Formula E preview: Sanya E-Prix
- Vyas Ponnuri
- 2 minutes ago
- 7 min read
Formula E heads into the Sanya E-Prix this weekend, a long-lost venue from its Gen2 era, for the final standalone race of the season. It may just be one race, but it kicks off an important stretch of seven races for the teams and drivers to bring an end to the championship’s Gen3 era.
Sanya has been a prior host to Formula E in Season 5, with the grid of 22 back then making their way onto the Hainan island for a race on the tight and twisty streets. While the circuit was supposed to host a round in Season 6, the COVID-19 Pandemic and several measures by the Chinese government put Sanya out of the running to host a Formula E race.
While the weather along the Haitang Bay has often ended up at the extremes, there could be a rain dance potentially affecting the weekend’s running.
Mid-June often falls in the rainy season around the tropical island, and the weather is expected to be as unpredictable as the on-track action, with temperatures soaring past 33 degrees Celsius during the day.
Not much has been spoken of the 1.5 mi (2.52 km) long circuit, though, but with 12 turns and a series of straights punctuating the circuit, expect several drivers making lunges on race day.
It may be head-scratching as to how Formula E’s state-of-the-art Gen3 Evo machines will fare around a tight street circuit. The pole position time set by Oliver Rowland back in 2019 was a 1:07.945, back when the Formula E cars only ran at 200 kW (268 hp) and received an additional 25 kW (33 hp) through attack mode activation.
In comparison, today’s Gen3 Evo cars run at 300 kW of power (approx 400 hp) and 350 kW (460 bhp) in the duels stages of qualifying and attack mode. It would certainly leave drivers wondering how quickly they would lap the circuit, with lap times easily projected to be under the 60-second mark during the weekend on a dry track.
There is an air of novelty entering the venue for the drivers, though, with as many as 12 drivers on the current grid taking to the Sanya street track for the first time. The likes of 2019 winner Jean-Éric Vergne, podium finishers Rowland and António Félix da Costa, Lucas di Grassi, Pascal Wehrlein, championship leader Mitch Evans, Sébastien Buemi and Edoardo Mortara have prior experience around Sanya.
It only adds a layer of intrigue to Formula E in 2026, with Season 12 seeing as many as eight different winners in 10 races so far, with six different constructors’ standing on the top step of the Formula E podium this season.
A total of 12 drivers have finished on the podium in 2026, with rookies Felipe Drugovich and Pepe Martí headlining the rostrum last time out in Monaco. Several big hitters finished down the order in the Principality, giving Evans a 19-point lead in the standings.
The New Zealander has come close to a title several times in the championship, but Season 12 represents his best opportunity. The Jaguar has emerged a contender across different types of circuits, enabling them to win at street circuits such as Miami, Jeddah and Berlin, as well as a permanent road course in Jarama.
Even when several top runners were mired in the midfield, Jaguar were able to qualify and finish high up in Monaco, showcasing the strength of their package. Their pace on street circuits could once again be evident around the narrow streets of Sanya.
But the British team face a stern challenge from the ever-consistent Porsche pairing of Pascal Wehrlein and Nico Müller, while Mahindra would fancy their chances with Edoardo Mortara and Monaco winner Nyck de Vries on a strong run of form.
And all this before we mention Oliver Rowland, the Nissan man either scoring a podium or finishing outside the points in 2026, and the likes of Citroën’s Nick Cassidy, Andretti’s Jake Dennis and Envision’s Sébastien Buemi who have all scored big results at various points of Season 12.
With several drivers looking for a big finish to Season 12, Sanya will act as the catalyst to kick off this seven-race leg until the end of the season in August.
Championship standings ahead of the Sanya E-Prix:
Drivers’ standings:
Mitch Evans (Jaguar): 128 points
Oliver Rowland: 109 points
Edoardo Mortara: 103 points
Pascal Wehrlein: 101 points
Nico Müller: 83 points
Constructors’ standings:
Jaguar: 208 points
Porsche: 184 points
Mahindra Racing: 146 points
Nissan: 120 points
Envision Racing: 99 points
Track layout for the Sanya E-Prix
At only 1.5 miles long, Sanya’s street circuit is only a few hundred metres longer than London’s ExCel Arena and the makeshift Miami venue Formula E visited earlier this January. But there remains enough scenery around the circuit and a fair few overtaking spots for the drivers to admire come race day.
In what will be a very quick lap, drivers will take to the series of medium-speed left-handers making up Turns 1, 2 and 3, with limited room to make overtakes into this section. This section is slightly different to the one from Sanya’s previous layout back in 2019.
However, the run down to Turn 4 could set up an overtaking opportunity if a driver remains bold on the brakes. With attack mode also situated here, expect plenty of action as the drivers merge onto the circuit into Turn 5’s long right-hander.
