Formula E preview: Season 12 and São Paulo
- Vyas Ponnuri
- 2 minutes ago
- 8 min read
Written by Vyas Ponnuri
Four months of silence, break and lull have finally broken to give way to Formula E's Season 12, with the São Paulo E-Prix kicking off the run to the flag for Formula E's Gen3 era. 20 drivers and 10 teams will embark on a nine-month journey across 17 races, in a bid to crown a champion.
Season 12 marks an important milestone for Formula E, being the final one before the series officially moves into the Gen4 era, featuring another significant leap and advancement in electric racing technology.
It also marks the highly-anticipated debut season for a renowned French manufacturer, the return of a much-anticipated nation to Formula E's calendar, while one of the oldest teams in the championship looks firmly in the mix heading into Season 12.
Add in a German team looking to become the first to defend their title since .... another German team did so four years ago, growing anticipation for the upcoming Gen4 era, while one driver holds the strong chance of earning back-to-back titles.
Sounds interesting, right?
Well, this French manufacturer has already sent ripples across the paddock by assembling a driver pairing capable of dominating the series on their day. Picture this: The series' most successful driver and a driver hungry for glory, looking to avenge two bitter championship losses, now find themselves on the same team.
Well, that's what you get with Citroën Racing, as Jean-Éric Vergne and Nick Cassidy prepare for the team's debut in open wheel single-seater racing. The team has already created a splash through fancy launch events, and aim to go for glory with the French tricolore adorning the Citroën ë-CX in 2026. Can they spring a surprise on debut?
Citroën aren't the only one getting all the attention, though. DS Penske signed a hot prospect for the season, a driver coming hot on the heels of a rookie season etched among the best in the series. There's no reason you shouldn't be looking out for a fiery line-up comprising Taylor Barnard and Maximilian Günther that will come striking out of the blocks straight away.
Then you come to the bigwigs. After all the drama unfolded behind closed doors, Porsche and António Félix da Costa parted ways at the end of Season 11, with da Costa heading to rivals Jaguar to form an exciting line-up alongside Mitch Evans. The German manufacturer, meanwhile, has placed faith within their camp, giving Nico Müller the chance to race alongside Pascal Wehrlein in 2026. Will this team be able to defend their constructors' title?
More questions will be asked of Müller's former team, Andretti, with Brazilian racer Felipe Drugovich becoming Jake Dennis' fifth teammate in five seasons. Is he finally the driver Andretti have been seeking?
Envision Racing have also seen plenty of questions directed their way. With long-time reserve Joel Eriksson stepping up to a race seat alongside Sébastien Buemi on multi-year deals, one wonders if this might just turn out to be a masterstroke, or if Envision Racing should have gone in for a more experienced figure to replace the departing Robin Frijns.
Cupra Kiro, meanwhile, will be hoping for better fortunes in 2026, bringing on Spanish rookie Pepe Martí alongside long timer Dan Ticktum for the future. Will this investment in a fresh face pay off in the long run? Only time will tell.
Three teams haven't changed their line-ups for Season 12. The most prominent among them remain Nissan, with reigning champion Oliver Rowland continuing alongside Norman Nato for the second season in a row. The Japanese manufacturer have reposed faith in Nato's services, and will be hoping for a stronger contribution from the Frenchman, as they chase after a first constructors' title.
While Lola Yamaha ABT will hope for a strong sophomore season with Lucas di Grassi and Zane Maloney, there will be another team looking to make the big moves in Season 12. Having retained a line-up of Nyck de Vries and Edoardo Mortara, Mahindra will be looking to continue the upward trajectory from the past two seasons.
The Fred Bertrand-led team once found themselves languishing towards the rear of the grid, even missing an entire round in Season 9 in Cape Town after a horror crash in qualifying. Now, the Indian manufacturer are looking to improve on one of their best Formula E campaigns, and compete for the coveted Formula E title.
There's no doubt winning a Formula E championship would be celebrated wildly by the Mahindra folks, as well as the large fanbase back home, and vindicate the decision to remain in the series as a manufacturer for the Gen4 era.
While 10 teams enter Season 12, the most notable absentee here is McLaren, who have left Formula E in a bid to focus on their upcoming hypercar entry in the World Endurance Championship in 2027. This has left Sam Bird without a seat, although the Briton recently secured a spot as Nissan's reserve driver.
Other regulation changes in and around the racing spectacle have proposed to make the racing product more interesting. Pit Boost races will now feature only one activation of attack mode, while regular races will have the standard two activations of extra power.
It is now not mandatory for drivers to use all eight minutes of their attack mode, a significant change that will help avoid the debacles that stung the series in Miami last year. How this affects the racing product is something that remains to be seen as the season goes on.
