All you need to know about the new Fusion Formula E Team's Gen4 plan
After plenty of suspense and intrigue, the final name of Formula E’s 12th team has been revealed. Known as the Fusion Formula E Team, it will compete under this name for the upcoming 2026-27 season, the first year of Formula E’s Gen4 era.
This entry’s journey through the shadows, though, can be traced back to November 2025, even before Season 12 had begun. An early announcement by Porsche revealed the manufacturer’s firm interest in running a second factory team alongside its existing works entry for the Gen4 era.
Yet, a lengthy period of silence followed across Season 12, with little revealed about the progress and outcome of this entry for the upcoming Gen4 era. Even as late as July this year, little information had been divulged about this entry, yet firm confirmation of their status on the Gen4 era’s grid remained.
The fate of Formula E’s entry remained tucked away even as early as the start of October 2026, with plenty of doubt about whether the two Porsche-powered cars would make pre-season testing at Jarama later in the year. A recent report from Formula E Notebook has revealed an answer, with the team officially known to the public as Fusion Formula E Team.
How Porsche’s plans for a second factory entry fell away
Trace back to November 2025. Porsche - the reigning constructors’ champions at the time - had taken several decisions behind the scenes. One of them was to expand their presence in Formula E.
The German manufacturer had already cut down on their three-car hypercar programme in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) for several reasons, such as declining sales of its much-anticipated electric vehicle line-up, lower profit margins and higher tariffs imposed by the USA that contributed to this decision.
Porsche retained its hypercar entries for the IMSA championship in the USA but made a major pivot to expand its presence in Formula E. This move made sense, given the brand’s desire to grow its electric vehicle portfolio and turn around its margins. With Formula E known to be a testbed to understand how the technology can be transferred to road cars, this played out in Porsche’s hands.
As such, Porsche announced their decision to field a second works team from Season 13 - the first year of the Gen4 era. The investment would cost the company a fraction - given they were to both operate out of the same Weissach facility using the same Porsche chassis and powertrains.
The decision, though, wasn’t met with the same reaction from the Formula E grid. Several teams raised concerns about the conflict of interest this could cause, and whether an element of subservience could arise with one manufacturer running two sets of cars over the course of a season.
Comparisons could also be drawn to the closeness in relationship between Red Bull and Racing Bulls in Formula One, and the idea of the sister team instructed not to battle the drivers from the senior works team when on track together. However, despite these questions, the fate of Porsche’s Gen4 entries looked secure on paper.
While the works squad’s incumbent duo of Pascal Wehrlein and Nico Müller continued to extensively test the Porsche 975 RSE prototype through the season, the second Porsche entry looked focused on promoting younger stars, or their factory drivers. One emerging name in this facet was 2025 DTM champion Ayhancan Güven.
The Turkish driver had previously tested Formula E’s Gen3 Evo car, and continued to do so during the Rookie Test in Jarama and Rookie Free Practice in Miami. He also tested the Gen4 Porsche concept at Alès-Cévennes back in April.
He remained one of the firm favourites to take a seat at Porsche’s second works entry. However, little had been known of this entry even at the halfway point of Season 12, when several teams had already commenced their Gen4 testing plans.
The first rumblings, albeit unofficial, appeared in July. Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries had answered a question during the Tokyo E-Prix weekend, stating Porsche wouldn’t be fielding a second factory team anymore in the Gen4 era.
It came as a surprise from an unexpected source, given de Vries was contracted with Mahindra at the time, and expected to continue into the Gen4 era with the Indian manufacturer. This, though, could still have been taken as an important source, given de Vries may have engaged in talks to join the squad for the Gen4 era. While Formula E mentioned they had not been informed of such a development, the longevity of the silence ever since Porsche’s initial announcement also drew several question marks about whether this entry would even feature on the grid in the Gen4 era.
Further clarity emerged towards the end of August and in September, with media outlets reporting on Porsche abandoning its plans to go with a second factory entry and instead supplying powertrains to a sister team.
The curious case of the NewCo Formula E Team
For the first time since the entry’s existence on paper, it looked as though Porsche may not feature a setup that powered six cars on the grid.
Many had begun to question if the team was really going to race in the upcoming season, with the tight turnaround between pre-season testing in Jarama on November 16 and the scale of work that needed to be accomplished.
It was also assumed that the entry’s existence depended on how far along Güven got in his quest to make it to Formula E, given he was the most credible name associated with the squad.
However, Porsche were certain this entry was to stay on the grid for the Gen4 era. In the applicants list published by Formula E on September 19, this entry was listed as NewCo Formula E Team, powered by the German manufacturer’s powertrains.
This text is most often used as a placeholder for a company that is still up and coming. And as was expected, a more concrete name was to emerge as time went on. The entry was still being set up behind the scenes, even as the deadline to complete the registration loomed large on October 16.
