2023 Formula E drivers and teams | Cupra and Abt team up | GRR

All that moving and shifting of teams and manufacturers, means not only will the look of the cars be very different for 2023 (technically the 2022-23 season, but entirely held in 2023), but the driving line-up will look very different.

In fact, right now, there are only eight drivers confirmed for next season, with those spread across four, fully-filled, teams. The other sixteen places are up in the air. So, let’s go through the ones that we do know. And the big changes incoming.

Cupra and Abt team up for 2023 Formula E season

Updated: Friday 9^th December at 12:45. Cupra will join the Formula E grid in partnership with Abt in 2023. The German team had been in the championship since its beginning, first partnered with Audi and then running Audi’s factory effort. But was forced to skip the 2022 season after Audi elected to quit.

Abt was already to return for the 2023, but the identify of any potential partner had remained unconfirmed until today. Cupra, the Spanish brand founded from Seat, has been making its first forays into motorsport over the last few years, joining both Extreme E and the Pure ETCR championship.

But both categories remain a niche interest, so a move to Formula E will suit the growing brand’s focus on an all-electric future. The partnership will mean that Robin Frijns and Nico Müller – already announced as Formula E Abt drivers, will race for Cupra in the new season.

Cupra will not build its own powertrains for the championship, at least not initially, taking a customer supply from Mahindra.

Full 2022-23 Formula E drivers and teams

Hughes completes McLaren Formula E lineup

Updated: Wednesday 30^th November 2022 at 11:22. Jake Hughes will partner Rene Rast at McLaren in Formula E in 2023. The 28-year-old has already raced in the series for Venturi as well as being a test driver for the title-winning Mercedes team, which has now been taken over by McLaren.

Maserati confirms Mortara and Guenther for 2023

Formula E’s newest manufacturer has finalised its driver line-up in one fell swoop, with the announcement of both Edoardo Mortara and Maximilian Guenther for season nine.

Mortara remains at the team that previously raced as Venturi until the end of the 2021/22 season, where he was in contention for the drivers’ title at the final race in both of the previous two years.

Speaking of the announcement, he said: "Since joining in Season 4, the team has become home for me and I’m really happy to continue my journey with such a collection of hard working and talented individuals into Season 9 and beyond.

"The past five seasons have been some of the best of my career ... and I’m looking forward to building upon our current success together in Gen3. As a Swiss-Italian, representing the Maserati brand in their return to international motorsport will be a great honour.”

Guenther makes his move from Nissan, a team that struggled for form last season, and comes into his fifth year in Formula E with a point to prove.

He said: “I’m very proud to be joining the Maserati MSG Racing family alongside Edo [Mortara] ahead of Season 9. I have a lot of admiration for the team and their achievements in recent seasons - they have been tough to beat and fully deserve their current status as Vice-World Champions.

"To be part of the Maserati brand’s return to racing in partnership with MSG Racing is a huge honour for me and I‘m looking forward to building something very strong together.”

Vergne and Vandoorne join DS Penske

Updated: Wednesday 12^th Octboer at 17:00. DS has confirmed that it will not only team up with Penske Autosport to form the DS Penske Formula E Team, but also that double champion Jean-Eric Vergne and reigning title winner Stoffel Vandoorne will race for the team in 2023.

Penske will be the third team that DS partners with, having entered Formula E with Virgin before joining forces with Techeetah from 2018. The French manufacturer would win two Formula E Drivers’ Titles and a pair of Constructors’ crowns during the partnership, but a split between the two was announced earlier this year.

It had been widely expected that Penske and DS would join forces for the 2023 season, ready for the competitive debut of the Gen3 car. Now the new team will begin with two of the biggest stars in Formula E behind the wheel.

Vergne has been associated since the Techeetah partnership began, but rejoins after a season in which he failed to win a race, and DS only managed a single victory. Vandoorne on the other hand arrives as the reigning world champion, left homeless in Formula E after the exit of Mercedes at the end of 2022.

The news means that five Formula E race seats remain unfilled. One with McLaren and two with Maserati and Techeetah, although the future of the Techeetah team is currently less than certain.

Dan Ticktum to remain with Nio 333

Updated: Tuesday 11^th October at 12:00. Dan Ticktum has extended his stay with the Nio 333 Formula E team, meaning he will race for the Chinese outfit alongside Sergio Sette Camara in the 2022-23 season.

The British driver had a promising first season with the team following his switch to Formula E from Formula 2, scoring a point at the Rome e-Prix and faring well against his established team mate Oliver Turvey.

In an announcement made on social media, Ticktum confirmed his renewal with the team, and also indicated that he had begun testing the new Gen3 car. He said: “I've been in the car a couple of times. It's a big step forward from the Gen2, I've really enjoyed it so far. I'm really looking getting cracking with this new era of electric racing."

This finalises the Nio 333 driver line-up for next season, and also confirms that Turvey will leave the team after eight years, having joined the then-NEXTEV TCR team for the inaugural Formula E season in 2014.

