Formula E Preview: London E-Prix - Timings and ways to watch
Formula E heads to familiar shores once again, with an exciting and intense London E-Prix double header awaiting the grid of 10 teams and 20 drivers. While a pair of champions will be crowned in London’s ExCel Arena, it also marks an emotional finale for Formula E’s Gen3 era, and the venue.
The indoor/outdoor locales of London’s ExCel Arena have always delivered exciting races, with late twists deciding the outcomes of season finales. Nick Cassidy would lose out in a pair of championship deciders in Seasons 9 and 10, while Jake Dennis and Pascal Wehrlein tasted success in the same seasons.
Races at London, though, have usually played out with an extra layer of intensity, with drivers fighting it out for every extra position they can secure, and teams slugging it out to finish higher in the constructors’ standings.
You can well expect the trend to carry on this season. Billed as one of the Formula E’s closely contested seasons, the current campaign has well and truly lived up to this expectation, as a total of 10 drivers have taken to the top step of the podium in 2026.
The season has also witnessed nine different winners in nine races, between António Félix da Costa’s close win in Jarama to Dan Ticktum’s last-lap move to steal the victory in Tokyo. There’s no doubt the upcoming weekend in London can match the record of 11 different winners in a season, or even deliver a 12th, knowing how the season has played out.
Apart from all the competitiveness, there also remains the elephant in the room - 14 points separating the top four in the drivers’ standings, the closest margin heading into a season finale since Season 7 in 2021. Time for Formula E to crown a champion
Championship standings heading into the London E-Prix
Drivers’ standings
Jake Dennis (Andretti) - 146 points
Mitch Evans (Jaguar) - 144 points
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) - 141 points
Oliver Rowland (Nissan) - 132 points
Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra Racing) - 116 points
Constructors’ standings
Jaguar - 257 points
Porsche - 243 points
Andretti - 211 points
Mahindra Racing - 210 points
Citroën Racing - 166 points
Track layout for the London E-Prix weekend
The layout for the season finale is the familiar route traversing through London’s ExCel Arena, and the familiar locales of the indoor/outdoor street circuit that have played host to Formula E for half a decade.
This will be the last time Formula E races around the ExCel Arena, with the indoor/outdoor city circuit making way for Brands Hatch in the Gen4 era’s first season. Even still, Formula E prepares for one last rodeo around the 2.09 km (1.3 mi) long circuit.
The narrow confines of London’s ExCel Arena should, in theory, not play out to as many overtaking opportunities. However, roll back the years and drivers have found several opportunities to make moves on this unique circuit.
For starters, Turn 1 has always opened up a space for drivers to make a move. However, it has also been a hotspot for incidents, with the tight apex and the entry into Turn 2 often causing drivers to crash at the run-off area. Oliver Rowland would endure a tough weekend in London in 2025, with an incident at Turn 2 highlighting the difficulties drivers face in this section of the track.
As the drivers cycle their way out of the ExCel Arena and down the decline to Turns 6, 7 and 8, they enter a section of the circuit that is also prone to incidents. The McLaren duo of Taylor Barnard and Sam Bird would be the victims of an opening lap nutcase in 2025, stranded behind the DS Penske of Max Günther at the venue.
Further down, the Custom House chicane of Turns 10 and 11 open up opportunities for an overtake, with drivers often carrying more speed into the chicane, at what still remains the prime passing opportunity on the circuit.
However, the high-speed run down to Turn 16 has proven tricky in recent years, with Rowland and Nyck de Vries making contact through the fast kinks of Turns 14 and 15. In this high speed section, drivers can get caught out, as Sacha Fenestraz did in 2024, with an airborne crash into the corner.
Nick Cassidy and António Félix da Costa also made contact at this point of the circuit, with the New Zealander picking up a puncture and kissing goodbye to his title chances in 2024’s finale.
With attack mode on the outside of Turn 16, it can also make for a pinch point into Turns 17 and 18, as drivers emerge right into the apex of the corner after taking attack mode. Bird and Norman Nato had an incident at this venue in 2025, showcasing just how tricky the section has become in recent years.
