CUPRA KIRO extends relationship with Pepe Martí for 2026/27 Formula E season

Spanish sensation Pepe Martí to drive for CUPRA KIRO in 2026/27 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship season

Following the conclusion of his debut season, CUPRA KIRO is delighted to announce that Pepe Martí will continue to race for the team in the 2026/27 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

The 21-year-old Spaniard joined CUPRA KIRO ahead of the 2025/26 campaign after establishing himself as one of the brightest young talents in single-seater motorsport. Managed by A14, the driver development group co-founded by Fernando Alonso, Pepe arrived in Formula E having secured seven victories and a further six podiums across FIA Formula 2 and FIA Formula 3.

Despite taking his first steps into Formula E as a rookie in the final season of the series’ GEN3 era – a stage in the championship’s regulations that has traditionally been challenging for newcomers – Pepe made an immediate impression.

After scoring points in only his second Formula E start, where he recovered from a grid penalty and a 10-second stop-go penalty to finish seventh in Mexico, Pepe led a Formula E race for the first time at his home E-Prix in Madrid.

He subsequently secured the first podium of his Formula E career at the Monaco E-Prix, charging from 15th on the grid to finish third. In doing so, he became the first Spanish driver to stand on the Formula E podium and only the fifth Spaniard to secure a podium in the history of World Championship single-seater motorsport, following in the footsteps of Alfonso de Portago, Pedro de la Rosa, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz Jr.

Pepe, who is Formula E’s second-youngest points-scorer and podium finisher, added a second podium to his scorebook at the Sanya E-Prix in China where he finished second, and concluded the 2025/26 season as the highest-placed rookie in the Drivers’ Championship with 66 points.

By continuing with CUPRA KIRO, Pepe will play a central role in the team’s next chapter as Formula E enters its revolutionary GEN4 era which will see a significant step forward in performance, with 600kW of power (815 horsepower), active all-wheel-drive, and 700kW regenerative braking capabilities.

The 2026/27 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will begin with Pre-Season Testing on 16-20 November at Jarama, Spain, before the season gets underway on 18-19 December.

Pepe Martí, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“I’m very excited to continue with CUPRA KIRO for the 2026/27 Formula E season. I’ve felt a huge amount of support and trust since joining the team, and together, I think we’ve built something really positive during my rookie year. Formula E has been an incredible learning experience, and I feel that I’ve grown a lot as a driver over the course of the season. To have achieved top three finishes, led races, and become the first Spanish driver to stand on the Formula E podium is something I’m very proud of, but I also feel like we’re only just getting started. CUPRA KIRO has big ambitions for the future, and I’m excited to be part of the journey for GEN4. I can’t wait to see what we can achieve next season.”
 
Russell O’Hagan, Team Principal, CUPRA KIRO
“Continuing our relationship with Pepe for the 2026/27 season was a very straightforward decision. Since the moment he joined the team, he has consistently impressed us with his talent, work ethic, and maturity. As a championship, Formula E can be particularly demanding for rookie drivers, especially at the end of a generation cycle, so our priority was always to allow Pepe the time and environment to develop without unnecessary pressure. The reality is, however, that he exceeded our expectations almost immediately and showed consistent performance across season. Watching Pepe grow over the course of the season was incredibly rewarding. He’s developed his understanding of Formula E’s nuances at an impressive rate, grown in confidence with every race, and delivered performances that have demonstrated exactly why we believed in him in the first place. We firmly believe he’s one of the sport’s brightest young talents and ambassadors, and that he has all the attributes to become a major force in Formula E. We’re incredibly proud of everything that Pepe has achieved during his rookie season, and the team’s role in getting him up to speed – it was a big group effort. We’re equally excited that he’ll continue his journey with CUPRA KIRO as we enter GEN4. We’re only at the beginning of what we believe we can achieve together.”