The End of An Era: London Bids Farewell to Formula E

2025 London E-Prix

After years of wheel-to-wheel racing through the capital, Formula E is preparing to leave ExCel London behind. As the championship enters a new era, London gets one final chance to make history.

There is something fitting about Formula E’s final race in London being a championship decider.

For years, the London E-Prix has provided a fitting backdrop to the final stages of the season. It has delivered championship battles, unexpected victories and some of the most distinctive racing on the calendar, all against the backdrop of one of the most recognisable cities.

Now, the countdown has begun.

This weekend, Formula E will take to the London circuit for the final time. One last grid will form, one last race will unfold, and one last champion will be crowned at a venue that has become such a distinctive part of the championship’s history. After years of racing through the capital, the London E-Prix is preparing to close its doors on an era that has seen some of Formula E’s most memorable moments.

The significance of this weekend extends beyond the result. It marks the end of Formula E’s time at ExCel London and the conclusion of the GEN3 era, before the championship moves into a new chapter with GEN4 and a new venue at Brands Hatch.

For the drivers, teams and fans who have watched the championship evolve here, it is a chance to look back at how far Formula E has come – while knowing that this particular chapter is coming to an end.

The sport will move on.

But before it does, London gets one final race.

And perhaps that is what makes this weekend so significant. It isn’t simply another round on the calendar. It is a farewell to a circuit, a chapter of the championship, and a venue that has played its part in shaping Formula E into what it is today.

A Race Like No Other

There are plenty of spectacular circuits in motorsport. There are street races through the world’s biggest cities, historic permanent circuits and iconic corners that have become synonymous with racing.

But there is only one Formula E circuit that takes its drivers inside an exhibition centre before sending them back outside again.

The ExCel London circuit is unlike almost anything else in motorsport. The 2.09-kilometre layout begins indoors on the smooth surface of the exhibition centre before the drivers make their way outside onto the more abrasive asphalt surrounding the venue. The circuit features 22 corners and combines tight technical sections with opportunities for overtaking.

It is a circuit that demands adaptability.

Grip changes. Surface characteristics change. Temperatures change, And, unlike a conventional circuit, the drivers are constantly moving between two very different environments.

“It’s a challenging circuit, going in and out of the ExCel London arena... it’s a challenging venue.” Oliver Rowland

That uniqueness has become part of London’s identity with Formula E.

The ExCel venue was originally intended to host the London E-Prix in 2019/20, but the event was cancelled amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The championship eventually made its return to the new indoor-outdoor venue in 2021, before London became a permanent fixture from 2023 onwards.

Since then, the circuit has become more than simply a place to race.

It has become London’s Formula E circuit.

From Experiment to Tradition

When Formula E arrived in London during its early years, the championship itself was still something of an experiment.

The series was young, the technology was developing rapidly, and the idea of electric single-seater racing was still unfamiliar to much of the motorsport world.

London was part of that early story, hosting races during Formula E’s inaugural seasons before the championship eventually returned to the capital at ExCel.

And Formula E has changed enormously since those first races. The cars have become faster, battery technology has developed, regenerative braking has become increasingly important, the racing has evolved and the championship has grown into an established FIA World Championship.

Through all of that change, London remained.

The 2025 London E-Prix, for example, once again brought the championship to the ExCel for a double-header on 26 and 27 July, with the venue hosting the season finale. There is a sense of continuity in that.

London has witnessed different generations of Formula E cars, different champions, different teams and countless changes to the championship – but the capital has continued to occupy its place on the calendar.

Until now.

More Than Just A Race

Formula E has always tried to place itself somewhere slightly different from traditional motorsport.

It races take place in major cities. Its cars are fully electric. Its technology is designed to demonstrate what electric performance can look like at the highest level of motorsport.

That makes London particularly significant.

This is not a remote circuit miles away from a city centre. The race takes place within London itself, surrounded by the Royal Docks and accessible to a huge metropolitan audience.

The event has also grown beyond what happens on track.

The Fan Village has become a significant part of the E-Prix experience, with music, gaming, technology, family activities and interactive Formula E experiences sitting alongside the racing. For Formula E, that matters.

The championship isn’t simply trying to create a racing series. It is attempting to introduce electric mobility, technology, and a different vision of motorsport to audiences who might not traditionally attend a race.

And London – one of the world’s most recognisable cities – provides the perfect backdrop.

The Moments We’ll Remember

Every circuit develops its own history.

Some are remembered for a particular corner. Others for a championship-deciding race or a driver’s breakthrough victory. London has accumulated plenty of its own memories – moments that have helped give the circuit an identity beyond the racing itself.

Piquet’s Title Triumph – 2015

Few moments capture the drama of the London E-Prix quite like Nelson Piquet Jr.’s championship victory in 2015.

The final race of Formula E’s inaugural season came down to a single point. Piquet entered the London finale with the championship within reach, but the title battle remained far from settled. Then came the twist.

