The final double header of the 2026 Formula E series is set to begin with FP1 at the London E-Prix. It’ll be weekend of mixed emotions, with several famous and well-loved drivers departing from the series, including Lucas di Grassi, Sebastien Buemi and Joel Eriksson. It’ll also be an high stakes weekend, with nine drivers still mathematically in the championship fight.
Formula E FP1 goes green in London
The session began with the usual full course yellow test. However, right after the beginning of the session, Cupra Kiro’s Dan Ticktum stopped on track due to a technical issue affecting his front right tyre. The situation caused only a double local yellow flag.
Championship contenders Mitch Evans, Jake Dennis, and Oliver Rowland all cycled early onset at the top of the timings, with Nato setting the early benchmark in 1:11.400.
Championship leader Dennis dived too deep into the chicane, almost colliding with the wall. Fortunately, he was able to steer his Andretti challenger off. Evans lowers the top time to 1:11.170 ten minutes into the session, with Mortara, holding the most number of poles in 2026, setting a positive 1:11.000.
Buemi mentions lack of grip, especially in the indoor section of the ExCel. Taylor Barnard too, representing DS Penske in its final racing weekend, had an issue with track feeling, running wide off track.
Dennis retook the lead from Evans with a strong 1:10.447. With 25 minutes left in the session, several drivers opt for a quick pit stop to tweak and improve the car setup, optimising for the peculiar surface of the London track.
Many tears to be shed
Buemi bolts up to P2 in his final FP1 session, 0.092s off Dennis. The Swiss is expected to remain within Envision Racing with a more administrative role following the end of his Formula E driving career.
Halfway through the session, this is the top 10: Dennis, Da Costa, Buemi Evans, Eriksson, Mueller, Rowland, Wehrlein, Mortara and Nato
Cupra Kiro confirmed that both their cars at the moment are not taking part in the session to fix technical issues. Rowland mentions on the radio his displeasure with a slightly slower Zane Maloney ahead of him.
Latest race winner in Tokyo De Vries moves up to P1 with a 1:08.687, and is provisionally joined on the podium by the Nissan driver duo.
Jake Dennis caused a second yellow flag by making a slight mistake at Turn 1, missing the apex and running off track. Earlier, the Brit had expressed his issue with the specific corner, asking Andretti for car setup tweaks to fix the situation.
With ten minutes to go, this was the top 10: De Vries, Rowland, Nato, Drugovich, Mortara, Eriksson, Vergne, Maloney and Dennis.
The final heated moments of the session
The Porsche driver duo charges to the top following a mostly quiet session, with third in the standings Wehrlein setting a 1:08.37, 0.021s faster than his teammate. Ticktum finally manages to depart the pits.
Towards the end of the session, the drivers began to simulate Pit Boost and doing extra power runs. While De Vries remained at the top of the standings for most of this segment, Dennis’s previously better benchmark left him in provisional P20. Finally, on his final flying lap he moves up to P4.
Drugovich suffered from a severe snap of oversteer, but managed to keep his Andretti challenger off the wall.
On his final attempt, Mitch Evans, in his final weekend as Jaguar driver, snatched the top of the session in 1:08.177s, improving the performance of the former F1 driver. The drivers then tested their starts, with Dennis displaying once again lack of grip and running off track while returning to the pits.
Read here the complete Formula E FP1 results ahead of the London E-Prix.
