Interview enabled and powered by Sergio Álvarez.
Question: What’s new for 2026 for Citroën Racing?
Cyril Blais: There’s been a lot going on and that’s very positive. We are back, it’s our first year in single-seasters, it’s fantastic news and it’s very exciting. But we have to keep our feet on the ground, there’s a lot of work ahead. We can’t afford to lose our focus. We have a new driver line-up as well. We have to keep working to catch those guys in front. There’s a lot of work, a lot of dedication, a lot of team effort. We have some good ideas, the drivers have given us a very good, positive feedback. We have a lot of new members on the team and they have to find their feet, find their way of working.
Q: You got two great drivers in JEV and Nick, how do you manage your expectations?
CB: Absolutely! It’s an exciting driver line-up. At the same token, we need to progress and the drivers are a part of the equation. They need to push the team forward and that’s exactly what they’ve been doing. They’re pushing but it’s always in a constructive manner. We know that it’s going to be a process and we’re taking it step by step, hopefully (we’re going) in the right direction. In testing they were friends but when the visor went down in Sao Paulo, my job will have been be tougher, but that’s what we want. Drivers that can win races, the know-how, pushing everybody forward. So far it’s been great and the way they work together has been fantastic, collaborating, being very open. That’s the philosophy of the Citroën Racing.
Q: What are the goals then?
CB: The intention is to do the best job possible. If there’s an opportunity, we need to be there to take it. We have the ability now of fighting for podiums and victories. At the same time, Formula E is such a competitive championship, such tight margins that you need to have everything perfect. To win the championship will be realistically challenging but I want the team to make a step forward. Fighting at the front regularly, making no mistakes. The objective is to maximise what we have.
Citroën Racing’s entry into the 2025–2026 Formula E season (Season 12) has been nothing short of a “dream start.” After a five-year hiatus from FIA World Championship motorsport, the French marque has immediately established itself as a frontrunner.
Here is everything you need to know about their effort and recent success.
The Team & Strategy
Citroën joined the grid for the 2025–2026 season by taking over the slot previously held by Maserati MSG Racing. While they are technically a “new” name on the grid, they operate under the Stellantis umbrella, sharing powertrain technology with their sister brand, DS Automobiles.
- Drivers: They secured what is widely considered one of the strongest lineups in the series:
- Nick Cassidy: The New Zealander and perennial title contender.
- Jean-Éric Vergne (JEV): The only two-time back-to-back champion in Formula E history, moving over from DS Penske.
- The Car: They are utilizing the GEN3 Evo platform, which features all-wheel drive during qualifying duels and race starts, providing a significant performance leap over previous seasons.
Season 12 Performance So Far
Citroën has hit the ground running, currently leading the Teams’ Championship after the first two rounds.
1. The Debut: São Paulo E-Prix (December 2025)
In their very first race, Citroën proved they weren’t just there to make up the numbers. Nick Cassidy secured a P3 podium finish, immediately validating the team’s off-season development. While JEV had a tougher opening round due to a grid penalty, the car’s raw pace was evident.
2. The Breakthrough: Mexico City E-Prix (January 2026)
This was the “strategic masterclass” you mentioned.
- The Win: Nick Cassidy took a shock victory at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez.
- The Comeback: What made it remarkable was that Cassidy started 13th on the grid. Through superior energy management and a perfectly timed “Attack Mode” strategy, he carved through the field to take Citroën’s first-ever Formula E win in only their second race.
- Team Result: JEV also climbed into the points, finishing 8th, ensuring Citroën left Mexico at the top of the standings.
Nick Cassidy’s victory at the 2026 Mexico City E-Prix is being hailed as a “tactical masterclass.” Starting from 13th on the grid, he utilized a combination of patient energy management and a high-risk strategy to secure Citroën’s first-ever win in the series.
Here is the breakdown of what he did right:
1. The “Patience” Phase
Overtaking is notoriously difficult at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez. Cassidy spent the first half of the race outside the top 10, focusing entirely on energy conservation. By staying in the slipstream of other cars and avoiding aggressive, energy-draining battles early on, he built up a “surplus” of battery power that his rivals didn’t have.
2. Perfectly Timed Attack Mode
While the leaders used their Attack Mode (a 50kW power boost) early to defend positions, Cassidy and his engineer, Pierre Paul Fery, opted for an offset strategy:
- The Long Stint: Instead of the standard four-minute bursts, Cassidy committed to a six-minute initial Attack Mode on Lap 26.
- The Overlap: He timed this activation just as the race went “Green” following a Safety Car period (caused by Nyck de Vries). This allowed him to use the extra power to slice through the field while others were struggling to find rhythm after the restart.
3. The Leapfrog to the Lead
By Lap 30, Cassidy’s energy advantage and power boost allowed him to “leapfrog” the leading pack. While driver Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra) tried to hold him off, Cassidy’s pace was superior. He managed to pull a 1.3-second gap almost immediately, which is a massive margin in Formula E, effectively “breaking the tow” and preventing rivals from using his slipstream to attack back.
4. Defensive Composure
In the final laps, Cassidy was in a vulnerable position: he had exhausted all his Attack Mode boosts, while Edoardo Mortara still had two minutes of extra power left.
- Cassidy used his defensive masterclass skills to place his Citroën perfectly in the corners, making it impossible for Mortara to find a way past.
- He crossed the finish line just 0.651 seconds ahead of the field, having gained a total of 12 positions.
“It’s a very unusual strategy for me… I took some risks today on the strategy, and it really worked out.” — Nick Cassidy
Current Standings (As of Late January 2026)
| Category | Position | Points |
| Teams’ Championship | 1st | 44 |
| Drivers’ Championship | 1st (Nick Cassidy) | 40 |
| Manufacturers’ Cup | 1st (Stellantis*) | — |
| > Includes points from both Citroën and DS Penske. |
What’s Next?
The “Stellantis civil war” between Citroën and DS Penske is the season’s biggest storyline. While they share the same hardware, the two teams are competing fiercely for internal bragging rights.
The next stop is the Miami E-Prix on January 31, 2026, where Citroën will look to defend their championship lead on a high-speed street circuit.
iberianmph.com 