Formula E Gen4 grid complete: Fusion joins with Porsche, Phil Charles named team principal

The Formula E grid for the Gen4 era appears to be complete: Fusion Formula E is set to join the championship as its 12th team, running two Porsche 975 RSE cars. This would bring Porsche's total presence on the grid to six cars. According to information obtained by e-Formula.news, former DS Penske technical director Phil Charles will lead the new customer team. FE Notebook reports that the project is backed by investors, including one who is also involved in a junior racing team co-founded by Formula 1 world champion Lando Norris.

For some time, the future of Porsche's two additional Formula E cars for the upcoming season had remained uncertain. After the German manufacturer abandoned its original plans to field a second factory team, an previously unknown customer operation made a last-minute application for a grid slot under the provisional name "New Co Formula E Team".

The project's future now appears to have been settled. According to FE Notebook, the new outfit is set to compete under the name Fusion Formula E. The necessary documentation was reportedly submitted before the deadline and reviewed by Formula E and the FIA. This would see the all-electric championship return to a 12-team, 24-car grid for the first time since 2021.

Investors with links to Lando Norris

According to the report, businessman Dan Richards is one of the key figures behind Fusion Formula E. He is the founder, director and majority shareholder of the newly registered company, which was incorporated in the United Kingdom only last week. The registration was carried out through offices in Jersey, with SAJ Finance Limited listed as the holding company.

Richards is also one of the main investors in LN4 Fusion, a project unveiled last month and co-founded by Formula 1 driver Lando Norris.

FE Notebook reports that the possibility of the McLaren driver becoming involved in the Formula E team had previously been discussed, but those plans are believed to have been largely abandoned by late September. Several other minority shareholders are also understood to be involved in Fusion Formula E.

Phil Charles to lead the new Porsche customer team

Phil Charles is set to play a central role in establishing the new operation. The Briton previously held senior technical positions in Formula E with Jaguar and DS Penske. He left the latter team at the end of August and has since been working alongside Porsche to bring the two additional Gen4 cars onto the grid.

Charles is expected to become team principal of Fusion Formula E, overseeing the operation from new premises in Oxfordshire, UK. Preparations have already been underway for several weeks. Most recently, Charles advertised several short-term positions on LinkedIn, including opportunities for a race engineer, a systems and control engineer, and a strategy engineer.

However, time is running out. The official Formula E pre-season test is scheduled to take place at Circuito del Jarama in Spain in November. By then, the new team will not only need to establish its operational structure but also ensure that both Porsche race cars are ready to run. The manufacturer is reportedly providing assistance with those preparations.

According to the report, the final agreement between the parties was only signed last week.

Ayhancan Güven favourite for one of the two seats

The identities of Fusion Formula E's two drivers remain unknown. One of the leading candidates is Porsche factory driver Ayhancan Güven, who has been linked with a move to Formula E for some time.

However, the Turkish driver still needs to secure the necessary points to qualify for an FIA e-licence before he can compete in the world championship. This could prove difficult, as he no longer has a chance of finishing in the top two of the World Endurance Championship standings, which would have earned him enough super licence points.

"I can't say much about it, but in general, racing in Formula E is still the plan," Güven told FE Notebook. "That's what I'm working towards. I'm just trying to follow the plan and do my best in the areas I can influence. We'll find out about the rest."

David Beckmann could also be considered for one of the two seats. The German competed for Porsche customer team Cupra Kiro during the 2024/25 season but subsequently lost his full-time drive.

Other potential candidates include Joel Eriksson, who was released by Envision Racing after last season, and Cian Shields. The latter has already gained Formula E experience during a test with Cupra Kiro, although he is now believed to have committed to a programme in the European Le Mans Series.

FE Notebook also identifies young drivers Joshua Dürksen and Nikita Bedrin as possible options. Bedrin already has connections to Phil Charles through his previous role as a test and simulator driver for DS Penske.

A final decision on the driver line-up is not expected until after the Jarama pre-season test.

6 Porsche cars on the Formula E grid

With Fusion Formula E joining the championship, Porsche would achieve its original objective of fielding six cars in the Gen4 era. Pascal Wehrlein and Nico Müller will continue to represent the factory team, while Cupra Kiro will field Pepe Martí and Jake Hughes.

However, unlike the manufacturer's original plans, the two additional Porsche 975 RSE cars will not be factory entries. Instead, they will be operated by an independent customer team.

For Formula E, the arrival of Fusion would represent a significant boost. After several seasons with just 11 teams, the championship would finally return to a full grid at the start of the Gen4 era. The new generation of race cars, featuring up to 600 kW of power and permanent all-wheel drive, will make its racing debut at the season opener in Jeddah in December.