French manufacturer opens new chapter with Nick Cassidy’s third place at the São Paulo E-Prix
Nick Cassidy on the podium (Citroën Racing)
Citroën officially launched its Formula E programme with an impressive result, securing a podium finish in its very first race. Nick Cassidy claimed third place at the São Paulo E-Prix, marking a strong debut for the French manufacturer in the all-electric championship, just two months after announcing its return to motorsport in September 2025.
Citroën Racing’s entry into Formula E represents the comeback of a historic brand to top-level competition, taking over the slot previously held by Maserati within the Stellantis group. Led by team principal Cyril Blais, the project was built around a solid technical structure and an experienced driver line-up, with Cassidy partnering Jean-Éric Vergne to anchor the team’s first campaign.
When the project was unveiled, Blais underlined that rebuilding the team required bold decisions and deep structural changes. While stability is often seen as a key asset in Formula E, he stressed that it would not be enough to launch a new era for Citroën.
“It is a great honour for Citroën Racing to return to motorsport,” Blais said. “Stability is important, but in our case, changes were necessary in order to move forward.”
According to the team principal, the focus has been on creating a consistent and competitive operation capable of re-establishing Citroën among the leading teams. Speaking about the driver choices and the objectives for the season, Blais emphasised that success would depend on much more than individual talent.
“We’ve put all the chances on our side by securing one of the best drivers available, but that alone is not enough. Everything has to work at the highest level — the team, the package, the execution, everything. We’re on a journey to fight at the front again and to challenge for championships,” he explained.
Citroën begins its Formula E journey in the final year of the Gen3 era, a period defined by extremely fine technical margins and results often decided by energy efficiency, car balance and strategic execution. Fully aware of the competitive landscape, Blais highlighted the importance of consistency throughout race weekends.
“It’s crucial for us to be competitive, to execute clean weekends and to reduce the gap to the front,” he said.
When asked about expectations for the debut season, Blais was careful to manage ambitions realistically, while still outlining clear objectives.
“It would be arrogant to say we’re fighting for the championship straight away — we know where we’re coming from and how much we still need to improve. But we do want to take a clear step forward. Our ambition is to fight regularly at the front, score points every weekend and capitalise on opportunities for podiums and wins.”
The São Paulo E-Prix offered the first tangible signs of that progress. Despite a challenging qualifying session, Cassidy was able to capitalise on strong race pace and smart strategy to climb through the field and secure a podium in the opening round of the season. The result highlighted the effectiveness of Citroën’s pre-season preparation and race-day execution.
After the race, Cassidy praised the team’s collective effort and the way the weekend unfolded.
“This result is incredible for everyone at Citroën Racing,” the New Zealander said. “It wasn’t an easy day and qualifying didn’t go as planned, but I’m really happy to start like this, with a podium. In terms of points, it’s more than we expected. The strategy was excellent, communication was very good and we executed exactly what we had planned. It’s fantastic to begin this project with Citroën in Formula E in this way.”
With strong ambitions, a solid technical foundation and a highly experienced driver pairing, Citroën Racing leaves São Paulo with renewed confidence. A podium finish on debut sends a clear message that the French manufacturer has the potential to build a competitive campaign and establish itself quickly among Formula E’s front-running teams.
The focus now shifts to continued development, as the team works to refine its systems, improve its overall package and strengthen operations ahead of the next rounds. Formula E resumes on 10 January, with the second race of the season scheduled to take place in Mexico City.
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