Turns 19 and 20 can make for an exciting overtaking opportunity, as drivers look for an overtake around the outside of the former, and hold the racing line into the inside of the latter. Wehrlein showcased this in 2024, as he pulled off an overtake at this section on his way to the title.
However, this section can be just as prone to incidents, with Dan Ticktum spinning Evans around at this section in 2025, while the first Gen3 race at the venue in 2023 saw a multi-car pile-up at the venue, resulting in a late red flag.
It’s set to be a scorching weekend at the ExCel Arena, and the heat could well be intensified as drivers give it their all to bring home the best outcome from the London double header, and sign off on a high in Season 12.
Timings for the London E-Prix
Fri (14/08)
FP1 - 16:00 - 16:40 BST
Sat (15/08)
FP2 - 08:30 - 09:10 BST
Quali - 10:40 - 11:48 BST
Race (38 laps) - 15:05 - 16:00 BST (with Pit Boost)
Sun (16/08)
FP3 - 08:30 - 09:10 BST
Quali - 10:40 - 11:48 BST
Race (35 laps) - 15:05 - 16:00 BST
Biggest talking points for the London E-Prix weekend
A final hurrah: It’s the final race weekend in Formula E’s Season 12, and there is no doubt drivers and teams will be pushing the extra mile to end the current campaign on a high.
It’s all to play for, and expect the gloves to be off when the pair of races kick off at London’s ExCel Arena. While there is a title fight up ahead, individual battles for fifth between Nissan and Citroën, and seventh between Envision Racing and Cupra Kiro are also to be settled this weekend.
Special liveries in London: DS Penske and Porsche have unveiled special designs for their cars for the season finale in London. The team in black and gold have gone for a look similar to their Gen2 DS Techeetah days, with a predominantly gold-shaded paint scheme.
Porsche have thrown it back to the 1980s with their design, going for a blue shade reminiscent of the Le Mans-winning 956 and 962C machines, and the 959 that emerged victorious in Dakar in 1986, as they commemorate 75 years of racing in motorsport championships.
Action all around the circuit: As mentioned above, the London E-Prix isn’t short of action in the races. With the status as season finale and championships on the line, drivers are always itching to go for an overtake. This has resulted in incidents at various points on the track, while drivers have been rewarded for bold overtaking moves around the indoor/outdoor circuit.
Gen3 era’s swansong weekend: While it is a weekend of finales, London also marks the final races of Formula E’s Gen3 Evo machine being used, and the final time Gen3 cars race in the championship.
The period of four seasons in the current generation of Formula E cars has marked a major transition from street tracks to more permanent venues, paving the way for the upcoming Gen4 era to take centrestage.
For one last time, fans can enjoy the speed and action of the Gen3 spec Formula E cars in London, before the all-new Gen4 machine takes centrestage in Season 13.
An emotional farewell to Mr Formula E: London will also mark the final time Lucas di Grassi takes to a Formula E race weekend as a driver. The Brazilian has been an integral part of the championship ever since its planning and inception in 2014, leading to him being known as Mr Formula E.
Di Grassi has won 14 races alongside his title win in Season 3, and recently added to his tally in Shanghai this year with a spectacular drive in changing conditions. He would certainly be eyeing the best result and sign off with a high in London, to cap off a memorable Formula E career.
What is at stake going into the London E-Prix weekend
In the words of Porsche team principal Florian Modlinger, “The London circuit is always capable of producing surprises.”
That is precisely the element determining the outcome of Formula E’s championship deciders in the Gen3 era, with London’s ExCel Arena seeing Dennis and Wehrlein seal their respective championships at the venue.
You don’t need to look too far into history to get a glimpse of just how tricky championship deciders can get at the London E-Prix. Nick Cassidy has seen his title hopes evaporate in the tension and the nerves in Season 9 and 10, with contact during the races cutting short his title runs in both years.
