Formula E keeps Jarama chicane for Gen4 pre-season test

Formula E will retain the chicane used at the Madrid E-Prix for its upcoming pre-season test at Jarama, giving teams their first public running with the Gen4 cars on a layout already used for racing this year.

The circuit configuration splits the main straight before the finish line. It was introduced for the inaugural Madrid event, with a slow left-hand turn followed by a sharper right and a faster kink that returns cars to the straight. The championship has published the same track map for testing as it used for the Madrid round.

The test runs from 16–20 November 2026, with track sessions scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Friday. A first mock-up of Formula E’s “Unleashed” event format is expected on November 18. Teams will also have time between running days to review data and refine their cars.

More details on the programme are available in our report on Gen4 pre-season testing at Jarama.

Jarama’s chicane could shape the next Madrid race

Whether the chicane remains for the Madrid E-Prix in June is still an open question. Formula E is expected to assess how efficiently the Gen4 cars can run down the full front straight without depleting their energy reserves.

A full-length straight could create more passing opportunities on the approach to Turn 1. But keeping the chicane would preserve another place to attack, as well as a technical sequence drivers must negotiate before reaching the line.

The layout produced notable moves at the first Madrid race: Mitch Evans passed Pascal Wehrlein early on, while Wehrlein overtook Dan Ticktum at the chicane on the final lap to secure a podium. The event’s defining moments are also covered in our Madrid E-Prix recap.

The first public test will be a major Gen4 milestone

The five-day programme will give teams and drivers a chance to assess reliability and pace before the new season. Some teams are still working to field two Gen4 cars, including Fortescue Zero and newly announced Fusion Formula E Team.

Several drivers may also arrive with limited experience of the new machinery. Taylor Barnard has yet to test the Gen4 car, while teammate Ticktum has not driven Jaguar’s Gen4 concept. The source report also notes that Lola and Fusion have not finalised their driver line-ups for the coming season.