Mexico City to open Formula E season as Jeddah race postponed

Mexico City will open the 2026/27 Formula E season after organisers postponed the Jeddah E-Prix, which had been pencilled in as the campaign's curtain-raiser.

The Saudi Arabian circuit was due to host a double-header on 18-19 December to launch the championship's new Gen4 era, but the date had been in doubt because of ongoing conflict in the region, according to Autosport and Yahoo Sports.

The United States and Israel remain at war with Iran, a conflict that has already disrupted several motor racing events scheduled for the Middle East. Saudi Arabia has also faced attacks from Yemen-based Houthi rebels.

Not every series has pulled back from the region. MotoGP staged its Qatar round last weekend, and Formula 1 still intends to close its current season with races in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in December. Formula E has chosen a different course for Jeddah.

In a statement reported by Yahoo Sports, the championship said the move followed "constructive ongoing dialogue between all primary partners, taking into account recent developments in the region and the logistical considerations involved."

It added that the change "serves to preserve the complete integrity and scope of the championship," and insisted the "total race count and double-header structure in Jeddah remain unchanged, underscoring the resilience of the partnership and the shared commitment of Formula E and its partners in Saudi Arabia to deliver a world-class event."

Jeddah has instead been rescheduled for 16-17 April, a slot that had originally been earmarked for the Sanya E-Prix in China. Sanya will now take place earlier, on 3 April, as part of a 21-round calendar.

The revised season begins at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City on 16 January, before moving to Austin on 6 February and Miami a fortnight later. Sao Paulo completes the American leg of the calendar on 13 March.

Sanya follows as round seven, with the two Jeddah races then taking place before Formula E switches to Europe for the Monaco E-Prix on 1-2 May.

Berlin follows Monte Carlo on 8-9 May, after which Brands Hatch makes its championship debut, replacing London's ExCeL as the capital's host venue on 29 May. Zandvoort also joins the calendar for the first time, on 18-19 June, ahead of the Madrid E-Prix a week later to close out the European section.

Shanghai stages the penultimate round on 10-11 July before the season concludes in Tokyo a fortnight afterwards.

Pre-season testing is due to begin in Madrid on 16-20 November, marking the first competitive outings for Formula E's new Gen4 cars, described by the championship as its fastest machines yet.

Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein arrives as defending champion after clinching the title at the ExCeL in August, a result that made him Formula E's second two-time champion alongside Jean-Eric Vergne.