News Summary
- Fusion officially confirmed its entry into the 2026/27 Formula E championship on November 15, completing a 12-team, 24-car grid.
- The Oxfordshire-based team will run two Porsche 975 RSE GEN4 cars, with former Jaguar and DS Penske engineer Phil Charles as team principal.
- Fusion has not announced its race drivers, with Ayhancan Güven facing a licensing obstacle and Taylor Barnard involved in a contractual dispute.
Fusion has officially confirmed its entry into the 2027 Formula E championship, completing the series’ 12-team grid and restoring a 24-car field for the first time since 2021. The British team will operate two Porsche-powered GEN4 cars and participate in collective pre-season testing at Jarama, Spain, beginning Monday, November 16.
The announcement formalises a project that had been developing for several months following Porsche’s decision to abandon plans for a second factory team.
Fusion will be based in Oxfordshire and operate under the Fusion Racing Group, led by chief executive Dan Richards and executive vice-president Chiko Nanji.
Former Jaguar and DS Penske engineer Phil Charles has been appointed team principal, with Chris Bluett serving as sporting director.
Fusion completes Formula E’s 12-team grid
The team’s entry fills the final available position on the 2026/27 grid.
Formula E will therefore begin its GEN4 era with 12 teams and 24 cars, the maximum permitted under the championship’s current structure.
Fusion will use the Porsche 975 RSE, joining Porsche’s factory operation and customer team CUPRA Kiro as the German manufacturer’s third entry.
The arrangement means Porsche will supply six cars across three teams.
Fusion’s arrival was first revealed in October, when GRANDE PRÊMIO reported the emerging project and its links to an investor in Lando Norris’ junior racing operation.
The connection involves Richards, who also invests in LN4 Fusion. It does not establish Norris as an owner or participant in the Formula E team. His possible direct involvement was reportedly discussed but did not proceed.
Sunday’s announcement confirms the team’s sporting structure and participation in the championship.
Phil Charles wants Fusion to fight at the front
Charles faces the challenge of assembling a competitive Formula E operation from the ground up while preparing for an entirely new generation of electric racing cars.
The British engineer previously worked with Jaguar and DS Penske in Formula E, as well as Toro Rosso and Renault in Formula 1.
“There’s something special about building a racing team from scratch,” Charles said.
“You get the opportunity to bring together people you believe in, establish the right culture and create an environment where everyone can perform at the highest level.”
Charles acknowledged the scale of the task facing the new team.
“We know exactly how competitive Formula E is and we’re under no illusions about the challenge ahead, but we’ve assembled a fantastic group, we have a strong technical partner in Porsche and everyone is working hard.”
“We’re not here just to make up the numbers. We want to build a team capable of competing at the front, and that’s what we’re working towards.”
Richards also expressed confidence in the leadership team, highlighting the experience of Charles and Bluett.
Porsche’s abandoned factory expansion opened the door
Fusion’s entry follows a change in Porsche’s plans for the GEN4 era.
In November 2025, the German manufacturer announced that it had acquired an additional Formula E licence with the intention of operating a second factory team.
The project was expected to be managed alongside its existing works operation in Weissach.
However, Porsche subsequently reconsidered the expansion.
The manufacturer confirmed in September 2026 that it would not proceed with a second factory-controlled entry, instead allowing an independent customer operation to take the available position.
The new project initially appeared under the provisional identity NewCo Formula E Team before completing the necessary registration procedures.
Fusion has now adopted its permanent identity and will enter the championship as an independent team using Porsche technology.
The arrangement preserves Porsche’s planned six-car presence without requiring the manufacturer to manage two separate factory teams.
Who will drive for Fusion in 2027?
Fusion has not announced either of its race drivers.
Two names remain closely associated with the project: Porsche factory driver Ayhancan Güven and British talent Taylor Barnard.
However, both face obstacles before their participation can be confirmed.
Güven, the 2025 DTM champion, does not currently meet the standard points requirement for the FIA e-Licence needed to compete in Formula E.
The Turkish driver has accumulated six qualifying points, below the usual 20-point threshold.
Porsche is seeking a regulatory solution through provisions allowing the FIA to consider drivers who have demonstrated exceptional and consistent ability.
No exemption has been confirmed.
Barnard’s situation is contractual rather than sporting.
The British driver was announced by Fortescue Zero for 2027, but his management subsequently challenged the validity of the agreement and sought its termination.
Fusion remains interested in Barnard, although any move would depend on the resolution of that dispute.
Until the matter is settled, he cannot be considered a confirmed Fusion driver.
Bedrin and Beckmann emerge as testing options
The uncertainty surrounding Fusion’s race seats has complicated preparations for the collective GEN4 test at Jarama.
Nikita Bedrin and David Beckmann are among the drivers who could represent the team during the five-day programme.
Bedrin recently completed a shakedown at Porsche’s Weissach test facility, while Beckmann also has experience with the manufacturer’s Formula E operation.
Neither has been confirmed as a full-season Fusion driver.
The team is expected to use the Jarama test to establish its operational procedures, gather information about the Porsche GEN4 package and prepare its engineers for the championship.
The compressed preparation schedule makes reliable running particularly important for a new operation.
Formula E begins GEN4 season in January
Formula E’s 2026/27 season is scheduled to begin in Mexico City on January 16, following the postponement of the Jeddah double-header.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported, the Saudi Arabian races were moved to April because of the conflict affecting the Middle East.
The GEN4 regulations introduce more powerful cars, permanent all-wheel drive and revised sporting rules.
The championship has also confirmed changes to race duration, Attack Mode and qualifying points, creating additional challenges for teams adapting to the new generation.
Fusion’s immediate task is to turn its newly confirmed entry into a functioning race operation before the opening event.
GRANDE PRÊMIO is following Formula E’s GEN4 preparations, team developments and the 2027 driver market.
