Gary Paffett predicts the 2026 London E-Prix

CUPRA KIRO’s Racing Director, Gary Paffett, attempts to predict the 2026 London E-Prix in collaboration with Duelbits…

This weekend, the 2025/26 Formula E season will reach its conclusion as the championship battle heads to London for an intense double-header event at the ExCeL Circuit.

A narrow circuit where the barriers are always close, the ExCeL has gained an infamous reputation for producing late-season drama since it joined the Formula E calendar in 2021.

With World Championship points still up for grabs and overtaking coming at a premium, Qualifying, race strategy, and simply staying out of trouble will be more important than ever.

CUPRA KIRO’s Racing Director, Gary Paffett, is one of the most experienced figures in the Formula E paddock and ahead of the 2026 London E-Prix, shares his opinion as to what might happen at the Season 12 finale, in collaboration with Duelbits.

Qualifying Will Make Life Easier
“London is one of those circuits where you really want to start near the front. The track is very narrow and there aren’t many opportunities to overtake which makes Qualifying one of the most important sessions of the weekend.”

Elbows Out
“With the London E-Prix marking the final race weekend of the season, every point matters. Whether they’re fighting for the title, pushing for a better position in the Teams’ Championship, or just hoping to finish the year on a high, drivers are usually prepared to take a few more risks than they would earlier in the season. I think we’ll see some very committed overtaking attempts.”

Safety Cars Will Keep Us Guessing
“Aggressive racing on a narrow circuit usually means that Safety Cars are never too far away in London. That’s especially important in Race 1, where, alongside Pit Boost, we only have a single Attack Mode activation. If the Safety Car comes out at the wrong moment, it can completely change the outcome of your race.”

Lap 1 Will Be Busy
“Because of the natural evolution of strategy, race starts in Formula E tend to be quite conservative but in London, the opening sequence of corners are usually one of the busiest parts of the weekend. Everyone is trying to gain position, but there’s only so much room available. It’s very easy for a small bit of contact to create a much bigger incident, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the first lap sets the tone for both races.”

To Finish First, First You Must Finish
“London has one of the highest attrition rates on the calendar and with an average of four retirements per race since we started racing on the current ExCeL configuration in 2023, history suggests there’ll be plenty of retirements this weekend. It’s a circuit that leaves little room for error, and once the racing starts to intensify, it’s usually just a matter of time before the barriers catch somebody out.”

Want to find out how accurate Gary's predictions were?

Check CUPRA KIRO's social media channels across the 2026 London E-Prix to stay up to date.