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feature season 12

Down to the wire in London: the nine contenders fighting for the Formula E World Championship

FEATURE 12 Aug 2026 7 Mins

Nine drivers, one title. Who will be Formula E's next champion?

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feature season 12

With just two races remaining, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship is still wide open, with nine drivers still in contention to become the 2026 World Champion.

From Andretti’s Jake Dennis at the top to Nyck de Vries back in ninth, there are just 52 points separating the entire title-chasing pack.

PREVIEW: Title decider in London for end of GEN3 era across Rounds 16 and 17

While the mathematics keep the hopes of nine drivers alive, their chances of actually lifting the trophy vary considerably. Here’s how each contender has fared so far this season, their biggest highs and lows, and what they need to do to become Formula E's next World Champion.

Standings

Jake Dennis (Andretti)

The championship leader arrives in London with the advantage of having his fate largely in his own hands. Dennis has enjoyed a particularly strong second half of the season, with his two wins in São Paulo and Sanya complemented by three podium finishes across the year.

His recent success in Tokyo (back-to-back podiums and a pole position), have helped propel him to the top of the standings. It has been a season of consistency for the Andretti driver, and he now has a two-point advantage over Jaguar TCS Racing's Mitch Evans.

With such a tightly packed field behind him, Dennis needs to keep his cool on home soil and deliver the results that the whole paddock knows he's capable of.

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing)

To the surprise of nobody, Mitch Evans has once again been right at the sharp end of the championship battle, with two victories in Miami and Berlin backed up by podiums in Monaco, Madrid and Jeddah.

His Berlin victory was arguably one of the standout drives of the season, recovering from 17th on the grid to take the win through a combination of a perfectly executed strategy and brilliant racecraft.

But his title challenge took a hit in Tokyo, where he failed to score in the second race and surrendered the championship lead he had held heading into the weekend. Now just two championship points behind Dennis, Evans has little margin for error in London.

Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche)

Pascal Wehrlein has had one of the more 'up-and-down' championship campaigns among the leading contenders, experiencing highs and lows throughout the 2025/26 season. But despite the lows, two victories in Jeddah and Shanghai, alongside podiums in Miami, Madrid and Berlin, have kept the Porsche driver firmly in contention.

His Shanghai victory was particularly important, winning from pole and reigniting his title hopes after a difficult spell in Monaco and Sanya. But the penultimate round of the season in Tokyo proved costly, with Wehrlein failing to finish either race in the points and dropping from the championship lead to third.

Though his title chances are strong, the Porsche driver needs a big weekend in London if he wants to keep Dennis and Evans from clinching the ultimate prize.

Oliver Rowland (Nissan)

The reigning World Champion has perhaps been the most consistently present driver at the front of the field. Rowland has six podium finishes this season, more than any other driver in the title fight, and added a victory in Monaco to his tally.

That consistency has kept his title hopes alive despite not matching the win count of some of his rivals. His double podium in Berlin was another example of Rowland quietly collecting the points needed, whilst those around him found trouble.

The Brit now sits 14 points behind Dennis, leaving him with ground to make up over the final two races.

Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra Racing)

Edoardo Mortara has endured a quieter season statistically, with two podium finishes in Mexico and Jeddah and no victories to his name so far.

Those podiums have nevertheless provided the foundation for a championship challenge that refuses to disappear. Mahindra has shown flashes of genuine pace, but Mortara has not been able to convert those opportunities into the sort of points haul enjoyed by the drivers immediately ahead of him.

Thirty points separate him from Dennis, making his task significantly harder than those at the front. Though Mortara remains mathematically alive, he needs a near-perfect London double-header combined with a major points collapse from the drivers ahead of him.

Antonio Felix da Costa (Jaguar TCS Racing)

Antionio Felix da Costa has had a particularly interesting campaign, with four podium finishes, including two victories, helping him remain in the championship picture.

