Formula E and FIA announce updated calendar and new regulations for Season 12

After wide consultation, the FIA and Formula E won WMSC approval for Season 12 changes. With that green light, the series confirmed a record slate: 17 rounds across 11 venues. Sanya, China returned for the first time since Season 5, while Madrid and the Miami International Autodrome at Hard Rock Stadium joined the map. Qualifying will run tighter with 10-minute groups and shorter turnarounds before duels. ATTACK MODE will shift to one use in PIT BOOST events and two in others, with the full-time obligation removed. Financial rules will exclude maternity and paternity pay from the cap, backing the Women’s Strategy and broader inclusion. Miami hosts Rookie Free Practice while Madrid stages the Rookie Collective Test, creating a cleaner path for new talent.

Formula E heads back to Sanya in Season 12 adding a second date in China

Formula E confirmed a June stop in Sanya for Round 12, its first visit since Season 5. The city joins Shanghai to give China two dates on the Season 12 slate. Underscoring the market’s weight for the championship and the backing of local authorities and Sanya Lian Xin. Set on Hainan Island, Sanya blends tropical backdrops with a tight street layout that should test teams and thrill fans.

As a tourism hotspot and a gateway within the Hainan Free Trade Port, it will use the series to showcase both leisure appeal and business ambition. China has deep roots in Formula E. The championship debuted in Beijing in 2014 and has since raced in four Chinese cities. Across 11 races there, 10 different winners emerged, highlighting the category’s parity. With Sanya added, Season 12 locked in 17 rounds across 11 cities—its biggest schedule yet.

Changed financial regulations for more inclusivity and equality

Formula E and the FIA announced a change to the championship’s financial rules for season 12, strengthening their inclusion goals and Women’s Strategy. The update removed maternity and parental pay from the spending ceiling, letting teams support staff through major life moments without sacrificing performance.

It reinforced a broader push for equity, echoed by FIA Girls on Track, which brings 120 young women into each race weekend for hands-on STEM sessions and career insight. The effort extends on track. An all-women collective test in Valencia on October 31st stood as a key pillar in tackling barriers that keep women from top-level seats and roles.

New sporting regulations change the qualifying system

The series signed off a tighter qualifying format to boost pace and clarity. Group runs drop to 10 minutes, and the early six-minute timing rule went away. Duel clocks were tweaked, so the whole session sits nearer to one hour, while the Groups-and-Duels structure stays. ATTACK MODE also evolved: PIT BOOST rounds can feature a single activation; non-PIT BOOST events keep two. Drivers still must trigger the required number of activations, but the penalty for not serving the full duration was removed. The goal: cleaner sessions and livelier racing.

Cohesive calendar, clearer racing, and people-first regulations define Season 12

Alberto Longo, Co-Founder and Chief Championship Officer of Formula E, presented Season 12 as a cohesive step forward. Where the return to Sanya strengthened Formula E’s presence in China and gave the calendar a clearer rhythm. He linked governance and on-track tweaks, explaining how tighter qualifying and refined procedures aimed to lift pace while keeping the spectacle easy to follow.

He emphasized people, noting that salary support for new parents now sat outside the spending limit. So teams can back their staff through major life moments without competitive compromise. With a wider slate tying new stops to established venues, he argued the championship blended reach, fairness, and intensity into one smoother whole. Setting up a campaign that moved faster and felt more connected for fans and teams alike.

“Season 12 marks another important evolution for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship – from the return to Sanya strengthening our presence in China, to sporting and financial regulation updates that enhance competition and reinforce our commitment to inclusion and equality. The introduction of maternity and parental pay exclusions from the cost cap is a milestone for Formula E, ensuring that teams can fully support their people through key life moments without compromise. At the same time, updates to our sporting format and the continued expansion of our calendar reflect Formula E’s mission to deliver the most exciting, progressive racing season yet.”

FIA validates a record slate—crafted for range without losing Formula E’s core

Pablo Martino, Head of Formula E at the FIA, confirmed the complete 2025/26 slate. A 17-round journey that mixed cornerstone venues with bold new city stops and restored a second race in China. Honouring both a crucial market and the place where the series began in 2014. Working through the calendar as a whole, he framed it as a balanced blend of heritage and expansion, built to travel widely while keeping the championship’s identity intact.

“We are pleased to validate the full 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship calendar. This unprecedented 17-race schedule blends the very best of long-standing Formula E venues and new additions in dynamic global cities, including a second event in China, which is such a relevant market for the series’ manufacturers and the country where it all began back in 2014. 

He added that, in step with the promoter, the FIA introduced targeted adjustments to the sporting and financial rulebook to lift the spectacle and widen inclusion. With pre-season running fast approaching—and a full-day set aside for women drivers—the countdown to Season 12 gathered momentum, promising ten months packed with fresh narratives on and off the track.

“In close collaboration with the championship, we also implement minor yet significant modifications to the sporting and financial regulations, targeted at making Formula E even more exciting and inclusive. With the official pre-season test – including a full day dedicated to women drivers – racing rapidly into view to kickstart Season 12, there is a great deal to look forward to over the upcoming ten months.” 

2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Season 12 calendar