But with time, most answers have been revealed to every question this season. This entry, though, remained the only one to not have a concrete identity, and shrouded in mystery.
Further reports even revealed Lando Norris’ potential interest in the squad through his latest venture, LN4 Fusion. The Briton, who was in the paddock at the Monaco E-Prix earlier this year, spoke highly of the upcoming Gen4 era, sparking potential comparisons.
However, this had not been considered as a possible link to the outfit joining Formula E, and had limited its presence to junior racing championships along the Road to Formula One.
Yet, one key link to that LN4 Fusion outfit held close ties with this newly developing entry.
The arrival of the Fusion Formula E Team onto the grid
The fate of the NewCo Formula E Team, though, became clear heading into Monday, October 19 2026. A report by sources at Formula E Notebook revealed the true picture of this entry that had been taking shape slowly but steadily in the background.
This entry, named the Fusion Formula E Team, may have initially come across as closely related to the LN4 Fusion outfit. Yet, despite the similarities in name, one figure had been a common affiliation to both entries: Dan Richards.
A key investor in LN4 Fusion, Richards had also founded the Fusion Formula E Team entry and will also serve as its director and majority stakeholder. This company had also been registered in the UK under the name SAJ Finance Ltd.
Another key figure involved in the team’s operations will be former DS Penske deputy team principal Phil Charles. Following DS Automobiles’ exit from the championship, he has actively scouted for a Race Engineer, Strategy Engineer and a Systems/Control Engineer only two days prior.
Charles is a figure who brings plenty of experience working in Formula One’s Renault and AlphaTauri set-ups, and Formula E’s DS Penske entry in the past, and will take up the Team Principal and Managing Director roles in this setup.
Who will drive for this team, though?
Given the Porsche-powered affiliations continuing, the two names emerging at the forefront to take the seats are Güven and David Beckmann. The former is still chasing an e-licence courtesy of his campaign with Porsche in the LMGT3 class of the World Endurance Championship.
Meanwhile, Beckmann has served as a reserve driver for Porsche in Season 12, having come off a difficult campaign with Cupra Kiro that earned a single point. His name has always remained at the forefront of Porsche’s plans, though.
Another name in Formula E’s driver market for the upcoming season is Joel Eriksson. The Swedish driver had been let go by Envision at the end of Season 12 and has emerged as an active prospect for a seat at either Fortescue Zero or the Fusion Formula E Team. It remains to be seen if he stays on the grid for Season 13, though.
These names come as the more prominent ones in the realms of Formula E to be considered for a seat at the team, with options running thin as the grid continues to fill up for Season 13.
It also remains to be seen if the team may consider fielding a driver bringing financial backing with them, in order to bolster the team’s position going into the new season.
DIVEBOMB’s thoughts
Formula E’s Gen4 era has already begun with a bang, and several surprises have been on display as the championship navigates one of its most transformative eras.
Teams such as Fortescue Zero and the newly minted Fusion Formula E Team only drive forward the rapidly changing scenarios taking place in Formula E’s scene for the upcoming era, with teams racing against time to finalise their entries and prepare their packages for pre-season testing in Jarama.
While several teams have already gotten a head start on testing and mileage in the Gen4 cars, this new Formula E entry faces considerably large-scale challenges to match up to that feat. As evidenced by Charles’ recruitment post in recent times, the entry is putting together personnel and finds itself in a race against time to put together two Formula E Porsche cars for testing in a month’s time.
There also remains the added challenge of finding two names available to compete for the entry in Formula E next year. While several teams have gone for stability and chosen experienced heads to take to their line-ups, the driver market is now running thin on experience, and more rookies are lining up to take a precious opportunity at one of motorsport’s growing championships.
Güven remains a front-runner, but brings the uncertainty that may leave Porsche waiting until the very end to confirm his seat. Beckmann can emerge as a solid contender for this seat, and brings prior experience, albeit his sample size is a lot smaller in this regard.
Eriksson can be an excellent option for this seat, but faces conflicting commitments and will miss pre-season testing due to his participation in the FIA GT World Cup in Macau from November 19-22, 2026, throwing another curveball in this race.
Should Fusion Formula E Team rely on finding a rookie, a vast pool of drivers are available to them. Two names on this list include former Cupra Kiro tester Cian Shields and former DS Penske test driver Nikita Bedrin due to their links to powertrain and personnel within the team.
However, both are still working out schedules for 2027, with their availability subject to commitments outside Formula E.
The Fusion Formula E Team, though, will enjoy the input and understanding from visuals and videos of the Porsche 975 RSE in action at several racetracks.
Despite going into pre-season testing relatively cold, they will look to actively build on mileage ahead of the season, and bring competitiveness to a field of 24 cars on the grid, a full-house for Formula E for the first time since 2021.
For now, six Formula E seats remain vacant for Season 13. The two belonging to this entry are expected to be the last ones to be finalised for the coming season of racing.
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