A penalty for Stephane Sarrazin reshuffled the order and changed the championship picture, ultimately leaving Piquet with enough points to secure the title by the narrowest possible margin. One point.

It was a fitting conclusion to the championship’s first ever season – and an early reminder that, in Formula E, the fight can remain alive until the very last moment.

Piquet’s title also gave London a place in the history books as the venue where Formula E crowned its first ever champion.

Di Grassi’s Controversial Pit Lane Scheme – 2021

Six years later, London provided another moment that would become part of Formula E folklore – although for very different reasons.

Lucas Di Grassi’s 2021 London E-Prix became one of the championship’s most controversial races after Audi exploited a loophole involving the pit lane.

During the race, Di Grassi entered the pits while the race was under Safety Car conditions, effectively using the pit lane to gain a significant advantage while the rest of the field remained slowed down behind the Safety Car.

The move immediately became a major talking point. What followed was a debate over the regulations and whether the strategy had exploited an unintended loophole in the rules. Di Grassi crossed the line first, but was subsequently disqualified from the race, handing the victory to Alex Lynn.

The controversy became bigger than the result itself.

It demonstrated just how different Formula E could be from conventional motorsport – where energy management, strategy and the interpretation of regulations could be just as decisive as outright pace.

And once again, London had found itself as the centre of the drama.

“To be a British driver racing for a British team, on British soil in London, is something special.” Sam Bird

Both moments tell the same story: London has rarely become a quiet place to finish a Formula E season.

One Last Battle Around ExCel

The timing could hardly be more dramatic.

The 2026 London E-Prix is not simply the final race of the season. It is the final double-header of the GEN3 era, with both the Drivers’ and Teams’ Championships still far from decided heading into this weekend.

Jaguar currently leads the Teams’ Championship on 257 points, ahead of Porsche on 243, while Andretti, Mahindra and Citroen also remain within mathematical contention.

The Drivers’ Championship is just as finely poised. Jake Dennis leads the standings on 146 points, just two points ahead of Mitch Evans on 144. Behind them, the title fight remains remarkably open, with Wehrlein, Rowland, Mortara, Da Costa, Cassidy, Muller and De Vries all still mathematically in contention.

Nine drivers. One championship.

And with two races remaining in London, every point could prove decisive.

The Final GEN3 Weekend

There is another layer to London’s farewell.

The 2026 London E-Prix brings the GEN3 era to a close.

GEN3 represented a significant step forward for the championship, bringing greater performance and technological development to the series. But from the following season, Formula E will enter the GEN4 era – another major step in the evolution of the series.

The change is not simply a new car. Formula E’s entire calendar is evolving alongside it.

The championship’s 2026/27 calendar will feature 21 races across 13 cities, with several new venues and a shift towards permanent circuits capable of handling the performance of the GEN4 machinery.

And that brings us to the most obvious change of it all.

London is moving.

“It’s looking more and more like this will be the last race in London, which is a shame but completely understandable. The GEN4 car just won’t fit around London, so we have to move away from there.” Jake Dennis

What Comes Next?

Formula E isn’t leaving the UK. It is leaving the ExCel.

From the 2026/27 season, the London E-Prix will move to the historic Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, with a double-header scheduled for 29 and 30 May 2027.

It is a significant change.

Brands Hatch brings its own history and character. It is a circuit deeply embedded in British motorsport, and its inclusion gives Formula E the opportunity to create something completely different.

An Electric Goodbye

The final London E-Prix will close one chapter of Formula E, but it will also mark the beginning of another.

The move to Brands Hatch represents a significant change for the championship. ExCel has provided Formula E with one of its most iconic circuits, combining a technical indoor section with the faster outdoor layout. Brands Hatch will offer something completely different – a permanent circuit, a very different track profile and a new challenge for the GEN4 cars.

That change reflects the wider direction of Formula E.

As the championship moves into its next generation of cars and continues to expand its calendar, the series is becoming faster, more technologically advanced and increasingly willing to experiment with new locations. Leaving ExCel behind is therefore less about closing the door on Formula E’s past and more about making space for its future.

For London, however, the ExCel era leaves behind a significant legacy.

From Nelson Piquet Jr.'s inaugural championship triumph in 2015 to the controversy surrounding Lucas di Grassi in 2021, the circuit has produced races that have become part of Formula E's history. It has hosted championship deciders, British victories, unexpected results and some of the most unusual racing the series has produced.

The final result will ultimately decide how this season is remembered, but the significance of the weekend extends beyond the standings. It is the final race of the GEN3 era, the final event in London and the final opportunity for the current generation of drivers to add their name to the circuit’s history.

Formula E will now look towards Brands Hatch and the GEN4 era.

London’s chapter is ending – but the championship itself is only moving onto its next one.

 Written by Eszter Szalontai