Citroën Racing to join Formula E from 2026; replace Maserati entry

Written by Vyas Ponnuri

French automotive giant Citroën will join the electric racing scene from 2026, taking over the entry run by fellow Stellantis marque Maserati MSG. Serial winners in rallying and touring cars, this will be the brand's first foray into single-seater electric racing. The team's drivers are expected to be announced in due course.

Citroën will join Formula E in 2026, replacing Maserati | Credit: Formula E

A heavily rumoured move heading into the off-season became official when the French manufacturer put up a video trailer on their social media handles, signalling their entry to the Formula E championship from 2026.

Citroën boast of a decorated motor racing history, having taken nine World Rally Championship (WRC) drivers' titles and eight constructors' titles, three World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) drivers and constructors' titles each. Citroën were also at the centre of the most successful crew combination in the WRC, featuring rally legend Sébastien Loeb and his co-driver Daniel Elena.

The French team has also triumphed in the famous Dakar Rally four times, with five championships in a row in the World Rally Raid Championship between 1993 and 1997.

While they are no stranger to winning on the gravel and with sportscars, this will be Citroën's first venture into open-wheel single-seater racing, as well as electric racing.

The shift towards Formula E also aligns with the brand's long term goal, with a wide range of Citroën's electric road cars plying on the roads around the world. The Citroën Ami EV is famous for its unique proportions, while the E-C3 is popular in Europe, while it is used as a taxi on Indian roads.

The brand will be looking to embrace the "new challenge" of Formula E, embodying their values and heralding the future of mobility.

"Citroën is returning to motorsport, an arena that shaped its history and legend - motorsport in its most visionary form: an 100% electric, responsible and committed competition with popular races in the heart of cities, a young, committed, connected audience and a technological, international showcase for the future of mobility," the French brand commented on their newest venture.

Maserati will exit the championship after three seasons | Credit: Ryan Fleming

Citroën will take over the mantle from Maserati under the Monaco Sports Group (MSG) team banner, with the blue Tridents never being able to fully take off after joining the championship. With three victories in the team's trio of years in the series, seven podiums and two pole positions, Maserati scored a best finishing position of sixth in 2023.

Season 11 for the Italian marque was punctuated by instability, with a failed takeover of the MSG-owned franchise in the early stages of the season. The team's performances on track also appeared to be affected, with the duo of Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Hughes only managing two podium appearances between them. The Belgian driver won in Tokyo, while Hughes podiumed earlier in the season in Jeddah.

While it hasn't been confirmed yet, strong rumours suggest an extremely potent driver line-up of Nick Cassidy and Jean-Éric Vergne, who will move over from Jaguar and Citroën's sister manufacturer DS Penske respectively. With a season to bed in and understand the working of the series before the Gen4 Formula E era in 2027, expect Citroën to have a strong learning curve as the series progresses.