The run down to Turn 6 could present a similar opportunity, if a driver in attack mode looks to attempt an overtake.
However, they would be fancying their chances down to the long hairpin of Turn 9, at the end of a long straight that runs along Turns 7 and 8. This could also end up being a hotspot for any incidents in the race (look back to Lucas di Grassi and Robin Frijns in 2019).
The run back in the opposite direction through Turn 10 carries over, but Turn 11 has been reprofiled into a flowing right-hander, removing the clunky sling chicane from the original layout. Drivers then go down to the left-hander of Turn 12, for a lap across the Sanya street circuit.
Timings for the Sanya E-Prix
Friday, 19/06 (Round 11)
Free Practice 1 - 16:30 - 17:10 local (08:30 - 09:15 BST)
Saturday, 20/06 (Round 11)
Free Practice 2 - 08:30 - 09:15 local (01:30 - 02:15 BST) -
Qualifying - 11:40 - 12:48 local (04:40 - 05:48 BST) -
Race (37 laps) - 15:05 - 16:00 local (08:05 - 09:00 BST)
How can I watch the Sanya E-Prix?
You can watch this weekend’s Sanya E-Prix live here! Check it out:
Major talking points for the Sanya E-Prix
A completely new track for the grid: As mentioned earlier, only eight of the 20 drivers on this year’s Formula E grid have driven a race weekend at Sanya. Max Günther drove on the Formula E grid back in Season 6, but missed the Sanya E-Prix. He makes up one of the 12 to take to this circuit for the first time. With uncertainty always prevailing around newer venues, expect Sanya to be more of the same this weekend.
Ticktum on the team watch: Heading into Sanya, Dan Ticktum was handed a second reprimand by Cupra Kiro, for his actions during the Madrid, Berlin and Monaco weekends. The British driver was exasperated to lose out on a Monaco podium due to a 33-second penalty, leaving the venue without attending the mandated media sessions.
This followed up his unhappy early departure in Berlin, after a powertrain issue ruled him out of the race halfway through. Ticktum has been a vocal figure on the paddock, after receiving his first reprimand by Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds in Mexico earlier this year.
Any further infractions could land Ticktum in serious trouble, with a potential benching even a possibility, although Cupra Kiro wouldn’t want it to go this far.
Can Rowland continue his podium-or-nothing streak? - A defining feature of Formula E’s Season 12 has been reigning champion Rowland’s attempt to defend his title. The Briton has finished on the podium more than anyone else this season, but sits a distance off championship leader Evans. Rowland has been on the podium in Sanya when Formula E last visited here in 2019 - and was on pole for the race. If that could be taken as a positive sign, it would do wonders for the Nissan man’s title hopes this weekend.
Rookies on the rise: Monaco was an absolute bounty for Formula E’s rookies, with Felipe Drugovich and Pepe Martí ending up on the podium in either race of the double-header. For the first time all season, both drivers outshone their respective teammates, and showcased their speed around a track from their Formula 2 seasons. Envision’s Joel Eriksson too scored points in both races, headlining a stellar weekend for all three drivers.
With this newfound confidence, it remains to be seen how the trio build on this in the final seven races of Season 12.
Drivers to watch out for at the Sanya E-Prix:
Mitch Evans: It is difficult to go into a race weekend in Season 12 without mentioning Evans as someone to look out for. The Jaguar man is looking to put an end to his tag of being a nearly-man and take home the trophy he has been chasing for a decade, and sign off on a high. With his form on street circuits, expect Evans to be in the mix for victory this weekend.
Taylor Barnard: At this point in 2025, DS Penske’s Taylor Barnard was earmarked as one of the stars of the future, notching up record after record and silverware. However, a combination of DS Penske’s less-than-ideal race pace coupled with incidents have left him with a tough season in the bag. His weekend starts on a worse note, thanks to a 10-place grid drop carried over from Monaco in a barrage of penalties issued that weekend.
Nyck de Vries: de Vries has turned around his season at Monaco for the second year running as a Mahindra driver. While 2025 brought him a first podium for the team, it was the outright win this time, with the Dutchman ending a long-standing victory drought for team and driver. In the break between Monaco and Sanya, de Vries has also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for Toyota, marking a golden period in motor racing where he cannot do much wrong. Fresh off this big accolade, can de Vries continue his uptick in form heading into Sanya?
Predictions for the Sanya E-Prix
Well, well, well. A lot of uncertainty heading into the weekend leaves it hard to make a prediction. However, as always, it wouldn’t be fair to leave this section empty.
As such, I would go in with a Rowland win once again, ahead of Wehrlein and de Vries for this weekend.
