Formula E driver market: 6 seats still open 4 weeks before Gen4 testing as Ticktum & Shwartzman near deals

With just over four weeks remaining until official pre-season testing in Madrid, six seats are yet to be officially filled for Season 13 of the FIA Formula E World Championship. Dan Ticktum appears to be closing in on a move to Fortescue Zero Racing, while Stoffel Vandoorne looks set for a return to a full-time race seat with Jaguar. Meanwhile, several candidates have emerged for the newly restructured Lola Formula E Team.

Fortescue Zero Racing and Jaguar each have one seat left to fill, with Taylor Barnard and Antonio Felix da Costa still awaiting the announcement of their new team-mates. Neither driver has been officially confirmed at the Lola Formula E Team, while two further seats are planned for Porsche's additional customer team, provisionally known as "NewCo". No potential drivers for the latter have emerged so far.

Ticktum closing in on Fortescue Zero move?

Although Sebastien Buemi was announced as an advisor and development driver for Envision Racing following the season finale in London, rumours of a possible return to a full-time Formula E race seat emerged in early October. As previously reported by e-Formula.news, the Swiss driver was considered a candidate for the vacant seat at Fortescue Zero Racing.

However, Dan Ticktum now appears to be the favourite for the position. According to FE Notebook, the Briton is close to reaching an agreement with Fortescue Zero Racing, where he would become Taylor Barnard's team-mate.

From a sporting perspective, the potential signing would certainly make sense. Ticktum has already won Formula E races with Cupra Kiro and has repeatedly demonstrated his qualifying pace, extracting impressive performances from a car that has not always been among the most competitive on the grid. An official confirmation of the move is still pending.

Two former world champions at Jaguar?

Antonio Felix da Costa's new team-mate at Jaguar is also likely to be a familiar face. As previously reported by e-Formula.news, Stoffel Vandoorne is expected to take over the seat previously occupied by Mitch Evans, who has joined Opel after ten seasons with Jaguar.

The Belgian has already been part of Jaguar's set-up as a test and reserve driver since last season and has been involved in the development of the team's new Gen4 car.

With Vandoorne and Felix da Costa, Jaguar could therefore field two former Formula E world champions. Both drivers bring extensive experience to the team as it prepares for the introduction of the new generation of cars. However, Jaguar has yet to officially confirm Vandoorne's appointment.

Lola set for fresh start with two Formula E rookies?

The newly independent Lola Formula E Team also looks set to introduce an entirely new driver line-up. Following Lucas di Grassi's retirement and Zane Maloney's move to Nissan, the team could enter the Gen4 era with two drivers who have yet to make their Formula E race debuts.

Robert Shwartzman is considered the leading candidate for one of the seats. Rumours linking the Russian driver with Lola first emerged during the Berlin E-Prix in May. Shwartzman had spent a considerable amount of time in the Lola Yamaha ABT garage and team area during the event.

According to FE Notebook, Shwartzman and the team have now reached an agreement in principle following lengthy negotiations. An official announcement could therefore be imminent.

Enzo Fittipaldi is among the candidates for the second seat. The Brazilian, who spent several seasons competing in Formula 2 and most recently raced in the European Le Mans Series, is also believed to have held talks with Lola. However, no agreement has been reached so far. Fittipaldi already has some experience with Formula E machinery, having completed a rookie test for Jaguar at Berlin's Tempelhof circuit in 2024.

With pre-season testing scheduled for 16 to 20 November at the Circuito del Jarama, teams have approximately one month left to finalise their driver line-ups. Further announcements could follow shortly, particularly from Fortescue Zero, Jaguar and Lola. The Gen4 era will officially begin on 18 December, when Formula E opens its 2026/27 season in Jeddah.