tariff on cars being imported to the US which has been place since April. The moves have also threatened to disturb global car trade and supply chains, with some car manufacturers, including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) temporarily pausing exports to the US in response.
Stellantis confirmed that its shipments to North America were 25% lower from January to June compared to 2024, while total sales were also down 10%. Stellantis has forecast revenues of €74.3bn for the first half of the year, and a net loss of €2.3bn which includes the impact of tariffs.
British car and van production in the first half of 2024 fell to its lowest level since 1953 it was reported by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) this week. Car output fell 7.3% from January to June. Difficulties via the tariff controversy in the US has seen some manufacturers slow or cease production. The SMMT said that the US-UK tariff deal which was announced in May could help a bounce-back, while the UK government said its electric vehicle (EV) grants would help “boost” the industry.
Fantastic Four-mula
Formula E has partnered with Marvel Studios’ ‘The Fantastic Four: First Steps’ franchise, which is released in cinemas this week. The deal will see the movie be a title partner of the London EPrix and also lend its name to the Attack Mode phases of the weekend races.
Ellie Norman, Chief Marketing Officer, Formula E described the collaboration as marking “another milestone moment for Formula E. Through joining forces with one of the world’s most iconic and culturally relevant brands, we continue to push the boundaries and challenge the status quo of motorsport and entertainment – we’re not only connecting with a new generation of fans but reinforcing and continuing to position ourselves as a truly global, entertainment brand.”
Lucas Loophole Memory Madness
Lucas di Grassi has shared in depth memories of his famously audacious attempted at winning the 2021 London EPrix by taking a short cut down the pitlane. The cute trick almost came off but the Audi ABT driver was ultimately penalised for not quite stopping his car completely. Read the fascinating insight by clicking HERE.
Max’s Charity Auction
DS Penske driver Maximilian Günther will compete with a special-edition helmet at this weekend’s London E-Prix – the season finale of the 2024/25 FIA Formula E World Championship.
Sporting a bespoke livery on Max’s signature design, the special-edition helmet, created by Bianchet, celebrates Max’s ongoing relationship with the Swiss luxury watchmaker and underscores their shared values of precision and performance.
Following the final round of the 2024/25 season, held at the ExCeL Circuit in east London, Max will auction the helmet, donating all proceeds to the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW). To learn more click HERE.
Andretti Welcomes Quest Global
Andretti Global announced a deal with Quest Global a leading global engineering services firm, has entered a multi-year partnership with the Andretti Formula E team as its official Engineering Technology Sponsor, beginning at the 2025 London E-Prix. The partnership will see Quest Global integrate directly with Andretti’s technical operations, with a shared focus on performance, innovation and long-term development. For more on the partnership click HERE.
