Formula E Confirms Record 17-Round 2025/26 Calendar and New Rules

Formula E returns to China, shortens qualifying, and revises its cost-cap rules ahead of the biggest season in series history.

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has confirmed its full Formula E 2025/26 calendar package following approval by the FIA World Motor Sport Council, featuring a record 17 rounds, refined sporting regulations, and an updated cost-cap policy focused on inclusivity and fairness.

A record calendar.
A return to Sanya.
And a rulebook built around speed and equality.

Season 12 is shaping up as Formula E’s boldest chapter yet.

Key Points

• Formula E returns to Sanya for the first time since 2019, joining Shanghai on the 17-round schedule.
• Miami will see a change in venue, moving to the Hard Rock Stadium layout at the Miami International Autodrome.
• Madrid (Jarama) joins as a brand-new European event.
• Qualifying sessions shortened to 10 minutes for faster, more dynamic racing.
• ATTACK MODE and PIT BOOST formats refined to keep strategy open.
• Maternity and parental pay excluded from the cost cap in a landmark inclusivity move.
• Pre-season testing confirmed for Valencia from 27–31 October 2025, including the all-women collective test.

Formula E Returns to China

Sanya is back.
The coastal city on Hainan Island last hosted a round in 2019 and now rejoins the championship as Round 12 in June 2026.

It’s more than a venue comeback.
China has been part of Formula E’s DNA since the inaugural Beijing E-Prix in 2014. Eleven Chinese races, ten different winners. That balance of chaos and parity defines the series.

With both Shanghai and Sanya confirmed, China once again becomes a two-race stop, underlining its importance to Formula E’s manufacturers and growing fanbase.

The Calendar at a Glance

Season 12 runs from São Paulo (6 December 2025) to London (15–16 August 2026), covering 11 cities and 17 rounds.

Highlights:

• Miami shifts to a new layout at the Hard Rock Stadium, keeping the U.S. firmly in the mix.
• Madrid (Jarama) joins as Spain’s first Formula E race.
• Monaco, Berlin, and Tokyo retain their double-headers.
• Jeddah remains the early-season night race.

It’s a calendar that feels confident, balanced, and unmistakably world-class.

Sporting Regulations Refined

Qualifying has been trimmed for speed and simplicity.
Groups now run for 10 minutes, with the six-minute minimum dropped. Knockout rounds are shorter too, bringing the whole session closer to one hour.

ATTACK MODE also evolves. PIT BOOST rounds will feature one activation, while standard races keep two. The penalty for missing the full activation time has been removed, allowing more flexibility and less predictability.

It’s a clean-up rather than a revolution, but one that should make the show sharper on track and tighter on TV.

Financial Regulations and Inclusivity

A subtle rule change with real-world impact.
Maternity and paternity pay are now excluded from the cost cap, letting teams properly support their staff without affecting competitiveness.

It builds on the FIA Girls on Track programme and the all-women collective test returning to Valencia on 31 October. Formula E continues to match its sustainability message with genuine equality initiatives.

Audience Growth and Fanbase Expansion

While the rulebook evolves, so does the reach. Formula E closed out Season 11 (2024/25) with record-breaking viewership and engagement, confirming its place among motorsport’s fastest-growing global championships.

The global cumulative TV audience climbed 14% to 561 million, while the fanbase hit 422 million, up 13% year-on-year. Social impressions topped 1.39 billion, and total video views jumped 47%.

The Mexico City E-Prix drew 46 million viewers, setting a new single-race record, and 58% of the audience is now classed as highly engaged. Tier-1 markets — the U.S., China, UK, and Germany – account for 158 million fans, more than a third of the global total.

Dodds highlighted the GEN3 Evo car as a key factor in that growth, calling it “the fastest accelerating FIA single-seater,” with the new GEN4 set to debut at the end of 2026.

Formula E 2025/26 calendar

Source: FIA Formula E Media / FIA World Motor Sport Council release.

Coffee Corner Take

Formula E has spent a decade finding its voice. Season 12 feels like the year it finally sounds confident.

This isn’t just a bigger calendar. It’s a championship that stretches across continents with purpose. The cities make sense. The venues feel deliberate. It looks and feels like a world series that knows what it is.

The sporting tweaks are small but sharp. Qualifying trimmed. ATTACK MODE simplified. Everything flows better, less showpiece and more substance. You can sense a series that’s learning from experience rather than reacting to noise.

Off-track, the message is clear. The cost cap update matters. The inclusivity work feels authentic. The fanbase is growing because people are starting to trust the product.

Add in record viewing figures and social growth, and Formula E suddenly looks settled. It doesn’t need to convince anyone it belongs anymore.

2025/26 isn’t reinvention. It’s refinement. The season where Formula E finally feels complete.