Formula E sheds urban identity - embraces F1 tracks in Season 13

The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has revealed its highly anticipated 21-round calendar for the 2026/2027 season, triggering a fundamental question: what remains of the series' founding identity?

When the all-electric championship launched over a decade ago, its core mission was clear: taking zero-emission racing directly to the hearts of destination cities.

Yet, the newly unveiled schedule, which marks the highly anticipated track debut of the high-performance Gen4 car, signals the most severe pivot away from that urban DNA to date.

By adding three classic Formula 1 venues – Brands Hatch, Zandvoort, and the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) – Formula E is rapidly transitioning from tight street brawls to sweeping, permanent road courses.

The search for space and the cost of evolution

Why is this radical shift happening now? With the introduction of each new car generation, Formula E has found itself forced to evaluate whether cramped city centers can still safely and dynamically accommodate its machinery.

The upcoming Gen4 car, boasting a staggering 800bhp, a top speed of 208mph, and all-wheel drive, simply outgrows traditional street layouts.

While the immense speed of these vehicles necessitates larger tracks, industry insiders speculate that the relocation is equally justified by financial sustainability.

Constructing temporary street circuits in metropolitan centers demands exorbitant annual costs for road closures, paving, and complex infrastructure setup. By switching to permanent, world-class racing facilities, Formula E drastically reduces operational overheads.

The strategic question remains: can the championship retain its distinct fan appeal and commitment to inner-city environmental awareness while racing on the very asphalt built for traditional combustion engines?

Legendary asphalt and a new British home

Among the most nostalgic additions is the relocation of the London E-Prix. The British round has migrated from its original home in Battersea Park to the indoor-outdoor layout of the London ExCeL, and will now move to its third home at Kent's historic Brands Hatch circuit.

The iconic track famously hosted Formula 1 between 1964 and 1986, providing a backdrop for legendary victories by Jim Clark, Niki Lauda, and Nigel Mansell. Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds expressed massive enthusiasm for the multi-year partnership with circuit organizer MSV.

“I don't influence the calendar too much, but Brands Hatch was my local circuit growing up, so I know it really well," Dodds told Autosport.

“Amphitheatre from the top of hospitality, you get to look out across the entire grand prix circuit, incredibly fast circuit layout, and I think much underutilised as one of the best circuits in the world.

“We're all committed in a multi-year agreement, us and MSV [circuit organiser], to not only make this a long-term home for us, but to make it the marquee event that Brands Hatch has been missing for a number of years.

“So, properly excited to see this on the calendar and 30 minutes from London, great location there, good transport links, it feels like a good long-term home for us.”

Expanding the global footprint

Joining Brands Hatch as double-header hosts are other Formula 1 mainstays, including Zandvoort – which is set to drop from the F1 calendar after its 2026 Dutch Grand Prix – and Texas’s Circuit of the Americas, which will host a single full day of track action.

Dodds explained that Austin had long been a target, provided the machinery could do the venue justice.

“Austin’s always felt good for us: vibrant, growing city, focus on technology and innovation, understanding of sustainability,” he added.

“It felt like a really good fit from a city point of view. It just felt that the track wouldn’t allow the cars to show themselves off. So Gen4 became our target to try and get onto the calendar and I’m delighted we got to an agreement with them.”

• Read also: Norris hoping to plug in to Formula E with future track test

The record-breaking campaign will kick off this December on a revised layout of F1's Jeddah Corniche Circuit in Saudi Arabia, followed by a trip to a modified Mexico City track in January.

From there, the grid heads to COTA, Miami, São Paulo, and China, before tackling an intensive European stretch across Berlin, Monaco, Brands Hatch, Zandvoort, and Madrid.

The groundbreaking Gen4 season will ultimately draw to a close in Asia, with final double-headers in China and Japan.

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