Formula E Pushes to Keep Jeddah on Gen4 Calendar

Formula E has reaffirmed its commitment to racing in Saudi Arabia during the 2026-2027 Gen4 season despite ongoing geopolitical instability in the Middle East. Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds insisted the championship will “fight tooth and nail” to ensure Jeddah remains on next season’s calendar as the official schedule announcement approaches.

Saudi Arabia has become one of Formula E’s most strategically important markets in recent years. In addition to hosting regular races since Season 6, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) is also a major partner and minority stakeholder in the all-electric championship. Significant investment from Saudi authorities has transformed the country’s Formula E events into some of the most extravagant rounds on the calendar, featuring large-scale drone shows and record-breaking fireworks displays.

Since Formula E’s debut in Diriyah in 2019, the championship has staged 14 races in Saudi Arabia. The first 10 took place at the Diriyah World Heritage Site before the most recent four events moved to the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, which is also used by Formula 1. Every Saudi Arabian Formula E event since 2019 has been held as a double-header to maximise commercial value and global exposure.

Baca JugaFormula E Pertahankan Jeddah di Kalender Gen4

However, the regional crisis that escalated earlier this year has created major complications for global motorsport championships. Formula 1 was forced to cancel its April race in Jeddah, while Formula E managed to complete its February event before the wider conflict intensified. The uncertainty is now impacting final preparations for next season’s calendar, which is scheduled to be approved during the FIA World Motor Sport Council meeting on June 23.

Although Dodds would not confirm whether Jeddah is being targeted as the opening round of the Gen4 era in mid-December, he admitted Formula E is trying to maintain flexibility should the regional security situation change unexpectedly.

“It wouldn’t be shock news to everybody that obviously we plan to race in Jeddah next season,” Dodds told RacingNews365.

“Our season starts in December and runs through until July. As you and I are sitting here, perhaps we wouldn’t want to be having a race in the Middle East right now. But that’s a long way away. The beauty of our relationship with Saudi Arabia is that we’ve been working with them for a long time.”

Dodds also underlined the commercial and strategic importance of Formula E’s partnership with Saudi Arabia. According to him, Formula E was the first major motorsport category to receive substantial Saudi investment before several other global championships expanded into the region.

“We’ve got an incredible partnership. So I think there’s lots of flexibility and willingness within that partnership. If we can’t do it as the season-opener, then I think we’d find another time in the calendar when we could hold it later on.”

Formula E is now facing a critical challenge in building a stable Gen4 calendar amid an unpredictable geopolitical environment. Beyond security concerns, next season is especially important because it marks the beginning of the Gen4 technical era, with the new cars expected to deliver significant increases in power output, energy efficiency, and aerodynamic performance compared to the current generation.