Sébastien Buemi moves to Envision for Season 9

Updated: Tuesday 4^th October 2022 at 11:55. Former Formula E champion Sébastien Buemi has been confirmed as a driver for Envision Racing in 2023 on a two-year deal.

This announcement has been expected since Buemi announced his departure from the ailing e.dams team at the Seoul e-Prix in August, which he has raced for since the inaugural Formula E season in 2014 in both Renault and Nissan guises. He won the drivers’ championship in the 2015-16 season along with three consecutive constructors’ titles.

After two far less competitive seasons with the Nissan outfit, driver and team went their separate ways, and Buemi will be looking to reignite his Formula E career and add to his tally of wins, poles and championships. The pecking order is set for a reshuffle with the introduction of the new Gen3 cars in 2023, so Envision will be hoping it can deliver a car that will see its big new signing return to the front of the grid.

Of the announcement, Buemi said: “It’s an interesting time to be part of Formula E and I can’t wait to start driving for Envision Racing next season. I have always had a huge amount of respect for the team, and I believe they’ve done a great job in maximising results over the years.

“The new Gen3 era is hugely important for the sport and presents a new challenge, with a faster, lighter and more powerful car. My objective is to fight at the front, so I’m looking forward to start testing and preparing myself ahead of the first race in Mexico City.”

Sergio Sette Camara joins Nio 333 for 2023

Updated Wednesday 14^th September at 11:15. Brazilian racer Sergio Sette Camara will race for Nio 333 in the 2023 Formula E championship, the team has confirmed. Sette Camara joined the series with Dragon racing in the middle of 2020, replacing Brendon Hartley for the final six races at Berlin.

He was retained at the now Dragon/Penske Autosport for the following two seasons, and impressed as he managed to drag points scoring finishes out of a poor package, significantly outscoring his team-mates.

Now he will race for Nio 333, which has also struggled in Formula E, but which is publicly aiming to move up the grid after several years under turbulent management.

Speaking about the move, Sette Camara said: “I am very happy to join the NIO 333 family and I want to thank everyone in the team who believed in me for this opportunity.

"I have been very open about my wish to remain in the FIA Formula E World Championship, and I am super excited about the new Gen3 car.”

Who will partner Sette Camara at Nio 333 is yet to be confirmed. It’s 2022 line-up was made up of Oliver Turvey and Dan Ticktum.

Lotterer joins Andretti Formula E team

Updated Tuesday 6^th September 2022 at 14:15. Avalance Andretti has confirmed that its full Formula E lineup for the 2023 season will be a returning Jake Dennis and the new signing of Andre Lotterer.

It was announced that eight-time Formula E podium finisher Lotterer would not race for Porsche in 2023 last month. Now he will partner Dennis at the Andretti team alongside his Porsche World Endurance Championship commitments.

Speaking of the move Lotterer said: “I’m excited to be joining Avalanche Andretti FE for Season 9 and the start of the Gen3 era. Working together with Jake will be a great combination to continue to push the team to the front of the field in Formula E.”

Team owner Michael Andretti added: “We’re always building to be at the front of each series we compete in. André is bringing a wealth of experience to Avalanche Andretti and is another step in creating a team that can challenge for wins and the World Championship. We are looking forward to him joining alongside Jake to create a competitive and exciting line up.”

Rene Rast becomes first McLaren Formula E driver

Updated: Tuesday 23^rd August 2022 at 11:05. McLaren’s first Formula E racing driver will be triple DTM and Porsche Supercup champion Rene Rast.

The news comes just a day after Rast was confirmed as BMW’s latest factory driver, which is expected to pave the way for him to race in the company’s LMDh programme.

Rast will now dovetail that contract with a season racing for McLaren in Formula E, becoming the British team’s first driver after its takeover of the reigning champion Mercedes outfit.

Rast has raced in Formula E in three separate seasons. First a one-off appearance for Team Aguri in 2015-16. He then raced in all six Berlin races that finished the 2019-20 season, following the sacking of Daniel Abt from Audi. He was then signed as a full-season driver for Audi in 2020-21, which turned out to be the team’s final year in the championship.

Speaking about the contract Rast said: “I am delighted to join the McLaren Formula E Team. As a racing fan, McLaren has always had huge appeal. It’s an iconic name in motorsport with a rich history, so I feel privileged and proud to be able represent McLaren in Formula E next season. I’ve done a season in Formula E before, it was a great experience, and I felt after that year I wasn’t done yet. I’m excited that I am now getting the opportunity to continue that journey. I’m extremely motivated and have no doubt we will create something great together. I can’t wait to get started!”

Fenestraz and Nato join Nissan Formula E

Updated: Tuesday 23^rd August 2022 at 09:15. Nissan’s Formula E team has announced a complete overhaul of its driving team. With Sebastien Buemi already announced to leave the team, Maximilian Gunther will follow the Swiss racer out of the Nissan eDams door.

