Guenther Leads First Practice in Jeddah – Formula E 2026 Report

JEDDAH, Saudi Arabia – Maximilian Guenther of DS PENSKE set the pace in the first Free Practice session for the 2026 Jeddah E-Prix, signaling his intent to defend his victory from the inaugural event at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit last season. The German driver clocked a lap time of 1m15.714s, establishing himself as an early favorite as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship prepares for a double-header weekend.

Guenther wasn’t alone at the top, with Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) closely trailing in second, just fractions of a second behind. Jake Dennis (Andretti) rounded out the top three, demonstrating the competitive depth already present in Season 12. Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra Racing) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) completed the top five, indicating a potential battle between several teams for podium contention.

The practice session, held under conditions closely mirroring those expected for Saturday’s race – a 20:05 local time start – also saw some tense moments. Impeding proved to be a recurring issue on the 3.001km track, nearly resulting in contact between reigning World Champion Oliver Rowland (Nissan) and Taylor Barnard (DS PENSKE) in the closing moments of the session.

The session began with most of the grid immediately heading out onto the track, with the exception of Lucas di Grassi, who opted to initially focus on practicing PIT BOOST strategies. Early concerns arose from Barnard, who reported understeer issues when exiting left-hand corners, a sensation he described as initially balanced but deteriorating with increased speed. This issue, coming after Barnard secured a Julius Baer Pole Position at the same track last season, will be a key area for the DS PENSKE team to address.

Midway through the 40-minute session, Nico Müller of Porsche led the timesheets with a 1m16.261s, followed by Pepe Martí and Dan Ticktum of CUPRA KIRO. However, the order shifted dramatically in the final minutes, with Norman Nato (Nissan) briefly taking the top spot before Guenther ultimately secured the fastest time.

A near miss occurred between Martí and Jean-Eric Vergne as the session concluded, with Martí impeding the two-time champion on the final lap. The incident was noted by the Stewards, potentially leading to further investigation. The close call between Rowland and Barnard further highlighted the challenges of navigating the narrow Jeddah circuit.

Schedule for the 2026 Jeddah E-Prix

The 2026 Jeddah E-Prix promises a packed schedule over February 13th and 14th, with Rounds 4 and 5 of the championship taking place under the lights. The return of PIT BOOST adds another strategic layer to the racing action.

Friday, February 13th:

• Free Practice 2: 13:30 local / 10:30 UTC
• Qualifying: 15:40 local / 12:40 UTC
• Race: 20:05 local / 17:05 UTC

Saturday, February 14th:

• Free Practice 3: 13:30 local / 10:30 UTC
• Qualifying: 15:40 local / 12:40 UTC
• Race: 20:05 local / 17:05 UTC

Fans can find the full schedule in their local time zone and broadcaster listings on the official Formula E website (fiaformulae.com/en/calendar/2025-26/r4-jeddah) and (www.fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch).

Formula E’s Evo Sessions Return

Adding to the excitement, Formula E’s Evo Sessions are making a return to Jeddah. This unique event will feature the world’s top content creators racing the GEN3 Evo car, streaming live on YouTube on February 15th. This provides a platform for the next generation of drivers to showcase their skills and engage with fans.

Live Coverage and Race Centre

Fans can follow all the action live through the Formula E Race Centre (fiaformulae.com/en/race-centre), which provides real-time interactive track maps, live timing, and the ability to follow favorite drivers. Exclusive interviews, session reports, standings, results, and data insights will also be available. Live coverage will be available on fiaformulae.com/live.

Formula E’s social media channels, website, and app will provide comprehensive coverage throughout the event, including behind-the-scenes content and expert analysis. Additional resources for fans include information on how to watch races in their country (www.fiaformulae.com/en/ways-to-watch), the ‘Driver’ series on Amazon Prime Video (www.fiaformulae.com/en/news/822334/trailer-driver-returns-for-season-2-on-amazon-prime-video), the full 2025/26 calendar (www.fiaformulae.com/en/calendar), and options for downloading the Formula E app (www.fiaformulae.com/en/download-the-app) and purchasing race tickets (www.seatunique.com/sport-tickets/motorsport/formula-e-hospitality-tickets).