His two wins came in Jeddah and Madrid, with the latter forming part of a remarkable run where he managed back-to-back victories for Jaguar. He has also added podiums in Sanya and Monaco, demonstrating that he has had the outright pace to win races throughout the year.

At 33 points behind Dennis, though, he now needs more than simply a strong weekend.

Realistically, da Costa needs to maximise his points across both races and hope that almost everything goes wrong for the drivers ahead of him. The two wins prove he can produce the results, but the points deficit leaves little room for error.

Nick Cassidy (Citroën Racing)

Nick Cassidy has made an immediate impact with championship newcomers Citroën Racing, taking the team's first Formula E victory in Mexico after fighting his way from 13th to first.

That win is one of four podium finishes for Cassidy this season, with further trips to the rostrum coming in São Paulo, Tokyo and Berlin.

His 42-point deficit to Dennis, however, means that his title hopes now rely heavily on an extraordinary final weekend. Cassidy will need to be at or near the front in both races while the leading contenders struggle for points.

Nico Müller (Porsche)

Müller has enjoyed a breakthrough season, taking his maiden Formula E victory in Berlin with Porsche.

The victory, which came in front of the German crowd with the team's memorable Pink Pig tribute livery, was the standout moment of his campaign. He has also added a podium in Miami to his tally.

Consistency has been the issue, though, and with 44 points separating him from the championship lead, Müller faces one of the biggest challenges of the nine contenders. However, his title chances are extremely unlikely, as the only way he would keep them alive is by claiming a victory in London and relying on significant misfortune for almost every driver ahead of him.

Nyck de Vries (Mahindra Racing)

Nyck de Vries is the final driver still in mathematical title contention, and although his championship hopes are very slim, his season has included two of the season's most memorable victories.

The Dutchman took Mahindra back to the top step of the podium in Monaco, ending the team's long wait for a victory in the GEN3 era, before repeating the feat in Tokyo. He also added a podium in Sanya, giving him three visits to the rostrum this season.

Those two victories have kept him mathematically alive despite sitting 52 points behind Dennis. His chances of becoming champion are extremely slim, but mathematically possible. The Dutch driver desperately needs the perfect London weekend, and plenty of help elsewhere in the field. However, in the past, he’s proved himself capable of handle the pressure and delivering when the opportunity arrives.

Who will lift the trophy?

Nine drivers will arrive in London still dreaming of becoming World Champion, but the picture is already beginning to take shape.

Dennis, Evans and Wehrlein are the clear favourites at the head of the standings, with just five points covering the top three. Rowland remains close enough to mount a challenge, while Mortara, da Costa, Cassidy, Müller and de Vries will all need increasingly unlikely combinations of results to close the gap.

With two races yet to unfold, 56 points remain on the table, meaning this championship is still very much alive. Catch all the action in London as one of these nine drivers gets to write their name into the history books as Formula E’s next World Champion.

SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 Hankook London E-Prix, Rounds 16 & 17

It all comes down to this. After a season of nail-biting drama, the fight for the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads to London for a season-ending double-header on the world’s only indoor/outdoor circuit.

With just two races remaining in the GEN3 era, nine drivers still in mathematical title contention, and the crown on the line, there’s zero margin for error at the London ExCeL.

Free Practice 1: Friday 14 August, 16:00 local
Free Practice 2: Saturday 15 August, 08:30 local
Qualifying: Saturday 15 August, 10:40 local
Race: Saturday 15 August, 15:05 local

Free Practice 3: Sunday 16 August, 08:30 local
Qualifying: Sunday 16 August, 10:40 local
Race: Sunday 16 August, 15:05 local

All times detailed above are 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.

Secure your seats for the finale: How to buy tickets for the 2026 Hankook London E-Prix

With the title set to go down to the wire in London on 15 & 16 August at Formula E's London Excel finale, here's how to buy tickets and secure your seats in the grandstands as the GEN3 era comes to a close in style.

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

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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.