The length of qualifying sessions have also been brought down from 83 minutes to 68 minutes, spanning just over an hour. It will feature shorter turnarounds between duels, and a removal of the mandate for drivers to set a time within the first six minutes of group qualifying.
Add to the mix an extremely interesting pre-season testing that leaves Formula E poised to see its closest season yet, and the possibilities could be immense. And it's almost perfect for Formula E to begin its longest season in an iconic country, one that knows how to provide an action-packed motor race!
Track layout for the São Paulo E-Prix
While Formula E has been making a beeline towards more conventional circuits, the season itself gets underway on the narrower streets of São Paulo.
At 1.822 mi (2.933 km), the São Paulo Street Circuit is among the shorter courses you will find on Formula E's calendars. Yet, there's no denying the sheer racing action this circuit has provided in recent years.
The first complex of corners making up Turns 1, 2 and 3 may see plenty of overtaking, especially with attack mode on the outside of the Turn 3 hairpin. Yet, you'll find most of the overtaking done in Turns 4, 5 and 6.
However, if it goes wrong, it can end dramatically, as it did for Pascal Wehrlein last year. The German was sent airborne when he came across Nick Cassidy's Jaguar, landing upside down on the outside of Turn 6. He was able to escape unscathed, thankfully, highlighting the safety of the cars.
The right hander of Turn 7 also presents an overtaking opportunity for drivers, while Turns 9 and 10 could even open up opportunities for unorthodox overtaking moves to be pulled off. Or else, even a last-lap overtake. Just ask Sam Bird.
To sum it all up, keep yourselves glued to the television on Saturday evening, for an exciting 45-minute race around São Paulo.
Timings for the race weekend
FP1 - Friday, 5 December (19:30 - 20:25 GMT)
FP2 - Saturday, 6 December (10:30 - 11:25 GMT)
Qualifying - Saturday, 6 December (12:40 - 13:48 GMT)
Race - Saturday, 6 December (17:05 - 18:00 GMT)
Past E-Prix at São Paulo
São Paulo is quickly becoming a favourite among fans. More so after Bird's last lap pass back in 2024.
It was a classic come-from-behind story for the McLaren man. Qualifying eighth, Bird had to navigate his way in a race that nobody wanted to lead. The peloton effect seemed to be in force all day. But come the last lap, Bird rounded Turns 7 and 8, before staying close to Mitch Evans' Jaguar and pulling alongside as the duo headed into Turn 10.
In a daring move, Bird pulled off the overtake, giving McLaren their only Formula E win, and Bird's last in the series.
Evans, though, shouldn't be disheartened from missing out on victory back then. The New Zealander is the most successful racer at this venue, having won twice and finished second in the race he didn't win.
While he headed up an all Jaguar-powered podium in 2023, his drive from last to first in Season 11 takes the cake. Evans navigated two red flags, one safety car period and took advantage of race leader Rowland's time penalty to take the race win.
The same race saw Barnard become the series' youngest podium finisher, kicking off a record breaking season for the then-McLaren man.
Drivers to watch out for
Taylor Barnard: Season 11 was one of records for the 21-year-old from Norwich, as he took home the records of youngest podium finisher, youngest pole-sitter and the youngest driver to take the fastest lap. Perhaps the next record on the table is the youngest Formula E race winner, something Barnard will be chasing all the way for DS Penske in Season 12.
Mitch Evans: Will Evans be able to make it four podium finishes in four São Paulo E-Prix? The New Zealander would be itching to begin Season 12 on the front foot, and avoid going down the same route he took in Season 11. He will also be itching to bring home a maiden Formula E crown with Jaguar in 2026.
Nick Cassidy: Now in Citroën, Cassidy will certainly be in the spotlight throughout Season 12. The French manufacturer will be among the most striking ones out on the track, and Cassidy will be hoping to leverage his experience to win races and strike gold for his new team.
Pascal Wehrlein: The Porsche man comes into São Paulo for the first time since his horrifying crash. A strong contender on his day, and a two-time pole sitter at the venue, Wehrlein will finally be hoping to turn pole into race victory, and kick off the season in style.
Nyck de Vries/Edoardo Mortara: Mahindra showed a strong turn of pace during pre-season testing, as both de Vries and Mortara found themselves atop the timesheets on multiple occasions. Only time will tell if they have been able to unlock some pace, or if pre-season testing was just a flash in the pan.
How to watch the São Paulo E-Prix
You can watch this weekend's São Paulo E-Prix here:
Predictions for the São Paulo E-Prix
It's the first round of the season. The uncertainties linger at the beginning of every season.
But I'd definitely be willing to go with an Oliver Rowland victory, as the Briton makes up for his miss in 2024 with a victory to boot. Either Wehrlein or Evans end on the podium, while either of the Mahindra drivers feature on the podium in the first race of the year.
