PREVIEW: Can Envision Racing bounce back for a stronger Season 12?
- Lucrezia Marano
- 12 minutes ago
- 4 min read
Written by Lucrezia Marano, Edited 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 next part of this series looks at a team ‘envisioning’ a strong Season 12 for themselves…
Team history - Envision Racing
The British outfit Envision Racing has long been one of the staunchest competitors in the world of Formula E. The erstwhile Virgin outfit was a founding team of the series since its debut in 2014. The Silverstone-based squad has enjoyed periods of consistent success, most notably with a constructors’ championship win in Season 9 in 2023.
But like many top teams, Envision has seen both highs and lows: after dominating for several seasons, the last campaign exposed vulnerabilities and left the Green Machine searching for answers as well as redemption.
Who’s behind the wheel: drivers and their story
For the upcoming 2026 season, Envision Racing enters with a refreshed drivers line-up: veteran front-man Sebastian Buemi remains, while 27-year-old Swede Joel Eriksson takes over from a long-time stalwart Robin Frijns.
Buemi, already a legend in electric racing, continues to be one of Formula E’s most experienced and decorated drivers. Having amassed a record 14 wins in his Formula E career, tied for most all-time, along with over 30 podiums and multiple pole positions, he remains critical to Envision’s ambitions.
Last season, despise a challenging campaign overall, Buemi delivered important results, including a win in Monaco and podiums in Jakarta and London, reminding everyone of his pace and racecraft.
On the other side of the garage, Joel Eriksson steps up from his role as test and reserve driver into a full-time race seat. While not entirely new in the Formula E world, since he took part in the 2024 Berlin E-Prix and scored points in his debut for Envision, this marks his first full-season campaign with the team.
Eriksson brings with him a solid background in simulator and development work (notably for Jaguar), as well as experience in GT racing. The step up is significant, and his prior familiarity with Envision’s machinery could pay dividends right away.
Team structure & personnel: Stability and evolution
Off the track, Envision continues under the stewardship of managing director and CTO Sylvain Filippi, who welcomes the new driver line-up. The 2025 changes signal a slight shift: Eriksson replacing Frijns marks the first significal driver change after two seasons.
According to insiders, the decision was driven by a desire to rejuvenate the driver pairing ahead of the new season while maintaining the technical continuity, in a bid to aid the team’s comeback.
Additionally, on a wider note, there is now a renewed focus on development programmes and simulator work, with Eriksson expected to leverage his prior testing experience to help refine Envision’s car during the offseason.
Though no other major personnel overhauls have been announced publicly, the team appears determined to stabilise and regain lost ground.
How did Envision Racing fare in pre-season testing?
The official pre-season test for Season 12, held in Valencia from 27-31 October, offered the team a chance to shake down their kit and assess performance ahead of the opener in São Paulo.
Envision emerged as one of the busiest outfits on the grid, collectively completing 560 laps across the test session, with Buemi contributing 283 laps and Eriksson 277. On the final day of testing, Buemi was the quickest among Jaguar-powered runners, clocking in within the top 10 af the overall time sheet.
While testing lap times rarely tell the whole story, the impressive mileage and lack of reliability issues should give Envision the confidence they needed heading into the season.
What happened last season: A mixed bag
The 2024/25 was a rocky campaign for the green team. After winning the Teams’ Championship in Season 9, their form dipped, and by the end of they finished eighth in the standings.
Despite some late-season momentum, with multiple podiums to close out the year (Buemi scoring in London among them), inconsistency and perhaps a car the struggled to show its best over a full race weekend undermined their campaign.
Observes noted that even with experienced drivers, the “sum of the part” didn’t always translate to good results, prompting discussions that a shake-up might be needed for the final season before the arrival of GEN4 machinery.
What to keep an eye on this season
As Envision Racing gears up for Season 12, several key storylines will define whether this campaign will be a resurgence or another season of waiting.
Buemi's consistency
If the Swiss driver can mantain his late-season momentum from last year, and avoid the snags that plagued earlier rounds, his proven experience could be the backbone Envision needs.
Eriksson’s adaptation to the team:
The Swede’s transition from test/reserve to full-time driver is perhaps the biggest variable. His strong pre-season mileage is promising, but a full race weekend will be the real test.
Team synergy and development gains:
Given the heavy investment in testing and car development, Envision’s technical team could find marginal gains with energy recovery, tyre management and strategy, crucial points in Formula E.
Bold predictions for Envision Racing
Envision approaches the new season with a mixture of fresh hope and familiar strength. If they can overcome their past pedigree, execute their consistency and deliver smart development, there’s no reason they cant be the dark horses of Season 12.
