Formula E attended the iconic Goodwood Festival of Speed, showcasing the championship’s innovation and evolution while giving the GEN4 car its public debut.
12 years in the making
The four-day event saw current, veteran, development, and new drivers showcase all of the championship’s eras, with the lineup including GEN1, GEN2, GEN3, and GEN4 cars.
Sam Bird and Lucas di Grassi were the first to take to the hill, celebrating Formula E’s inaugural GEN1 era, which began in 2014. Representing the 2018/19 GEN2 era, Formula E manufacturer DS AUTOMOBILES reunited with Jean-Éric Vergne on Thursday to showcase the car that earned Vergne his second Formula E Championship. Notably, James Rossiter, GEN4 ambassador and Formula E sporting advisor, took over the DS E-Tense FE 19 car in the days that followed.
Speaking about the festival and the opportunity to drive the GEN2 car, Rossiter shared:
“I have been here before in my past life as a racing driver. But I’m very happy to be back again. It’s great how much access (this event) gives everybody.”
“I mean, in motorsport, you have to travel to the event, especially when you’re in a World Championship, to get access to all of the stuff. So being able to have a place where you can see so much motorsport, so much diversity in terms of cars, in terms of technology, it’s a really exciting event to be part of.”
“It’s super exciting that we’ve got the opportunity to do that (drive the cars at Goodwood),” he added. “And to have a GEN1, GEN2, GEN3, and GEN4 going up the hill at the same time is going to be pretty magical.”
Mahindra Racing showcases GEN3
Mahindra Racing, a founding team and the championship’s first manufacturer, brought the current GEN3 machinery to all four days of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Test and Development Driver Chloe Chambers drove the GEN3 Evo M12Electro on Thursday and Friday, while Official Reserve Driver Kush Maini took it on Saturday and Sunday.
The outing marked a milestone for Chambers, as it was her first public drive since becoming Mahindra Racing’s Test and Development Driver. Chambers previously impressed the team at the Formula E Women’s Test in Valencia, where she topped the timesheets, and then returned for rookie practice in Miami.
“I think this is really cool!,” shared Chambers. “It’s only a Thursday, right? So I wasn’t expecting as many people to be here, but this place is packed. Driving up the hill, there are fans lined up as far as they can go and around the paddock there’s even more. I don’t know how they all fit in here, but it’s a cool event!”
“I recently signed as Mahindra’s Test and Development Driver, so a new role for me, but this is kind of the first step into it. I’ve done some other things with Mahindra, but this is my first official outing in the new role.”
GEN4 takes the main stage
As Formula E prepares for its new competitive era in 2026/27, CUPRA KIRO driver Dan Ticktum got behind the wheel of the Formula E GEN4 race car for its first public appearance. The Brit also had the chance to test a revolutionary hybrid AI architecture built by Google Cloud.
Alongside Dan Ticktum, current Team Championship leaders Jaguar TCS Racing also gave fans a chance to see its GEN4 challenger in action. FIA Formula 3 driver Fernando Barrichello received the opportunity to drive the Jaguar GEN4 proto_TYPE during the opening two days of the festival. The runs provided fans with a sneak peek at the new Formula E car before the official pre-season testing in Madrid in November.
Rossiter and Chambers on Formula E’s GEN4 debut
Reflecting on Formula E’s GEN4 appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Rossiter added:
“I’m pretty jealous to be perfectly honest. I think it’d be absolutely fabulous to be able to charge up the Hill in the in the GEN4 car. I’m sure that Dan’s (Ticktum) going to love it, and I think Fernando Barrichello as well is going to love it.”
“It’s so great to see it in the flesh, next to a GEN1, GEN2, and GEN3. It’s such a spectacular leap in terms of technology, innovation, performance, and it’s super exciting to get to showcase that to the world.”
Meanwhile, Chambers said she is already looking forward to her first chance to drive the GEN4 car.
“It looks amazing to drive,” she shared. “I can’t wait until I get the chance to get behind the wheel of it. I’ve heard nothing but good things about it and all the things that I’ve seen online have been really cool, so I can’t wait!”
