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PREVIEW: Formula E heads back to Sanya for Round 11

FEATURE 15 Jun 2026 5 Mins

This is all you need to know as Formula E starts its Asian trio of races, starting with the Chinese city of Sanya.

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feature season 12

Preview by Katy Fairman

Formula E makes a welcome return to the streets of Sanya this week, as the grid starts the upcoming trio of Asian races in the Chinese resort city on Saturday 20 June 2026.

This will mark the first time the all-electric championship has raced in Sanya in the GEN3 era, with the last and only visit being in 2019. That race was won by two-time drivers’ champion Jean-Eric Vergne, but can he do the double and win again now repping Citroën Racing?

Here is all you need to know ahead of the 2026 Sanya E-Prix.

Showdown in Sanya

Having last raced in Sanya back across the 2018/19 Formula E season, a lot has changed since we visited the Chinese city. Now in the final year of the GEN3 Evo era, the cars and style of racing has changed since the last visit but plenty of the drivers are the same!

Oliver Rowland achieved the Julius Baer Pole Position back here in 2019, still with Nissan but now the Yorkshireman is the reigning Formula E World Champion. He led the race at the start, but was passed by the Techeetah-DS of Jean-Eric Vergne through an excellent lake-breaking move ahead of the start-finish straight.

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Vergne held off the competition, despite there being a close moment after taking his first ATTACK MODE when he came out into the path of Rowland! However, he kept him behind before the race was red flagged for an incident involving the BMW iAndretti of Alexander Sims which left him stranded on-track with 12 minutes of the race left.

Race-leader Vergne came under investigation for not respecting the Safety Car procedure, putting the Frenchman's chances of a much-needed win in jeopardy, but only received a reprimand. Despite the best attempts from Rowland and Antonio Felix da Costa at BMW iAndretti at the time, Vergne stayed in front to win his first race of that season.

The Asian Triple Header awaits

Sanya is just the start of an exciting chapter on our calendar! We’re making three special stops in Asia, a key market for us and home to thousands of Formula E fans.

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Following from Sanya is a return to the Shanghai International Circuit, which has been on our schedule for the last three seasons. Having started with the very first Championship race in Beijing in 2014, racing in China is a very important part of our DNA and we’re delighted to have three rounds in the country.

Sanya, China	Round 11	Saturday 20 June
Shanghai, China	Round 12	Saturday 4 July
Shanghai, China	Round 13	Sunday 5 July
Tokyo, Japan	Round 14	Saturday 25 July
Tokyo, Japan	Round 15	Sunday 26 July

It’s then time to head to Tokyo for a double-header and for the first-time it’ll become a night race! Home of Nissan and the Lola Yamaha ABT, both who compete in Formula E this season, the Japanese race is always entertaining and the added drama of it being at night is sure to make it an unmissable event.

What is the Sanya Street Circuit?

The track we will be racing on this weekend is fairly similar to that of the layout we had last time in 2019. 12 turns, and 2520m in length, the circuit provides plenty of overtaking opportunities. Perhaps one of the most distinguishable characteristics are the two long stretches of track that going via a tight hairpin from Turns 7 to Turn 11.

The Season So Far

Formula E’s first 10 rounds of the 2025/26 season have been filled with drama, unpredictability and lots of different winners. Here’s a quick roundup of how the first few rounds have unfolded:

Event	Race Location	Winning Driver	Winning Team
Round 1	São Paulo	Jake Dennis	Andretti
Round 2	Mexico City	Nick Cassidy	Citroën Racing
Round 3	Miami	Mitch Evans	Jaguar TCS Racing
Round 4	Jeddah	Pascal Wehrlein	Porsche
Round 5	Jeddah	Antonio Felix da Costa	Jaguar TCS Racing
Round 6	Madrid	Antonio Felix da Costa	Jaguar TCS Racing
Round 7	Berlin	Nico Müller	Porsche
Round 8	Berlin	Mitch Evans	Jaguar TCS Racing
Round 9	Monaco	Nyck de Vries	Mahindra Racing
Round 10	Monaco	Oliver Rowland	Nissan

Jake Dennis started our season, winning in Brazil by turning his Julius Baer Pole Position into victory for Andretti. Then came Mexico City where Nick Cassidy fought his way from 13th to first and delivered Citroën Racing their first single-seater win just two races into their debut.

Miami International Autodrome saw Jaguar’s Mitch Evans secure his 15th career victory, to place himself top of the all-time wins list in Formula E’s history. Pascal Wehrlein won the first of two races in Jeddah for Porsche, with Antonio Felix da Costa having a taste of victory with his new Jaguar TCS Racing team for the first time.

Da Costa managed back-to-back P1 finishes when Formula E raced at Madrid’s Jarama circuit for the first time, before Nico Müller achieved his maiden victory in Berlin, doing so with a special ‘Pink Pig’ Porsche tribute livery much to the delight of the home crowd. The following day it was Evans who again found himself on the top step of the podium, going from 17th to the win after sublime strategy and skill.

Most recently in Monaco, Nyck de Vries ended Mahindra Racing's winless streak and sealed their first win of the GEN3 era. Come Sunday, Oliver Rowland managed another Monaco masterclass after winning around the principality the year prior too.

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SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 Lianxin Sanya E-Prix, Round 11

Formula E is back in action, and the championship fight is on! This weekend, we return to Sanya for Round 11 of the 2025/26 season. It’s been seven years since Formula E has raced on this Chinese island, and with only eight drivers on the current grid having raced here before, anything can happen.

Free Practice 1: Friday 19 June, 16:30 local / 09:30 BST
Free Practice 2: Saturday 20 June, 08:30 local / 01:30 BST
Qualifying: Saturday 20 June, 10:40 local / 03:40 BST
Race: Saturday 20 June, 15:05 local / 08:05 BST

View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.

Follow the race LIVE on web and in the Formula E app!

Keep across Live Timing – which includes a real-time interactive track map and the ability to follow your favourite driver during every session of every E-Prix – plus highlights, detailed session reports, exclusive interviews, all the standings and results as well as data, insight and reaction from trackside.

LIVE: Follow every lap live, with reaction and coverage at fiaformulae.com/live

Additionally, Formula E’s social media channels, website, and app will provide session reports, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights from trackside during the five-day event.