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PREVIEW: Shanghai returns for Rounds 12 and 13 of 2025/26 season

FEATURE 29 Jun 2026 6 Mins

Here's what to look out for, as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads back to China for two sensational rounds in Shanghai.

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feature season 12

Preview by Katy Fairman

Just like that, it’s race week once again as the paddock prepares for a double-header in Shanghai. After a busy event in Sanya earlier this month, we’re back for another two rounds in China – a special place to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, as it’s where we had our first race back in 2014.

Continuing in China

After Round 11 in Sanya brought the heat, both on and away from the track, Formula E continues its time in China as we return to Shanghai for Rounds 12 and 13 of the 2025/26 season. This is the third season we’ve raced here, and every time it provides great action with surprising race winners and first-time podium finishers.

JOIN US: Buy your tickets for Formula E in Season 12

Racing at the well known Shanghai International Circuit for two back-to-back race days, the venue was conceived by renowned designer Hermann Tilke, who has been responsible for some of the most famous race tracks in motorsport. From above, the unique layout resembles the Chinese character “上” (shang), meaning ‘up above’.

Designed for top-tier motorsport global events, the circuit features a challenging combination of high-speed straights and tight corners. The clockwise, 3.051km layout will be a shortened version of the traditional Grand Prix circuit and provide lots of overtaking opportunities.

This is also a part of the Asian Triple Header we’re experiencing, with two races in Tokyo after this one on July 25 and 26. It’s a busy run of races, before the season concludes with a blockbuster event in London.

Big GEN4 announcements

Since Sanya, the championship’s governing body has come together and approved two huge announcements for Formula E next season. The FIA have confirmed the 2026/27 calendar, and a shake up in race weekend format for the double-header events.

FACT SHEET: All you need to know about the GEN4 car

The FIA World Motor Sport Council has its seal of approval to the 21 races across 13 global cities, with new races being introduced in locations such as Austin, Zandvoort and the iconic Brands Hatch circuit in the United Kingdom. Fan favourites are also back, including a season-opener in Jeddah with Mexico City, Madrid, São Paulo and Tokyo all back again for more racing action in this new era.

Introducing a dynamic new race format

The 2026-27 season and start of the GEN4 era will also welcome a transformative new race format for double-header race weekends, featuring the classic race (E-Prix) and an all-new shorter race (E-PrixUnleashed).

Introduced to showcase the full, unrestricted power of the GEN4 car, this new approach delivers a completely different, fast-paced racing style. The complementing formats will offer fans a highly entertaining mix of tactical, strategic racing and pure, high-speed performance drama across a single weekend.

E-PrixUnleashed	E-Prix
30-minute sprint	45-minute race
High downforce aero setting	Low downforce aero setting
6-minute ATTACK MODE	8-minute ATTACK MODE
No PIT BOOST	Mandatory PIT BOOST

PIT BOOST is back

After a single-header in Sanya, the double-header schedule resumes with two races over Saturday and Sunday with the first round featuring PIT BOOST.

What is PIT BOOST?

PIT BOOST is a mandatory mid-race pit stop where cars receive an ultra-fast energy increase. This is done through a 30-second 600kW boost in the pit lane, which in return offers the driver a 10% energy increase (3.85kWh).

All drivers must stop for this extra energy and it can only be when the State of Charge (SoC) window is between the maximum and minimum percentages, agreed by the FIA ahead of time – usually below 60% and above 40%.

The timing of this could vary from garage to garage depending on the strategy of consumption each driver has during the first phase of the race.

ATTACK MODE is also still available during races with PIT BOOST, but is getting a shake up for Season 12. There will be only one ATTACK MODE activation per PIT BOOST race, which should make for bigger strategic impact, flexibility as well as even more competitive racing. There’s also no obligation to use the full allocation of ATTACK MODE before the end of the race.

The Season So Far

Formula E’s first 11 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
Round 11	Sanya	Jake Dennis	Andretti

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.

The iconic streets of Monaco witnessed Nyck de Vries end 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.

Most recently, Jake Dennis found himself on the top spot once again, managing another dominant display to bag maximum points over the Sanya race day with pole position and the race victory – 28 points to his tally and moves him to fifth in the standings.

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SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 Shanghai E-Prix, Rounds 12 & 13

Next stop: Shanghai! The fight for the championship intensifies as we head to the world famous Shanghai International Circuit for Rounds 12 & 13 of the 2025/26 season. It’s a fast, flowing, and unforgiving track that promises to challenge the drivers and shake up the standings.

Free Practice 1: Friday 3 July, 16:00 local / 09:00 BST
Free Practice 2: Saturday 4 July, 08:30 local / 01:30 BST
Qualifying: Saturday 4 July, 10:40 local / 03:40 BST
Race: Saturday 4 July, 15:05 local / 08:05 BST

Free Practice 3: Sunday 5 July, 08:30 local / 01:30 BST
Qualifying: Sunday 5 July, 10:40 local / 03:40 BST
Race: Sunday 5 July, 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.