At last, Formula E returns for its newest season in the high-spirited city of São Paulo, Brazil, for the Google Cloud São Paulo E-Prix on Saturday, December 6th. The all-electric series will commence Season 12 at the Anhembi Sambadrome Circuit.
Expectations remain high in the final run of this era after the grid underwent significant shake-ups during the break. From new driver pairings to the newest rookies and Citroën making their official on-track debut. The season opener offers a promising, albeit crucial, race as teams apply their learnings from Pre-Season Testing.
Partnership with Google Cloud
Formula E has joined forces with Google Cloud in a multi-year partnership to make racing smarter and more exciting. The collaboration will help teams analyse data to improve driver performance and strategy, while also giving fans better insights, interactive content, and personalised experiences.
The partnership supports Formula E’s innovation projects, like GENBETA, which uses AI to enhance car performance and safety. This also helps programmes like Girls on Track, encouraging young women to get into motorsport.
Street Circuit at the Heart of Brazil
Located in the heart of São Paulo, Brazil, the Circuit offers a vibrant fan atmosphere. making it one of the most culturally driven races. Introduced in Season 10, the circuit runs through the Anhembi District, famous for hosting São Paulo’s iconic carnival celebrations.
It features long straights with sharp braking zones that define the tone of the race. The track measures approximately 2.9 km with 11 corners. Most of the action takes place on its high-speed straights and three major braking points.
The design encourages constant overtaking attempts, meaning the drivers are on high alert, especially heading into Turn 1. Turns 4, 7, and 11 are the most challenging braking points—these corners consistently generate divebomb attempts, late braking overtakes, and a first-lap hold-up.
Due to its extended full-throttle sections, the São Paulo-based circuit is strenuous on energy consumption. Drivers must carefully time their attacks, especially during Attack Mode activations. Poor management in the first half of the race can easily destroy a driver’s chances in the final laps.
Historically, races here are decided by late Attack Mode timing, energy saving when you’re at the back of the pack, and braking into overtaking zones. The track emphasises slipstream efficiency, battery management, and braking stability. This makes São Paulo an early indicator of which teams have mastered their Season 12 powertrains and software updates.
Teams with efficient regen systems and strong top-speed packages often start the season here with an advantage. Will the lessons from the incident-filled 2024 E-Prix help drivers avoid early mistakes?
Meet the Rookies
Season 12 has already proved to be a pivotal moment in the driver market. With refreshed driver pairings and three new rookies, the first race will be a learning curve for all 20 drivers. The new rookies include some of the brightest names in the motorsports landscape.
Pepe Martí
The only official rookie this season is a Red Bull Junior and Campos Racing driver under the FIA Formula 2 banner; Martí has a total of four wins under his belt. Before the Qatar Grand Prix, he exited Formula 2 and signed a contract with CUPRA KIRO to complete their Season 12 line-up. He’ll be racing alongside seasoned driver Dan Ticktum. During his time at Pre-Season Testing, the driver found it rather challenging to adapt to the car.
Eventually, he found a rhythm and set the third-fastest lap time during a session. Martí will be replaced by Formula 3 vice-champion Nicola Tsolov.
Felipe Drugovich
The Formula 2 champion and former Aston Martin F1 reserve driver Felipe Drugovich spent two seasons watching the action from the sidelines. Despite limited race mileage, he gained valuable Formula E experience through multiple outings.
This includes theBerlin Rookie Test and the Rookie Free Practice session in Rome. Andretti announced him as their second full-time driver for Season 12, partnering with reigning World Champion Jake Dennis. For Drugovich, São Paulo marks a key moment at the start of his Formula E journey, as he’ll be debuting on home ground.
Joel Eriksson
Stepping in mid-season for Dragon/Penske Autosport in 2021, Joel Eriksson debuted with no testing. He showed steady improvement across his four races in New York, London, and Berlin while holding his own in the midfield. He was officially announced as Envision Racing’s second driver alongside Sébastien Buemi for 2025.
Citroën’s First Race
Citroën is making a return to top-level motorsport, entering Formula E, as it takes over Maserati’s spot on the grid. The French manufacturer fields a strong driver lineup with Jean-Éric Vergne and Nick Cassidy—showing serious ambitions from the start.
During testing, Citroën completed 621 laps (around 2,095 km), with a focus on refining their new Gen3 Evo car and energy management systems. The team aims to hit the ground running in Brazil, ready to compete with the established frontrunners from day one.
Key Storylines to Watch
In Valencia, Mahindra and Porsche immediately showed their strength. Edoardo Mortara topped multiple sessions for Mahindra, posting the fastest lap of the week at 1:21.493. His teammate Nyck de Vries consistently ran near the front. To further strengthen Mahindra’s consistency, Chloe Chambers was the fastest during both sessions at the All-Women’s Test.
The test showed us how strong Mahindra’s Gen3 Evo package is, heading into the new season and setting a solid foundation. Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein set a stellar pace early on as he topped the timesheets in the opening session. Wehrlein’s newest teammate, Nico Müller, did more laps compared to the champion.
On the final day, Müller ended up only 13th fastest in the session. While Pre-Season Testing doesn’t share the full picture, the results can be taken with a grain of salt. Factors like low fuel, fresh tyres, and controlled conditions don’t simulate the actual environment that can have energy depletion, tyre wear, and traffic.
However, the results can be an apt representation of the potential these cars can display as they head to the first round. Mahindra’s staggering pace throughout the testing period makes one thing clear: they will be alongside some of their strongest competitors rather than behind them.
All Eyes on Season 12
A thrilling start to the season and several questions ahead:
Will Mahindra replicate their performance from testing? Which new driver pairing will show immediate synergy? Can rookies handle São Paulo’s strict energy demands?
If last year’s E-Prix was any indication, these questions make the opening round even more exciting. To find out, tune in and watch the Google Cloud São Paulo E-Prix on December 6th, 2025.