Gen4 Sporting and Commercial Progress
Several meetings took place at Monaco to finalise agreements on several aspects of Formula E’s new Gen4 era that is likely to begin this December. The outline of the sporting format and other regulatory fundamentals are believed to be mostly agreed now, with a final session of discussions, before an effective sign-off possible next week at a schedule Technical Working Group meeting.
Calendar Almost Done!
The 2026-27 Formula E calendar is in the advanced stages of formation with outline logistical movements shared with teams last weekend. An expected 19 race calendar, Formula Es biggest ever could be submitted to the FIA World Motorsport Council next month, with a high likelihood of a mid-December start and a late July finish.
Free Evans!
A secret Gen4 test for Mitch Evans and his new employer next season is a possibility before the end of the present season with FEN learning that the Kiwi could be released to test a development car as soon as next month. Although there is unlikely to be any official confirmation soon, The Race reported in April that Evans is set to race for the new Opel GSE Formula E squad next season after a decade at Jaguar.
When asked if this was a possibility Evans, who would not reveal the identity of his new team, said that he would “obviously love to (drive the Gen4), but it’s not as simple as that, so I can’t really go too much into it. The main thing is I want to drive the Gen4 car as soon as possible. It’s such a big reg change, not driving it soon is going to hurt me, but that’s just my main focus, just trying to drive it as soon as I can. If the opportunity presents itself, I’ll for sure happily take it.”
It is believed that Evans will only be allowed to test the car at the discretion of Jaguar, with who he is contracted until the end of the present season. When asked by FEN is Evans could be released to test the Gen4 for a rival, team principal Ian James said that “Mitch will be in Formula E next year and we’ll be fully supportive of him as he transitions into a new team.”
Ticktum’s Future
Another tumultuous weekend that evidenced the positive and not so positive of Dan Ticktum and CUPRA Kiro played out in the full glare of Monaco at the weekend but questions behind the scenes are currently centred upon the double-Monaco pole position takers next contract. FEN understands that Ticktum has articulated to the team that he wants a quick resolution to a possible new deal but that the team is still weighing up its options for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
It is believed that Ticktum has few, if any, viable options other than a new deal at the team he has raced with since 2021.
CUPRA Kiro team boss Russell O’Hagan said that drivers for next season was “something we’ve been looking at already for a few months” and that it was “something kind of critical, I’d like to be doing now”.
But O’Hagan also alluded to “also not being in a rush to make the final decision because it’s information gathering as we need to understand what the cars will look like andunderstanding what we think that will translate to in terms of the races.”
O’Hagan added that he and the CUPRA Kiro team would evaluate “what the skillsets will be, specific to the car. And then it’s gathering together all the options from the market and trying to place them all together. We’re a long way down that route, but I think it’ll be a few months before we need to kind of ‘dot the I’s and cross the T’s’. I think that the one big factor in that is if you look at the rest of the motorsport world, they’re still very early into all of their seasons, particularly F2.”
Monaco Carnage Wrap Up
Porsche’s Nico Mueller explained to FEN the incident at Rascasse that affected both his and teammate Pascal Wehrlein’s races on Saturday occurred when “suddenly the pack slowed down more than I anticipated, and I was sort of stuck on the inside defending from the two cars behind,” said Mueller. “It was pretty unfortunate as the last thing you want to do you want to do and especially because, we were not in a fight together, right? I was trying to protect him but we ended up at the wrong place at a long time.”
“I can understand his frustration and I apologise for what happened because in the end, when you are the car behind, you are definitely more responsible for what’s going on when something like this happens,” concluded Mueller.
The accident that claimed both Pepe Marti and Nick Cassidy at Rascasse when Marti resisted Cassidy’s pass while the Citroen driver was on 350kW and brought out a safety car.
“I wasn’t looking to defend him too hard because I knew he would get past me, especially with the energy advantage,” said Marti. “I got to the second from last corner (Rascasse) and I just went in as normal but we sort of touched wheels. It happens, unfortunately, sometimes where the wheels just come into one another and you can’t really get out of it.”
As the pair were entangled together at Rascasse, Marti fed back to his engineer his feelings on the situation, saying:
MAR: “This guy man. F****** Cassidy. F****** prick. What f****** s*** racing man! All of these guys are absolute maniacs at the wheel. Terrible racing. What a s*** race! F******awful.”
