Formula E returns to China for the first time since 2019

Formula E returns to Sanya, China this weekend for the tenth round of the season, seven years after its last visit to Hainan Island. The championship is back in the country where the sport originated and has continued to grow since its inception.

There is something symbolic about this return to Sanya. The last time the Formula E had gone there, it was in 2019, and Jean-Éric Vergne, then at DS Techeetah, had made one of the maneuvers of the season by passing Oliver Rowland's Nissan in the final moments to win.

Seven years later, the sport is unrecognizable—the GEN3 Evo cars bear little resemblance to those of the GEN2 era—but the 2,52 km circuit and its twelve turns, laid out through the streets of the coastal city, remain virtually unchanged. Familiar territory for some, a new experience for many, set against the backdrop of the South China Sea and coconut palms.

This return to Sanya is marked by the opening of a triple Asian header, a first for this season, with two additional races in Shanghai on July 4th and 5th. Three rounds in China within a few weeks—a format that celebrates the championship's roots, whose very first race took place in Beijing in 2014. Since then, Formula E has raced in four different Chinese cities, for a total of eleven races and ten different winners—a statistic that perfectly encapsulates the unpredictability of a championship where nothing is ever certain.

A spectacular 2025/26 season

The tenth round comes at the end of a particularly eventful first half of the season. Nine races run, eight different winners — Jake Dennis, Nick Cassidy, Mitch Evans, Pascal Wehrlein, António Félix da Costa, Nico Müller, Nyck de Vries Oliver Rowland and Oliver Rowland have both raised their arms in victory since the start of the season. This diverse group of winners reflects the exceptional level of competition in the field this year, and leaves the championship battle wide open heading into this triple header.

For Jean-Éric Vergne, who returns to a circuit full of memories with Citroën Racing, the challenge is to confirm after Monaco. “Sanya is a circuit I remember well. The last time Formula E raced there was a significant moment in my season, but a lot has changed since then. The cars are different, and the championship is even more competitive.”

Sébastien BuemiFor his part, he sees this return to China as something particularly significant for his Chinese-owned Envision Racing team: "It's great to kick off the Asian leg of the calendar with two events in China. The hot conditions will make the race challenging, but I'm looking forward to the challenge."

The Sanya E-Prix is ​​scheduled to start on Saturday at 15:05 PM local time, or 9:05 AM in France. Energy management will be, as always in Formula E, a key factor on this street circuit, which nevertheless offers excellent overtaking opportunities throughout.

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