March 20th 2026

DS Automobiles to leave Formula E at season's end

French carmaker DS has announced it is leaving Formula E at the end of the current season and pivoting its marketing focus to golf and SailGP.

Overall, the brand has been part of 18 race victories, 55 podiums, and 26 pole positions in its 11 year stint in Formula E.

“After 11 years of pioneering commitment to Formula E… DS Automobiles has demonstrated its ability to transform competition into a high-tech reality, illustrated by our latest DS N°4, DS N°7 and DS N°8 models,” said Xavier Peugeot, DS Automobiles CEO. “To take French excellence even further, we are now taking a new step by orienting our partnership strategy towards SailGP, a unique laboratory of innovation where technological performance and emotion meet.”

DS was one of Formula E’s earliest major backers, partnering with the Virgin Racing team in the second season, where it remained for three years before moving to Techeetah for the following four campaigns. There it won two teams’ championships in 2018-19 and 2019-20, as well as drivers’ championships in those seasons with Jean-Eric Vergne and Antonio Felix da Costa respectively.

Since 2022-23 it has been partnered with Jay Penske’s Penske Autosport outfit, where it has enjoyed three race wins so far, including a landmark 1-2 finish in the first race of last season’s Shanghai E-Prix.

Responding to DS’s announcement, a Formula E spokesperson said:

"DS Automobiles has announced that it will be departing the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the end of Season 12 (2025/26) as part of Stellantis’ evolution in the series.

"DS Automobiles is one of the most decorated manufacturers in Formula E history, famously becoming the first brand to secure back-to-back double titles. Since joining the series in Season 2, the team has secured four world titles, 18 victories, and 55 podiums across more than 139 races.

"We thank DS for their contribution to the championship and look forward to a successful second-half of the season."

As part of its marketing shift, DS is partnering with SailGP Team France where it says it will "push the limits of innovation further while exploring a new emotional aspect", working on aerodynamic efficiency, drag reduction, and lightweight composite materials and software.

But while the DS brand is departing Formula E, parent company Stellantis will remain. At present it is represented by Citroen as well – which replaced Maserati as the company’s second brand representative in the series this year – while Opel is also expected to join the series as a standalone factory entrant next season, when GEN4 is introduced, not partnering with an existing organization. Penske Autosport will also remain in the series, likely with a new powertrain supplier, moving away from Stellantis.

For more information: www.racer.com

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