Feature by Katy Fairman
Racing returns to the Shanghai International Circuit, a venue that made its debut last year in the all-electric championship. The circuit, which was designed by the legendary Hermann Tilke, has previously hosted series like Formula 1 and the World Endurance Championship, and now hosts the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Based on what we have seen so far this season, and what unfolded here last year, these are some tips to get you going in the Formula E predictor game.
PREDICTOR: Get involved, predict race results and win exclusive prizes
Every team now has a podium this season
After CUPRA KIRO managed a podium thanks to Dan Ticktum in Tokyo, all 11 teams in the championship have now finished on the podium at least once across the first nine rounds. It’s showing how competitive this grid is, especially with a new set of regulations being introduced ahead of this season.
Oliver Rowland is leading the way for Nissan with seven top three finishes, with both Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa TAG Heuer Porsche’s picking up plenty of podiums between them. Nyck de Vries managed Mahindra Racing’s first podium since Season 9 in Monaco, with ‘Rookie’ Taylor Barnard on fantastic form with four top three results for NEOM McLaren.
Maximilian Guenther secured a superb win for DS PENSKE in Jeddah and Jake Dennis ended his podium drought for Andretti in Monaco. Stoffel Vandoorne managed a surprise win in Tokyo last time out for Maserati MSG Racing with Jake Hughes also getting third place for the Trident in Jeddah earlier this year. Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy have trophies to their name for Jaguar TCS Racing and Sebastien Buemi reminded us all why he’s one of the best after going from eighth to first in Monaco.
Ticktum finally got his first Formula E podium in the Japanese capital for CUPRA KIRO, and Lucas di Grassi found himself back at the top when he finished second in Miami, giving Lola Yamaha ABT their first points – and podium – of the season.
Could Rowland do the double?
There’s no denying that Nissan’s Oliver Rowland is in the form of his life. He is an easy prediction for at least one win this weekend, having finished in the top two in seven of the nine races this season – four of those being wins.
However, one thing Rowland has yet to tick off is winning both events over a double-header. It’s quite the rarity in Formula E, with the last person to achieve this feat being TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa in Portland in Season 10. There are a few drivers on the current grid who are also part of this exclusive club including Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein, Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans, and NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird.
Rowland finished fourth here in the first race last season, and picked up a single point in the second round. However, these kinds of circuits are in theory his cup of tea, although that seems to be the case for most places we are racing at currently!
Mahindra are making moves
There were two surprising podium finishers in Shanghai last year, with Jake Hughes getting his first and only podium for the NEOM McLaren squad and Norman Nato managing a P3 for Andretti. However, for me, there was one big breakthrough at the Shanghai E-Prix last year: Nyck de Vries.
The Season 7 World Champion got his first points of the year here last year, and even found himself leading the race at one point; the first time since his last career victory in 2022. Since then, Mahindra have made huge leaps in performance after bringing updates and overhauls to their GEN3 Evo machines.
GEN3 EVO FACTS: How fast, sustainable and efficient is Formula E's new race car?
They currently sit third in the Teams’ Standings with 99 points, over double what they respectively managed across the entirety of Seasons 10 (47), Season 9 (41) and Season 8 (46).
De Vries managed a podium in Monaco, his first since his championship comeback, and his teammate Edoardo Mortara has come very close. Could this be the weekend we could see more trophies for the team, or even a potential victory? Time will tell.
Porsche power has looked strong
TAG Heuer Porsche are 15 points behind Nissan in the fight for the title ahead of Round 10, with drivers Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa doing a great job to bank points across the season so far.
It was Shanghai last year that kickstarted da Costa’s wicked run of form towards the end of the season, winning four out of five races. For Wehrlein, a second place in the same race was a great haul of points which ended up being valuable in his fight for the championship.
The team have continued to show great pace throughout GEN3 Evo so far, and that should certainly continue at the Shanghai International Circuit this weekend.
Is Jaguar ready to pounce?
So, excuse the terrible pun but Jaguar TCS Racing had a successful weekend in Shanghai last season. Although a lot has happened since then, with the reigning Teams’ World Champions now sat eighth in the standings after a turbulent start to the GEN3 Evo era, perhaps this could be their chance to bounce back?
Nick Cassidy has a record of being able to dig deep and pull out some incredible climbs up the grid with circuits that mirror the characteristics of SIC. It’s fair to say qualifying performances from Jaguar have been disappointing this season, but perhaps Cassidy and teammate Mitch Evans could replicate their visits to the podium – or even a victory – here last year.
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2025 Hankook Shanghai E-Prix Round 10 & 11
In 2014, Formula E broke onto the racing scene with a historic first race in Beijing. Since then, the all-electric series has raced in four locations across China, with races in Hong Kong, Sanya, and Shanghai joining the calendar. The racing action in 2025 will take place 31st May & 1st June.
View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button in the menu to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.
Find out more
CALENDAR: Sync the dates and don't miss a lap of Season 11
FOLLOW: Download the Formula E App on iOS or Android
WATCH: Find out where to watch every Formula E race via stream or on TV in your country
SCHEDULE: Here's every race of the 2024/25 Formula E season
HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up with every race from all 10 seasons of Formula E IN FULL
PREDICTOR: Get involved, predict race results and win exclusive prizes