The traditional pre-season Formula E test, that this year will take place at Jarama the venue of the 16th and 17th rounds of the 2026-27 world championship, will feature 18 hours of track running and two mocked up E-Prix simulations, including the first ever ‘Unleashed’ race trial.
Track testing is set to take place across Monday 16th, Wednesday 18th and Friday 20th November at the scene of the Madrid E-Prix. The first ever group test, with what should be all 12 teams, will mean that a full grid of Formula E cars will run concurrently for the first time since the 2021 Berlin E-Prix.
Formula E Notebook can reveal details of the timetable plans across the week, which will include simulated races in both the classic E-Prix format and the new Formula E ‘Unleashed’ guise, which will see cars in the high-downforce configuration and use a condensed six-minute window of the Attack Mode.
At double-header races in the first season of GEN4, teams will also run to a more typical ‘energy race’ with the ‘Unleashed’ format event across the two days that constitute the E-Prix itself.
At Jarama, an energy mock-up E-Prix is set to be trialled on the afternoon of Wednesday 18th November between 14.00-15.00, while the ‘Unleashed’ race will go green on the afternoon of Friday 20th, also between 14.00 and 15.00 local time.
Manufacturers have completed race distances in their private testing sessions recently, although generally being the only cars on track or at most with one other manufacturer running. The Jaram test will be the first ever time that all teams have assembled with the 24 race cars they will run in the 2026-27 campaign.
The Tuesday and Thursday timetables are built around media and content collation for the championship and affiliate broadcasters and media entities.
It is still believed that the chicane on the pit straight will still be used at the Circuito del Jarama track, in a similar or same design as was used for the inaugural Madrid E-Prix last March.
Will all the entrants make it to Jarama?
Teams now have just three full weeks until they have to transport cars to Jarama, or even less if they aim to make a one day private test at the Valencia circuit scheduled for Wednesday November 11.
Although still to be confirmed, 12 teams are anticipated to be on the official entry list which will be made public next month. The entry deadline for teams was last Friday, with FEN learning that the new Fusion Formula E Team has been granted an entry on to the grid. Whether or not at this late stage it is realistic for the Fusion team to make the Jarama test is unclear, with one senior paddock source even telling FEN this week that it may even be “impossible” for them to take part fully.
Several teams are known to be up against it, in terms of getting fully prepared for the Jarama test, with the new Fortescue Zero squad known to also be particularly tight on time. This is because Jaguar was not as prepared as Porsche in serving two customer teams, after the Fortescue Zero acquisition of DS Penske was only finalised in mid-September, meaning that lead times on some parts orders are marginal to be on time to test at Jarama.
Lola also has challenges in getting everything ready for the test due to their equipment not being dispatched from once partners ABT until quite recently, leading to significant operational for the team which has yet to confirm even its drivers for the new season.
Such is the scramble to get ready for the pre-season test, even other more established teams are presently struggling to finish their race cars due to some supplier delays on parts. Potentially, teams may have to prioritise specific cars at the test or even just run one car, as some key components, especially the spec supplied front powertrain kits are in short supply at present.
Then there is the reality of garage builds and equipment for races next season. The first leg of advance sea freight left at the end of September, and the other leg stages of sea freight are believed to be leaving from next week onward.
The other factor that will be considered, is if and when the Jeddah E-Prix might be postponed. This is known to presently be in serious consideration by Formula E Operations, with news of a calendar re-alignment potentially being made ahead of the Jarama test,
Should that come to pass it would give teams a bit of respite until what could be the season opener at Mexico City in January.
Although, there is also a train of thought in the paddock that in fact this will not make such a difference, as the race cars and other equipment may in fact go from Madrid by sea freight anyway, should the Mxico City E-Prix in January eventually become the opening GEN4 event.
