Formula E's return to Sanya and the island of Hainan off the southern coast of China has been confirmed by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council.
However, the plan to fill the other vacant slot with another race in Asia is now officially off - meaning the calendar will cover 17 races at 11 rounds instead of the planned 18 at 12.
The all-electric series first ran a race in Sanya back in March 2019 (pictured above) as part of what was planned to be a run of events held on the holiday island.
But the COVID-19 pandemic brought that to a halt. The 2020 race, due to take place that March, was cancelled in early February - and was the first of seven rounds to be called off.
The Race revealed in July that Sanya was in line for a return to the Formula E calendar in 2026 after a seven-year absence. The race will take place on June 20, a week after the Le Mans 24 Hours, meaning another tough journey for drivers undertaking a dual Formula E-World Endurance Championship programme in 2026.
Sanya's addition means Formula E will effectively have two rounds in China - alongside its double-header on a shorter version of Formula 1's Shanghai International Circuit - although Hainan is technically a special administrative region rather than part of the People's Republic of China.
2025-26 Formula E calendar
December 6, 2025: Sao Paulo
January 10, 2026: Mexico City
January 31, 2026: Miami
February 13-14, 2026: Jeddah (double-header)
March 21, 2026: Jarama
May 2-3, 2026: Berlin Tempelhof (double-header)
May 16-17, 2026: Monaco (double-header)
June 20, 2026: Sanya
July 4-5, 2026: Shanghai (double-header)
July 25-26, 2026: Tokyo (double-header)
August 15-16, 2026: London ExCeL (double-header)
Track modifications
The 2026 Sanya event is expected to be in the same location as the original race but on a slightly modified track layout. The Race has learned that the sections between Turn 1 and Turn 4 could be altered in order to increase the length of the track and improve the previously tight pit exit.
The changes are believed to to include the replacement of the Turn 1/2 hairpin with a 45-degree left-hander, with the track then running all the way to the perimeter of the venue area against the wall of the Atlantis Hotel complex.
There is also set to be a significant elevation change between the new Turn 1 and Turn 2 area, and Turns 2 and 3 will become successive left-hand turns, after which there will be a 200m long straight.
At the end of that straight there is set to be a hard-left hand corner, at which point the new track layout will rejoin the 2019 version through a slightly reshaped Turn 5 (the old Turn 4) as it enters the public roads.
An additional modification has been made to the old Turn 10 complex. This is being made due to the removal of a traffic island, with track designers able to extend the run-off sufficiently to allow for a long sweeping right-hander, instead of the previously tight chicane-like turn.
Sanya is set to form part of an at-present three-location, five-race Asian leg of the season from mid-June to late-July that will also encompass the Shanghai and Tokyo double-headers.
The Tokyo E-Prix next season had to be moved back due to civil engineering work being completed around the Big Sight exhibition space in the Ariake district.
The Shanghai races have also been moved back from early June to early July.
Jakarta a no-go
The gap filled by Sanya was one of two TBC slots on the calendar, with Indonesian capital Jakarta having been eyed as the May 30 host.
May 30 in Indonesia is a national holiday known as Ascension Day.
Negotiations between Formula E Operations and departments in Jakarta had been ongoing for months on the possibility of a new venue - after the Ancol site in the north of the city was deemed unusable to continue to race on, following visits in 2022, 2023 and 2025.
A circuit similar to the one originally scoped out by Formula E in 2018, to run in central Jakarta, was being considered. This is known as the Monas circuit, with this preferred layout running close to government buildings in the city near the National Indonesian Monument located at Merdeka Square.
Ultimately, the talks haven't panned out, creating a month-long gap on the schedule between Monaco and Sanya.
Formula E said an understanding was in place for another Jakarta E-Prix to take place but that it could not be confirmed by the time the calendar was announced.
But it has not ruled out staging another race there in the future.
"As with last year and previous editions of the Jakarta E-Prix, we have worked closely with the Jakarta government," a Formula E spokesperson said.
"The 2025 race was the final event under our current agreement, and although we reached an understanding to extend into Season 12 and beyond, the confirmation process did not meet the timelines necessary for announcement.
"That said, the door remains open for Formula E to return to Jakarta in the future. In the meantime, we are excited to deliver a record-breaking 2025/26 season. Season 12 will feature Formula E's largest and most expansive calendar to date - 17 races across 11 iconic cities. Fans can look forward to a mix of long-standing favourites and exciting new venues, including Madrid, Miami International Autodrome located at the Hard Rock Stadium, and Sanya."
