Preview: Can Citroën impress on Formula E debut in 2026?
- Vyas Ponnuri
- 4 hours ago
- 6 min read
Written by Vyas Ponnuri
In the lead up to Formula E's Season 12, DIVEBOMB's writers preview the season ahead for each of the 10 teams taking part in the all-electric racing series. The first part of this series looks at the newest team on the block, as Citroën Racing, who will make their debut in the series at São Paulo
Team history: Citroën Racing making their Formula E debut
Formula E has regularly seen new manufacturers come onto the grid, with the likes of McLaren, Maserati, Cupra Kiro and Lola Yamaha ABT coming in during the Gen3 and the subsequent Gen3 Evo era.
The final team to make their Formula E debut in the Gen3 cycle of cars is Citroën, and the team donning the French tricolore already appear to have made a splash during pre-season testing, and through a glamorous launch event for their first ever Formula E car in Paris.
Citroën Racing will not just be starting Formula E from a clean slate. For a brand that has solely raced in rally racing, rallycross and touring cars, the move into open-wheel single-seaters marks a fresh step into the unknown, and one the company is looking to tap into and leverage the benefits of in the long run.
Of course, they will take over from a fellow Stellantis entry in Maserati, but that is as far as the commonalities go. An all-new Formula E car, a brand new powertrain at the rear of the car, and a new environment for the French team will mark a steep learning curve for the manufacturer.
Team principal Cyril Blais, though, remains the commonality between Maserati's former entry and the new Citroën entry. He comes in after spending a year as the Italian manufacturer's team principal.
Having joined the team in 2021, Blais served as Lucas di Grassi's race engineer at Rokit Venturi and later Maximilian Günther in Maserati. A further elevation then saw him take over the role of Deputy Team Principal, before being elevated to the lead role after James Rossiter left the Maserati squad.
Blais has a strong understanding of the Formula E setup, and will understand how to navigate uncharted territory, a learning from his prior experience in a similar position with Maserati ahead of Season 9.
While the going may be slow for Citroën in the first few weekends, as they settle into Formula E, there is no doubt that the presence of two Formula E stalwarts will boost their chances of success significantly, be it in Season 12 or in the Gen4 era.
Who's driving at Citroën Racing in Formula E?
This is essentially what gives Citroën a massive boost over their competition in Formula E. A potent driver line-up that can easily compete for championships and titles in the long run, putting the brand in a great position for long term success.
If you had offered any team a driver line-up consisting of two-time Formula E champion Jean-Éric Vergne and in-form man Nick Cassidy, they would have taken it with both hands.
Vergne's success in Formula E is unmistakable, as he still remains the only man to have won two championships in the series. He also remains the only driver to have defended his Formula E title, a feat that hasn't been matched by anyone else in the series till date.
Alongside title-winning pedigree comes a wealth of experience racing across several generations of Formula E machinery with renewed success. Vergne hasn't finished below 10th in the standings in any Formula E season till date. And he will be looking to continue that run for his new team. Not to forget Vergne's French identity, a facet that would certainly blend well with Citroën's values and ethos.
Another added facet Vergne brings in is his patience during Formula E races, something that has paid off across multiple campaigns in the form of podium finishes. The most notable occurrence was at Berlin in July, when Vergne climbed up from 18th on the grid to third at the flag.
It was almost a certainty for Citroën to pick up a driver with experience, let alone someone as illustrious as Vergne for their debut season. The title-winning experience is something that would certainly be put into practice down at the team.
Cassidy, meanwhile, is the form man in Formula E. Although he has missed out on two championships for Envision Racing and Jaguar right at the death, his potential still stood out on multiple weekends in Season 11.
The New Zealander is arguably one of the finest wet weather racers on the grid, having made his way to a podium in Monaco from 14th on the grid. He qualified on pole and led from lights to flag in torrential downpour at Shanghai only a month later.
Cassidy brings in several qualities, including his quick thinking and calculative driving on the track. He also comes into Season 12 as the latest race winner on the grid, having won three in a row to round out Season 11, and cap off Jaguar's exemplary late season comeback.
Joining Citroën represents a fresh dawn for Cassidy, one that brings with it clarity, with the team committed for the Gen4 era. The former Jaguar man will certainly be providing valuable inputs in preparing for the new generation of cars to come into force next year.
The move to Citroën works in both ways for Cassidy, opening up opportunities to race in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) within the Stellantis fold too. Cassidy has already penned a deal to race the Peugeot hypercar in 2026, broadening his presence in the fold of motor racing.
Among the other figures in the Citroën fold including female racer Tatiana Calderón, who took part in the all-female Formula E test during pre-season testing, setting the seventh quickest time in both sessions of the test.
What happened to Citroën's predecessors then?
It's safe to say Citroën are inheriting the spots of a Formula E team that endured a painful Season 11, both on and off the track.
Fellow Stellantis allies Maserati went through a turbulent 2025, with a bid to take over the entry collapsing as early as February, essentially leaving the team with no option but to depart Formula E.
The Maserati outfit themselves had been receiving financial support from Formula E Operations to stay on the grid until Season 11, and had plenty of difficulty and trouble finding external partners and sponsors.
The team had faced several difficulties in their racing operations too, shuffling through multiple driver line-ups across their three years in the series. Season 11 too saw a reboot, with 2022 champion Stoffel Vandoorne coming in from sister team DS Penske, and Jake Hughes moving over from McLaren.
Although Vandoorne broke his three-year winless run by winning in Tokyo, and remained consistent throughout Season 11, he only finished 14th in the series. Teammate Hughes finished on the podium once in Jeddah, before having a miserable run of six races without a top 10 finish.
The team eventually ended Season 12 ninth in the standings, losing eighth right at the death to Envision Racing at London.
Citroën's pre-season testing
Despite running the fewest laps among all teams during the four days of testing, Citroën faced minimal issues during pre-season testing.
Cassidy featured regularly in the top 10, looking more prominent and comfortable with his Citroën on the track than Vergne. The Frenchman effectively looked to be settling into the team's surroundings and working with the engineers on fine-tuning the car, alongside banking in mileage.
Cassidy ran a total of 277 laps across the four days of testing, while Vergne's tally of 247 was the second lowest combined tally on the grid, ahead of Cupra Kiro rookie Pepe Martí.
During the women's test, Tatiana Calderón set the seventh quickest time, banking in a total of 97 laps during the day's testing, more than any other female racer in the test.
A solid and reliable week of testing left Citroën satisfied, with the team looking to work on the data to be prepared for the season to follow.
Bold prediction for Citroën's Formula E season
While it is Citroën's first season in the series, the onus will be mostly on settling down and laying the foundation for future success in Formula E.
A baseline prediction would be to see the team score points consistently, and bank atleast a podium finish for each driver.
However, if I would have to go a bit bolder, I'd say Citroën would win atleast two Formula E races in 2025, with a win apiece to Cassidy and Vergne. The team would finish in the top five in their first Formula E campaign, as both drivers pull their weight to boost the team's season. Vergne will also continue his record of finishing in the top 10 in every Formula E season.