Coming into the weekend, though, it almost appears poetic for Andretti’s Dennis to lead the standings. A golden chance to seal yet another title on home soil, and the driver leading after Round 1 could end up being the same after the season finale.
However, the theme of the season has been all about holding your nerves and keeping it clean on the circuit. The drivers’ championship lead has changed hands eight times in 15 races, with no driver being able to pull out or hold on to a significant advantage at the top, like Oliver Rowland did in Season 11.
Evans has been the front-runner for much of the season, leading the championship since Round 8 in Berlin, up until Round 12 in Shanghai, before reclaiming and later being nudged out of the lead in Tokyo by a chasing Dennis.
Both drivers have endured contrasting fortunes in the Asian stretch of the season, with Dennis accumulating four podiums and 80 points since the Sanya E-Prix in June. Evans, on the other hand, has managed all of 16 points, with reliability issues dogging this stretch of the season.
Despite escaping a difficult Sanya weekend, Wehrlein and Rowland have managed to recover ground in the standings. The German scored a crucial victory in Shanghai from pole, accumulating 40 valuable points from the double header, and sits second despite a scoreless Tokyo weekend.
Rowland may have lost his podium streak in Tokyo, but recovered valuable ground on Nissan’s home turf, climbing up from eighth to fourth by the flag and ensuring he is within reach of championship leader Dennis.
Even as the top four may be in prime position to seal the title, a difficult weekend in London could leave them vulnerable to the chasing Edoardo Mortara or António Félix da Costa. The Mahindra man has scored four pole positions in 2026, and has shown he can fight at the front of the field.
While the likes of Nico Müller, Nick Cassidy and de Vries down in ninth are still in mathematical contention, they will require several drivers ahead to have a difficult London weekend to even remain with a shout of winning the title.
A similar case has played out in the teams’ championship. Despite their ascendancy at the top, the leading Porsche and Jaguar pair haven’t scored big points in the recent rounds. Jaguar have accumulated all of 14 points in the last three completed Formula E rounds. Porsche only fare slightly better, having scored 24 points between Rounds 13 and 15.
Despite their gulf to the chasing duo of Andretti and Mahindra, both teams will be vary of any slip-ups in London, with the latter duo ready to capitalise on any opportunities presented to them. Andretti have found plenty of form in the Asian leg, scoring 48 points between Round 13 and 15, while Mahindra sit close behind on 38 points, courtesy of de Vries’ win in Tokyo.
This fight will go all the way down to the final race of the season, and can be made more intriguing if the chasing duo make further inroads into Porsche and Jaguar’s lead.
Drivers to watch out for in London
Edoardo Mortara: The Swiss driver emerged as one of the prime contenders, even leading the championship in Berlin. However, his season has fallen away in the Asian stretch, with only one points finishes in the last five completed races. Yet, he still remains one of the fastest in qualifying, with a record-equalling four poles in Season 12. There remains a high chance of Mortara netting yet another pole before the season comes to an end.
Taylor Barnard: After all the promise from a breakout rookie campaign, Season 12 has been one of difficulties for Barnard. DS Penske’s race struggles have often left the Briton sliding down the order late in the races, as the double header in Tokyo showed. Barnard, though, would be motivated by a return to home turf, and will be looking for a special drive in front of his home fans to round out a tough season.
Dan Ticktum: Cupra Kiro’s Ticktum has endured a season of mixed fortunes. However, a victory last time out has certainly improved the Briton’s chances of staying on the Gen4 grid. While his season started off on a difficult note with three DNFs, a strong result at home would be welcome for both Ticktum and Cupra Kiro, who are hunting down seventh in the constructors’ standings.
How to watch the racing action in London
You can watch this weekend’s London finale live here! Check it out:How to watch the London E- Prix in your country
Predictions
It’s always tricky to predict the result in London, given how things change in the blink of an eye. But I would go with a Mahindra resurgence continuing into the season finale. Cassidy wins Round 16, from Mortara and Ticktum.
On the other hand, I’ll put Mortara winning the season finale on Sunday, ahead of Rowland and de Vries, in a thrilling finale.
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