Mexico City E-Prix: XXL preview of the first Formula E race in 2026

The new year is only a week old, but the next round of the Formula E World Championship is already underway. The Mexico City E-Prix on 10 January 2026 will be the second race of the twelfth Formula E season. The race will once again be held at the tradition-steeped Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, one of the most iconic circuits on the calendar. It is the first Formula E race of 2026 and also has great historical significance.

Where exactly is the Formula E race taking place?

Mexico City is located in the central highlands of Mexico, surrounded by mountains and volcanoes, around 2,240 metres above sea level. With more than 20 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area, the capital is not only the country's largest metropolis, but also one of the most populous urban centres in the world.

As the political, economic and cultural heart of Mexico, the city combines centuries-old traditions with modern urbanity. Major international events from concerts to sport and motorsport have long been part of the cityscape.

The altitude and the unusual route through the former baseball stadium "Foro Sol" make the Mexico City E-Prix one of the highlights of the Formula E calendar for the tenth time.

Fast Stats: Mexico City E-Prix

The Mexico City E-Prix is a milestone in the series:

• 150th Formula E race in total
• 50th race of the Gen3 era (incl. Gen3 Evo)
• 50th race with tyre partner Hankook, which is also the title sponsor of the race

A special omen: in the Gen3 era, the winner in Mexico always became world champion at the end of the season

• Season 9: Jake Dennis
• Season 10: Pascal Wehrlein
• Season 11: Oliver Rowland

Will history repeat itself? 😮

The last three winners of the @Hankook_Sport #MexicoCityEPrix have gone on to become World Champion in that season 🤯 pic.twitter.com/PxSXzR71mz

- Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) January 6, 2026

Porsche made history several times in Mexico City:

• First pole position (André Lotterer, season 6)
• First victory (Pascal Wehrlein, season 8)

Pascal Wehrlein is the "Mr Mexico City" of Formula E: with four pole positions at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, he holds the record for the most first places on the grid at the same circuit.

Who will be broadcasting the Formula E races in Mexico on TV & livestream?

The Mexico City E-Prix is a single race and will take place on Saturday, 10 January 2026. Due to the time difference, some of the sessions will run very late from a European perspective.

The first free practice session will take place on Friday evening at 11:00 pm (CET). On Saturday, the 2nd free practice session will continue at 2:30 pm (CET) before qualifying at 4:40 (CET). The race starts at 9:05 (CET).

The broadcasters for the race and qualifying will depend on your region. But as usual, e-Formula.news offers English-language live streams for both free practice sessions. On top of that, you can follow all sessions of the Mexico City E-Prix in our popular Formula E live ticker.

All data in Central European Time (CET)

What characterises the race track in Mexico City?

The circuit at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez is the highest track on the Formula E calendar at over 2,200 metres above sea level. The thin air poses particular challenges for the energy management of the electric cars.

In contrast to many classic Formula E events, this is not a temporary street circuit, but a shortened permanent race track. It is faster and smoother than many other circuits in the series, with long straights and fast corners.

• Course length (2026): 2.608 km - 22 metres shorter than in season 11
• Curves: 16

The absolute highlight remains the passage through the Foro Sol stadium: tight corners, steep grandstands and thousands of fans create a unique atmosphere - and regularly make the Mexico City E-Prix one of the best-attended races of the season.

In which order do the drivers start qualifying?

In Formula E, qualifying takes place in two stages: Group phase and Duel phase. For group qualifying, the driver field is initially divided into two halves, with all drivers in the odd-numbered championship positions (positions 1, 3, 5, 7, etc.) competing in Group A and the drivers in the even-numbered positions in Group B.

The four drivers with the fastest lap times in their group after ten minutes will then progress to the quarter-finals, where they will duel for the best grid positions. The qualifying groups for the race in Mexico are as follows.

Weather forecast: perfect conditions in Mexico City?

The forecast promises almost ideal racing conditions:It should be slightly cloudy, but remain dry. Temperatures are expected to be between 12 and 22 degrees Celsius, so neither too hot nor too cold. This means that the weather should not have a decisive influence on the course of the race.

Who are the favourites?

At the season opener in Sao Paulo, the Porsche-powered cars in particular showed strong form. Jake Dennis (Andretti) secured victory, while Porsche works drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Nico Müller also impressed with convincing pace and only just missed out on the podium.

With his previous successes in Mexico City, Wehrlein is considered the top favourite to win on 10 January. However, Dennis is also travelling with a tailwind - and is likely to play a decisive role once again. World champion and last year's winner Oliver Rowland, who also got off to a good start to the new season with second place in Sao Paulo, should not be underestimated either.