Former McLaren Indycar driver Nolan Siegel is interested in racing in Formula E next season and has talked with at least two teams about a possible move in to a race seat.
Siegel is also looking to still race in Indycar, is in discussions with possible new berths there and is believed to be prioritising staying on the Indycar grid with a deal for a third full season believed to be almost completed.
But Formula E Notebook has also learned that the American was considering possible future opportunities at both CUPRA KIRO and Lola, as the grid gets set to be completed for the first Gen4 era season beginning this December.
The Californian has taken part in two Indycar seasons with Arrow McLaren and had previously raced sporadically for Juncos Hollinger and Dale Coyne Racing. His best result across 37 Indycar races is a sixth place finish at last month’s Washington D.C race.
Siegel’s look at Formula E will come as a surprise, and perhaps it is a welcome one to the promoters, Formula E Operations, as he could become the first American driver to race in the series since Oliver Askew in 2022.
With Formula E has doubled-up on U.S races for its 13th calendar by adding a race at COTA in Austin to the already established Miami E-Prix in early 2027, and the fact it has recently secured a significant broadcasting partnership with Disney, an American driver will have added significance for the Gen4 period.
CUPRA Kiro has also been talking to Paul Aron and at least one other driver about a possible race deal for 2027. Ayhancan Guven remains a distinct possibility to make his Formula E debut in GEN4 after testing several times for Porsche throughout 2026 in both GEN3Evo and GEN4 machinery.
Lola meanwhile has tested both Dan Ticktum and Sting Ray Robb over the course of the last six weeks and continues to evaluate a large pool of drivers for potential Season 13 deals.
Unlike Robb, Siegel has no current plans to test a GEN4 Formula E car but could be available for the Valencia and Jarama test days in mid-November.
Would Siegel be competitive in FE?
Nolan Siegel would be on a very steep learning curve coming to Formula E, but a re-calibration of the series, via the new GEN4 car, might be an optimum time for the 21 year-old to make a leap.
Siegel has raced outside of the U.S domestic scene with appearances at Le Mans in 2024 with United Autosports, the Asian Le Mans Series and occasional GT3 races in Europe.
But his results have been modest and he has come in for his fair share of criticism, including a now infamous rant from his former Indycar colleague Will Power, something for which Power later apologised for.
Lola and CUPRA Kiro will find Siegel interesting because not only does he come with some pedigree via his seasons in IndyNXT and Indycar, but he also comes with financial resources that may be attractive for the GEN4 era.
So called ‘pay drivers’ are rare in Formula E but have been seen before, notably with deals such as Jehan Daruvala’s at Maserati MSG in 2024.
Should Siegel come to Formula E, he would need at least half a season to bed in properly, but with each driver on the grid discovering the new GEN4 car and its capabilities, he would be joining it at a pretty opportune time.
There is a possibility that Lola could take two complete rookies this coming season, meaning that a natural rivalry could be utilised within the team between them to extract the best out of their two chosen drivers.
However, Dan Ticktum could effectively lead the team in GEN4 after testing for the British constructor at the end of August, although his options remain open as he considers offers from elsewhere too.