When asked by FEN for his opinion of the incident, Cassidy’s opinion was forthright, in what for him the specific constituent parts were that contributed to the accident: “Young bloke, cold tyres. He just f***** up.”
Taylor Barnard reckoned the accident that pitched Norman Nato in to the Anthony Nogues barriers was “very harsh” as he was “completely alongside, but the regulations say front wheel to wing mirror.”
But Nato told FEN that he thought that the DS Penske driver was “a bit too excited today, unfortunately. It was just unfortunate but I don’t think it was necessary, it was very early in the race. Actually, there was less space on the inside, so actually we could have played safe in a way that at least we can go side by side, like we all do at the beginning of the race.
“He came from so far away unfortunately and he touched the rear of my car and just sent me in to the wall, and my car was damaged, so I had to stop. I mean, it’s a mistake, that’s what it is, but I mean, what can I say, what can I do?” concluded the Nissan driver.
Joel Eriksson had an impressive first ever visit to Monaco with a double points score via a solid sixth on Saturday (featuring a duels appearance) and seventh place on Sunday for the Envision driver. But the Swede explained to FEN that the brutality of the racing in Formula E goes against his natural inclination for racing.
“The way they drive here in the championship is very aggressive, and something that I actually don’t want to do,” the Swede explained to FEN. “I don’t want to be driving in that way and that aggressive, and I don’t want to be nasty on track. The thing is, if you’re not being aggressive on track, then you’re going to get swallowed up and you’re going to fall back. It’s shocking, it’s like a shock every race. You have to be so aggressive and you have to be so hard when you’re defending. It’s hard racing.”
Olympic Legend in the Paddock
1980 and 1984 Olympic decathlon gold medal winner and all-round sporting legend Daley Thompson was in the Formula E paddock at Monaco, as a guest of CEO, Jeff Dodds, who he has known for many years. Thompson is no stranger to motorsport having campaigned sporadically in several saloon car championships in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Exclusive! F1 Drivers get out of bed, go to racetrack
Several F1 drivers travelled up to 800 metres to get to the Formula E pitlane at the weekend. Carlos Sainz Jnr, Lando Norris, Garbiel Bortoletto and Nico Hulkenberg, all residents of Monaco took the opportunity to catch up with several racing friends on the grid. Norris, who’s management team includes Fraser Sheader, who also looks after Jake Dennis, was a guest of the Andretti driver and 2023 Formula E champion on Sunday. Double F1 champion Fernando Alonso was originally scheduled to appear but was ultimately unable to attend.
Several drivers looked over the Gen4 development car, that was driven by David Coulthard on Sunday morning. “I had a look at the GEN4. It looks pretty impressive,” said Williams driver, Sainz Jnr. “It’s good to see some friends here, I have a lot of friends from motorsport who are in Formula E, and a lot of talented drivers and I’m very happy to see them competing here and giving their best.”
Coulthard completed six laps in the Gen4 and enthused to FEN that the car “Coulthard completed six laps in the Gen4 and enthused to FEN that the car “had none of this squirming around with the active diff” and “you can really trust it will go in a straightline.” Coulthard also revealed he had a moment he had to correct in the early phase of his run.
“Of course, you have to build lateral heat and grip in the tyre, so I had a little movement of the rear axle between the Tabac corner and the Swimming Pool chicane.”
To view the full interview with Coulthard after he drove the Gen4 click HERE.
Among other drivers present were Peugeot TotalEnergies driver and recent Spa pole setter Malthe Jakobsen and former World Touring Car Champion Augusto Farfus.
Sebastien Nato or Norman Buemi?
A slapstick helmet debacle amused the Nissan Formula E team just prior to Monaco when Norman Nato’s supplier delivered a freshly painted casque to him. But there was a surprise twist! Upon opening the box Nato was surprised to see that his Nissan predecessor, Sebastien Buemi, had appeared to have already claimed it for himself! The mix-up was quickly sorted out with the offending deference to one of Formula E’s OG drivers quickly changed.
Century’s Reached
Two well-known members of the Formula E paddock reached their 100th races at Monaco over the weekend. Nissan race director Dorian Boisdron celebrated his in style by being the Nissan representative on the podium to stand alongside Oliver Rowland on Sunday. Lola Yamaha ABT communications chief – and formerly ABB press liaison – Laura Simpson – toasted her 100th race by being honoured at FEN’s ‘gin palace’ moored in the Port Hercule harbour, an exhausting 90-seconds walk from the media centre.