Instead the all-French pair of Sacha Fenestraz and Norman Nato will be Nissan’s lineup for the 2023 Formula E season. This will mark Nato’s full-time return. The F2 race winner completed a full season with Venturi in 2020-21, winning the final race of the season, but failed to secure a drive for 2022. He did end up racing in the 2021-22 season, deputising for the injured Sam Bird at Jaguar in Seoul for the final two races of the season.

Fenestraz, who currently leads the Super GT championship, made his Formula E debut in the final race of the 2022 season, filling in for Antonio Giovinazzi at Dragon. His move to Nissan will mark his first full season in Formula E.

Which drivers are confirmed for 2023?

Beginning with drivers who have places. Jaguar is retaining the driver line-up that has pushed it closer and closer to title success over the last couple of years. Mitch Evans finished as runner-up to champion Stoffel Vandoorne this year – winning four races along the way – and while Sam Bird had a difficult 2021-22 he is one of the most experienced drivers on the grid. The season gone is the first time the British driver hasn’t won a Formula E race.

Mahindra retains Oliver Rowland for a second season while Alexander Sims’ choice to return to GT racing has opened a spot for 2016-17 champion Lucas Di Grassi to jump into. Meanwhile Envision Racing marks its first season using Jaguar power by signing Formula E stalwart, and 2015-26 champion, Sebastien Buemi – ending the Swiss multiple Le Mans winner’s eight-year stint with eDams – to partner the returning Nick Cassidy.

Porsche’s experience in Formula E so far has been mixed. There has been a win for Pascal Wehrlein and several podiums, but in its three seasons in full electric racing this year’s 7^th place finish was the best the German squad managed. For 2022-23 Andre Lotterer – a member of the team since its inception – will leave, to be replaced by 2019-20 champion Antonio Felix da Costa. Da Costa has been a bit of a Formula E nomad. His 96 races in the championship have come for Team Aguri, BMW and DS Techeetah, but his switch to Porsche comes as part of a deal to become a full Porsche factory driver, most likely partnered with a place in a Porsche 963 in the World Endurance Championship.

What about the rest of the grid?

The rest of the grid, right now, is completely empty, with no drivers officially singed anywhere, but there’s plenty to run through, given the teams leaving and teams returning.

What new teams are joining Formula E for 2023?

To start off, Venturi is remaining, but also becoming Maserati. The Italian firm has some serious commitments to an EV switch, with upcoming all-electric versions of its Grecale SUV and MC20 supercar. As part of that it is returning to top-level motorsport for the first time since the MC12 raced in GT1 back in the 2000s and to do so it has partnered with Venturi. The small team from Monaco that has punched upwards strongly for the last few seasons with Edoardo Mortara and will relish a chance to work with a manufacturer.

McLaren also arrives in Formula E for the first time in the 2022-23 season. Underneath this will be one of the strongest outfits in the championship, rather than some new boys. McLaren hasn’t just founded a bespoke outfit, instead it’s bought the whole team from double champions Mercedes (minus drivers). The only change is that with Mercedes team withdrawal goes Mercedes powertrains from any team that used them, McLaren is set to receive its power from Nissan.

The final new team is more “new” than brand new. Abt was in Formula E from the very beginning, initially as its own concern, then with Audi as a partner, and finally subsumed as the full Audi works team. Audi made a dash for the exit from Formula E at the end of the 2020-21 season leaving Abt with nothing electric to do for a season. It’s back for 2022-23 with a powertrain sourced from Mahindra.

All three of these new teams (none of which are actually new) have yet to announce a single driver.

What teams make up the rest of the Formula E grid?

Techeetah and Dragon racing are remaining, but have done a bit of a shuffle for the new season. The DS manufacturer deal, which started with Virgin racing before moving to Techeetah where it won three titles, has now jumped again, switching to Dragon racing. Dragon Penske is run by a team that includes Roger Penske’s son Jay and has run under various guises over the seasons to very little success, so it will be interesting to see how the new DS team does. Techeetah’s future is now slightly in question, given the withdrawal of its funds from DS. It is registered for the new season, but has no drivers or really any confirmed information.

That leaves Nissan, Avalanche Andretti and Nio 333 to fill the rest of the grid. All three teams return for 2022-23 and none have any drivers confirmed.

Which drivers are still to find drives?

Many. Including the new champion Stoffel Vandoorne. But the Belgian should have no trouble finding a spot after impressing for the last few seasons. The aforementioned Andre Lotterer has nothing announced, but is expected to return, the same story as 2020-2021 champion Nyck De Vries, the second Mercedes refugee. Then there’s Maximilian Günther, Oliver Turvey, Dan Ticktum, Jake Hughes and more still unconfirmed for drivers for the coming season. They will battle with a large list of F2 drivers who don’t find F1 drives, as well as IndyCar drivers, sportscar racers and more for the new season. If the current F1 silly season looks silly, the sheer amount of potential outcomes for Formula E is bonkers.

Stay tuned to GRR to see all the news for the upcoming season, and check back to this page to see the grid evolve over the coming months.

Images courtesy of Motorsport Images.