Formula E delays Jeddah opener and reshuffles calendar amid Middle East conflict

The electric world championship has been forced into a major calendar shuffle for the upcoming 2026/27 campaign, as reported by Motorsport.com Brasil, moving its scheduled season-opening doubleheader away from Saudi Arabia. The championship, which was set to debut its much-anticipated new Gen4 machines—billed as the fastest Formula E cars yet—with a December start in Jeddah, will now kick off in January in Mexico instead. Thankfully, the scheduled date for the São Paulo ePrix in March remains untouched by the alterations.

According to the official communication, the decision to drop Jeddah from its December slot stems from ongoing uncertainties surrounding the conflict between Israel, Iran, and the United States. Series organizers noted that the aligned decision followed continuous dialogue among key partners to account for regional developments and logistical realities. The doubleheader event in Jeddah has been safely rescheduled to April 16-17, preserving the full scope of the calendar and ensuring the total number of races remains completely intact.

With the opening round relocated, the season will now officially get underway at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez on January 16. From there, the electric circus heads to Austin on February 6, followed by Miami two weeks later, and then down to São Paulo to round out the early American leg on March 13. Sanya slots in as the fifth round on April 3, paving the way for the rescheduled Saudi Arabian races in mid-April.

The European leg kicks off at Monaco on May 1-2, heading right into Berlin on May 8-9 before a brand-new chapter opens at Brands Hatch on May 29, replacing London on the schedule. Zandvoort and Jarama wrap up the European phase through June, leaving the concluding stages of the championship to the doubleheaders in Shanghai and Tokyo. Meanwhile, the very first competitive outings for the new Gen4 cars are still locked in to take place during pre-season testing in Madrid from November 16 to 20.