Formula E preview: Miami
- Vyas Ponnuri
- 2 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Formula E heads into its final American jaunt with a spring in its step. After an entertaining weekend in Mexico City, there’s plenty to look forward to in the championship’s annual stateside visit, with a familiar venue in focus this time.
Formula 1 fans, you might recognise this. Picture a race taking place next to a famous stadium, with overpasses, a marina and streets in the background.
While this track has been subjected to mixed reviews after a handful of F1 races, there remains growing optimism that the venue hosting this weekend’s race could be the future of Formula E in the USA, especially with the Gen4 cars coming in next year.
The all-electric series has ventured all the way across the states in search of that venue. Coast-to-coast, from the suburbs of New York to the tight streets of Long Beach, with a visit to the permanent road course in Portland packed in between. It’s quite the journey, one that even saw them land up at a famous NASCAR host venue in Season 11, albeit in Miami itself. But Season 12 could prove to be a different picture, and an unmistakable landmark in Formula E’s great American road trip.
And that’s because the venue in question is the unmistakable Miami International Autodrome. Having hosted the famous Evo sessions when Formula E went on a two-month lull in 2025, the event featured a series of hand-picked celebrities pitted alongside full-time Formula E drivers around a shortened version of the circuit.
While this special event witnessed several famous moments — with Mr Beast famously spinning around Dan Ticktum’s Cupra Kiro, Scott Mansell (aka Driver61) going quickest in the Lola ABT Yamaha, and Emelia Hartford looking quick in the Maserati, it also gave life to the idea of Formula E racing officially at the venue.
The Miami International Autodrome ticks off several boxes on Formula E’s list: A city-centre track, the barriers in close proximity, and a venue accessible for those residing in sunshine state.
Options to use a longer track layout for the Gen4 era too exist, giving it long-term flexibility, while celebrities are certainly expected to be in attendance at the venue. Emily in Paris actor Lucien Laviscount was recently named as the brand ambassador for Season 12, while Latin music star Farruko will also thrill the audience on race day with a pre-race concert. Expect more to join in as the weekend gets underway.
Throw in a weekend with a special Rookie Free Practice (FP0) session, a home race for three Formula E teams, with a grid hungry for more after an exciting weekend in Mexico City, and all the ingredients for a successful American weekend are certainly in the making for a thriller on Saturday afternoon.
Championship standings heading into the weekend
Drivers’ standings
Nick Cassidy (Citroën Racing) - 40 points
Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E Team) - 36 points
Oliver Rowland (Nissan) - 34 points
Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) - 23 points
Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra Racing) - 18 points
Constructors’ standings
Citroën Racing - 44 points
Andretti Formula E Team - 36 points
Nissan - 35 points
Porsche - 35 points
Mahindra Racing - 20 points
Last time in Mexico City
Starting 13th on the grid, Cassidy reeled off yet another comeback drive. Despite going into António Félix da Costa’s Jaguar on Lap 25, he recomposed, using six minutes of attack mode to climb up the order and eventually take the race lead.
Long-time race leaders Edoardo Mortara and Nico Müller couldn’t match the same pace of the Citroën man. Despite having two minutes of attack mode, Mortara couldn’t surpass Cassidy on the track, while Oliver Rowland managed to sneak past Jake Dennis on the last lap for third.
Further back, several recovery drives earned points, including Pepe Martí from last to seventh, Cassidy’s teammate Jean-Éric Vergne from 18th to eighth, while Pascal Wehrlein climbed up five positions to finish sixth.
The venue for the weekend
The outlines and contours of a familiar venue certainly lie in the background. However, it’s a shortened, 2.32 km (1.44 mi), with lap times even predicted to be in the 60-second range.
It’s a familiar layout to the F1 version, with the right-hander of Turn 1 expected to be a major overtaking spot come race day. The familiar medium-speed section of Turns 2 and 3 follows quickly, testing the drivers and their necks.
However, this is where the familiarity ends. Almost akin to Formula E’s next race weekend in Jeddah, a left-hand hairpin of Turn 4 takes the drivers onto the F1 layout’s first straight.
A quick, sharp deviation of Turns 6 and 7 then greets the drivers, slowing them down before the medium speed left of Turn 8 takes the drivers onto an unexplored section of the track.
Expect the quick kinks of Turns 9 and 10 to be nothing for the current Gen3 Evo cars, effectively forming a straight all the way up to Turn 11.
The cars then take this left-hander to join the F1 layout once again, this time onto the back straight leading to the left-hand hairpin of Turn 13. With its tight turning radius, expect drivers to make overtakes in this portion of the circuit.
A mere turn of the steering wheel in Turn 14 takes the drivers onto the main straight, for a lap of the Miami International Autodrome, this time in Formula E colours.
The tighter corners in the infield would make for less overtaking, and expect drivers to take their chances heading into Turns 1 and 13, at the end of two long straights. Unless a driver is in attack mode or gets a poor exit, an overtake elsewhere would seem more unlikely.
With only a singular race this weekend, teams will not use Pit Boost, and the mandatory two activations of attack mode will remain in play, as was the case in Mexico City and São Paulo.
