Opel to Enter Formula E as Factory Team Starting in Jeddah in December 2026; 21 Races Across 13 Cities
Opel will make its Formula E works team debut on December 18-19, 2026 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, with a 21-race season across 13 cities on four continents.
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What Happened
Opel will debut as a works team in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on December 18 and 19, 2026. The FIA's release of the racing calendar marks the start of the critical phase for Opel on the way to the international electric world championship. The Opel GSE Formula E Team will compete in 21 races spread across 13 cities on four continents during its first season.
“With the publication of the calendar, we now have a very concrete destination for our anticipation. For months, the entire team has been working towards the season opener. Now it is clear that our Formula E adventure will begin in Jeddah on December 18. The calendar brings together modern metropolises, iconic motorsport venues, spectacular circuits and important international markets. That's exact”
The home race weekend in Berlin on May 8 and 9, 2027, will kick off the European tour, with many Opel fans and employees expected to attend. This will be followed by Monaco, Brands Hatch, Zandvoort and Madrid. For Opel, the European events and especially the German race are of particular importance.
Season opener in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Race in Mexico City, Mexico
Home race in Berlin, Germany
Race in Shanghai, China
Season finale in Tokyo, Japan
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After the European block, the world tour will take the Opel GSE Formula E Team to Shanghai in July and then to the season finale in Tokyo. Schrott noted the intense premiere season ahead, with very different tracks and conditions, and said the team has been preparing for months with intensive and productive test days.
Why this matters
The calendar gives Opel a global stage in key markets where it is already strong, including a home race in Berlin. For beginners, this marks the German brand's return to top-tier motorsport as a factory team, bringing Formula E to iconic venues and regions important to Opel's sales, with a home race expected to attract many fans and employees.
Terms in This Story
- works team
- A racing team directly operated and funded by a car manufacturer, as opposed to a privateer team.
- GSE
- Opel's performance sub-brand, denoting sporty variants of its production models.
- Formula E
- An international single-seater motorsport championship for electric cars, sanctioned by the FIA.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.