Official: Formula E postpones Jeddah E-Prix - Gen4 race debut delayed until Mexico in 2027

Formula E has officially postponed its season opener in Saudi Arabia, originally scheduled for December. The two races in Jeddah will now take place on 16 and 17 April 2027 - the very weekend that e-Formula.news identified as a potential alternative date back in October. The new Gen4 era will therefore not begin until 16 January 2027 in Mexico City. The Sanya E-Prix in China has also been rescheduled and will take place two weeks earlier.

Formula E will not begin its 13th season this year as originally planned. As the electric world championship officially announced on Thursday, the two races scheduled for 18 and 19 December at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit have been postponed. The FIA World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) has already approved the calendar change.

This confirms the scenario e-Formula.news first reported on 27 October. At the time, Spanish motorsport website SoyMotor reported, citing its own sources, that the season opener was set to be postponed due to security concerns. e-Formula.news had also learned that the two races in Saudi Arabia could be moved to the weekend of 16 and 17 April 2027. Formula E has now confirmed that exact date.

Formula E said the decision had been made in consultation with event partner SELA, the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation (SAMF), the FIA and local authorities. Recent developments in the region and the associated logistical requirements had both played a role in the discussions. However, the series does not explicitly cite security concerns as a reason for the postponement in its statement.

Gen4 race debut in Mexico: Formula E already had a Plan B

For Formula E fans, the postponement means waiting almost another month for the first race featuring the new Gen4 cars, which boast up to 600 kW of power. They will now make their race debut at the Mexico City E-Prix on 16 January 2027. There will be no more Formula E races in the 2026 calendar year.

The teams, meanwhile, gain additional preparation time. The official pre-season tests will take place next week, from 16 to 20 November, at the Circuito del Jarama near Madrid. It will be the first time that all teams come together with their new Gen4 cars. Instead of just under four weeks, they will now have around eight weeks between the end of testing and the opening race of the season.

Back in August, Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds had already outlined a Plan B in case the season opener had to be postponed during a media roundtable attended by e-Formula.news. Dodds ruled out finding an alternative venue for the December races at short notice. Instead, if the races in Saudi Arabia were postponed, the season would begin with the Mexico City E-Prix already scheduled for January.

As recently as early October, Dodds told e-Formula.news in Rome that the series was still planning to open the season in Jeddah. A few weeks earlier, the Briton had travelled to Saudi Arabia himself to assess the situation on the ground. "It will be a data-driven decision for us. It won't be me or the board making that decision," he explained at the time.

Formula E would rely primarily on official travel and security advice. A decision would have to be made by the end of pre-season testing at the latest, as the cars were due to be transported by sea afterwards. The series has now made its decision before testing has even begun.

Sanya E-Prix brought forward by 2 weeks

With the Jeddah E-Prix moving to the weekend originally scheduled for Sanya, the Chinese round also needed a new date. Instead of 17 April, the race on the island of Hainan will now take place on 3 April 2027.

The two races in Jeddah will subsequently form rounds six and seven of the season. The event format in Saudi Arabia remains unchanged, with one race on Friday and another on Saturday, as originally planned. The first Gen4 season will still feature 21 races in total.

Fans who have already purchased tickets for the races in Jeddah or Sanya will be contacted by their respective ticket providers with information on ticket validity, rebooking options and refunds.

The updated 2026/27 Formula E race calendar at a glance

Race	Date	City / Country
01	16 January 2027	Mexico City / Mexico
02	6 February 2027	Austin / USA
03	20 February 2027	Miami / USA
04	13 March 2027	São Paulo / Brazil
05	3 April 2027	Sanya / China
06	16 April 2027	Jeddah / Saudi Arabia
07	17 April 2027	Jeddah / Saudi Arabia
08	1 May 2027	Monaco / Monaco
09	2 May 2027	Monaco / Monaco
10	8 May 2027	Berlin / Germany
11	9 May 2027	Berlin / Germany
12	29 May 2027	London / United Kingdom
13	30 May 2027	London / United Kingdom
14	18 June 2027	Zandvoort / Netherlands
15	19 June 2027	Zandvoort / Netherlands
16	26 June 2027	Madrid / Spain
17	27 June 2027	Madrid / Spain
18	10 July 2027	Shanghai / China
19	11 July 2027	Shanghai / China
20	24 July 2027	Tokyo / Japan
21	25 July 2027	Tokyo / Japan