Timings for the Miami E-Prix (GMT)
FP0 (Rookie Free Practice): 14:30 - 15:10 local time (19:30-20:10 GMT)
FP1: 17:00 - 17:40 local time (22:00 - 22:40 GMT)
FP2: 07:30 - 08:25 local time (12:30 - 13:25 GMT)
Qualifying: 09:40 - 10:48 local time (14:40 - 15:48 GMT
Race (39 laps): 14:05 - 15:00 local time (19:05 - 20:00 GMT)
But wait, what is FP0 (Rookie Free Practice)?
This 40-minute Rookie Free Practice session provides opportunities to drivers with no prior experience of racing a Formula E car, opening up a chance for them to hone their skills and test one of motorsport’s fastest machines.
It is officially called FP0 (Free Practice 0), given its status as a session taking place alongside regular race weekend activity. Alongside their experience driving the Gen3 Evo car, the rookie free practice drivers will be able to spend the weekend in their respective garages, learning about the championship and how teams operate on race weekends.
The session takes place in Miami this year, shifting from Jeddah in Season 11. Another change allows teams to run two young drivers in FP0 this year, however, only Nissan have opted to use this rule to their advantage.
Cupra Kiro are the only exception, fielding full-time rookie Pepe Martí as their representative for the session. The American team have utilised Article 4.7 of the sporting regulations, which states: “A driver who has never participated in a competition or entering a competition for the first time will be considered as a 'rookie’ until the end of its first participation or until the moment it participates in two competitions in different seasons."
Once again, it’s a diverse grid taking to the track for this session, featuring drivers from Formula 2, Formula 3, IndyCar, DTM, GB3 and F1 Academy. The drivers taking part in FP0 this weekend are:
Nissan: Abbi Pulling, Gabriele Minì
Citroën Racing: Theo Pourchaire
Porsche: Ayhancan Güven
DS Penske: Nikita Bedrin
Mahindra Racing: Chloe Chambers
Andretti Formula E Team: Dennis Hauger
Envision Racing: Zak O’Sullivan
Lola Yamaha ABT: Hugh Barter
Cupra Kiro: Pepe Martí
Jaguar: Alessandro Giusti
Storylines for the Miami E-Prix
A new track in the spotlight: There’s always the unmistakable buzz and excitement when Formula E (or any championship) heads to a new venue for a race weekend. It’s unexplored territory, and all eyes will be on the shortened Miami layout to see how drivers tackle the circuit this weekend.
Can Nick Cassidy continue his successful run?: Despite Citroën Racing and their novelty into the championship, the French team have been operating at a high level in Season 12. Nick Cassidy has kicked off the current campaign in the same way he ended the previous season: On the podium. Two races, two rostrum appearances, including one on the top step, have catapulted him to the championship lead. Can he make it three out of three, and maintain his top spot?
Home race trifecta: It’s the yearly American weekend, and that marks the home race for three Formula E teams. Andretti and DS Penske make up two big names in American motor racing, while Cupra Kiro too have stateside roots. Andretti are also coming in with a special yellow livery this weekend, replacing the traditional red. All three teams will be looking to make a big mark on home turf.
Can Dan Ticktum get on the board?: Of all the 20 names in Formula E this year, you wouldn’t have expected to see Cupra Kiro’s Dan Ticktum propping up the standings. Ticktum hasn’t been able to see the chequered flag this year, being the unlucky victim at the receiving end of incidents at São Paulo and Mexico City. He will be looking for a clean race in Miami this time around.
Can Mahindra build on Mexico podium?: One of the highlights of Mexico City was Edoardo Mortara taking his maiden podium at the venue, and Mahindra’s first of the year. Having run at the front all race and in the fight for victory, Mortara’s performance delivered timely relief to the Indian manufacturer that they can fight at the front of the field. Both Mortara and Nyck de Vries will be looking for a steady weekend in Miami once again.
Drivers in the spotlight in Miami
Taylor Barnard: Formula E’s youngest pole-sitter delivered once again in qualifying, setting a scorching lap time to take pole in Mexico City. However, his joy was short-lived, with the DS Penske man found to have exceeded track limits by a smidgeon at Turn 16. He will be looking to make it count this time in Miami and take home more valuable points.
Nick Cassidy: Are there any more superlatives you can use to describe Cassidy’s performances lately? It’s early into the season, but Citroën’s novelty and the New Zealander’s standout comeback performances make him one to watch in Miami this weekend.
Oliver Rowland: Two drivers have stood on the podium at both weekends in Season 12, and one of them remains reigning champion Oliver Rowland. The Nissan man has accumulated points steadily, the highlight being a last-lap pass on Jake Dennis in Mexico City which got him third at the flag. He will be looking to add to the tally in Miami this weekend.
Pepe Martí: While he will gain an extra 40 minutes of track time through his FP0 appearance, you’d wonder if this would help Martí be at one with his Cupra Kiro, especially around a new track. It will also be interesting if he can score more points, especially at a venue new to every driver on the grid.
How to watch the Miami E-Prix
You can watch the Miami E-Prix live this weekend, find out here:
Predictions for the weekend
It’s Miami race week, and a new track throws up several surprises. Therefore, I’d predict a third different winner in three races. Envision Racing’s Sébastien Buemi will take victory, making up for Mexico City, while Mortara and Cassidy will join him on the podium.
