News Summary
- Dan Ticktum will race for Fortescue Zero in 2026/27, leaving Cupra Kiro after spending his entire Formula E career with the same organisation.
- The 27-year-old will partner Taylor Barnard, Formula E’s youngest race winner, at the first Australian-owned team in the championship.
- Fortescue Zero has acquired the former DS Penske operation and will compete with Jaguar powertrains as Formula E introduces its Gen4 cars.
Fortescue Zero Racing confirmed on Thursday (October 22) that Dan Ticktum will join the team for the 2026/27 Formula E season, completing its driver line-up alongside Taylor Barnard. The British driver leaves Cupra Kiro after five seasons with the organisation that gave him his debut in the electric championship.
The announcement completes the first major recruitment process undertaken by the Australian team, which acquired the former DS Penske operation ahead of Formula E’s new technical era. Ticktum joins Barnard, whose signing was announced on October 12, giving Fortescue Zero two British drivers who have already won races in the championship.
Ticktum, 27, has contested 81 Formula E races, recording two victories, three podium finishes and three pole positions. He arrives after winning the 2026 Tokyo E-Prix with Cupra Kiro, adding to his maiden victory in Jakarta in 2025.
The partnership also represents a new chapter in his career. Since making his Formula E debut in the 2021/22 season, Ticktum had remained with the same organisation through its successive identities as NIO 333, ERT and Cupra Kiro.
Ticktum explains decision to join Fortescue Zero
Ticktum welcomed the opportunity to help establish Fortescue Zero’s racing programme, highlighting the team’s ambition to challenge established competitors rather than follow conventional approaches.
“What I love about Fortescue Zero Racing is that they want to do things differently,” Ticktum said in the official announcement.
The British driver explained that joining the operation at the beginning of its new chapter was an important part of his decision. Although Fortescue Zero is making its championship debut under its own identity, the organisation has acquired an existing Formula E operation and brings considerable experience in high-performance electric technology.
Ticktum also expressed gratitude for the confidence shown by the team’s management and said he wants to contribute to the success of the programme alongside team principal Jim Wright.
The agreement ends his association with Cupra Kiro, where he became a Formula E race winner and established himself as one of the championship’s most recognisable drivers.
After taking his first victory in Jakarta in June 2025, Ticktum added a second triumph in Tokyo in July 2026. The latter came after a dramatic final-lap battle with Andretti’s Jake Dennis, during which the Cupra Kiro driver moved ahead at Turn 16.
Ticktum finished the 2025/26 championship in 15th place, with 62 points, one victory, two pole positions and one podium.
Fortescue Zero pairs Ticktum with youngest Formula E winner Barnard
Fortescue Zero’s completed line-up combines Ticktum’s experience with Barnard’s rapid progression through the championship.
Barnard, 22, joined Formula E in 2024 as a replacement for the injured Sam Bird at McLaren. He subsequently became the youngest driver to score points, claim a podium and secure a pole position before adding the record for the championship’s youngest race winner.
The Briton secured his first victory during the final weekend of the 2025/26 season in London, competing for DS Penske.
Barnard remained available following the sale of Penske’s Formula E operation, allowing Fortescue Zero to retain a driver already familiar with the team’s personnel and facilities.
His confirmation earlier this month left the second seat unfilled. As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported when Barnard joined Fortescue Zero, the Australian organisation selected him as the first driver in its new programme.
Ticktum’s arrival completes the pairing ahead of pre-season preparations.
| Driver | Nationality | Formula E victories | Previous team |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Ticktum | British | 2 | Cupra Kiro |
| Taylor Barnard | British | 1 | DS Penske |
Team principal Jim Wright welcomes Ticktum’s arrival
Fortescue Zero team principal Jim Wright welcomed Ticktum’s signing and highlighted the qualities the British driver will bring to the new operation.
“Dan is a fierce competitor,” Wright said.
The team principal emphasised Ticktum’s speed, his experience as a race winner and his willingness to take risks on track. Wright said those characteristics match Fortescue Zero’s ambition to challenge established approaches within Formula E.
However, he also stressed the importance of discipline and cooperation between the drivers, engineers and other team personnel as the organisation prepares for its first championship campaign.
Fortescue Zero appointed Wright as team principal in September, giving him responsibility for establishing the racing operation and overseeing its transition from the former Penske structure.
The Australian company has a longstanding connection with motorsport, including its history through Williams Advanced Engineering and its involvement in Formula E’s PIT BOOST technology.
Its move into team ownership comes as the championship adopts a new generation of electric racing cars, creating opportunities for manufacturers and teams to reconsider their technical programmes.
Fortescue Zero prepares Jaguar-powered Gen4 debut
Fortescue Zero will compete with Jaguar Gen4 powertrains, becoming a customer of the British manufacturer alongside Jaguar’s factory operation and Envision Racing.
The partnership follows the team’s acquisition of the DS Penske organisation, which ended its relationship with DS Automobiles after the 2025/26 season.
The Australian company’s entry also makes it the first Australian-owned team to compete in Formula E.
The new regulations will introduce the most powerful cars in the championship’s history, with substantially greater performance than the previous Gen3 Evo generation.
According to Formula E’s official technical information, the Gen4 cars will produce up to 600 kW in Attack Mode, equivalent to approximately 816 metric horsepower, and will feature permanent all-wheel drive.
Formula E estimates that the new cars will exceed 335 km/h and accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in approximately 1.8 seconds. Those figures are championship projections rather than verified performance achieved in competition.
The technical changes place additional emphasis on powertrain efficiency, energy management, traction and cooperation between drivers and engineers.
Fortescue Zero enters the championship with experience in electrification technology, while Jaguar provides a powertrain developed through its established Formula E programme.
For Ticktum and Barnard, the new regulations will also require adaptation to machinery with considerably different performance characteristics from the cars used in previous seasons.
When will Ticktum make his Fortescue Zero debut?
The 2026/27 Formula E season is scheduled to begin with a double-header in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on December 18 and 19.
Ticktum and Barnard will prepare for the opening weekend through the team’s testing programme, including the first collective activities with the new Gen4 cars.
The championship is scheduled to feature 21 races during the season, with manufacturers and teams introducing new powertrains and technical concepts.
Fortescue Zero will begin its first campaign under the leadership of Wright, with Ticktum and Barnard forming its confirmed driver pairing.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following the preparations for the 2026/27 Formula E season, with breaking news, driver-market updates and full coverage in its Formula E section.
