Monaco E-Prix 2026 Preview: What makes the Monte Carlo race venue a favourite for Formula E drivers and fans

The Formula E World Championship is all set to return to the streets of Monte Carlo in Monaco for the 2025/26 season. Twenty Formula E drivers will compete on the full 3.337km picturesque street circuit, featuring iconic sections such as Rascasse, Casino Square and the Fairmont Hotel Hairpin. The Monaco E-Prix double-header will begin on Friday with the practice session, followed by the Round 9 race on Saturday, May 16, and the Round 10 race on Sunday, May 17. Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming race event in Monaco.Following the recent Berlin E-Prix, the 2026 Monaco E-Prix will also be a double-header event for the second consecutive year, featuring the Pit Boost advantage during Saturday’s Round 9 race.For obvious reasons, Monte Carlo has been a permanent venue on the Formula E calendar since the championship’s inception in 2014. Initially, the series used a shorter layout of the famous circuit before adopting the full layout in the 2020/21 season.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.The Monaco E-Prix is widely regarded as a favourite among Formula E fans, teams, drivers and media alike, as the Monte Carlo street circuit provides excellent racing and overtaking opportunities. Such is the overtaking potential here that the GEN3 Evo cars produced a staggering 116 overtakes during the 2022/23 season. Drivers race within inches of each other as they charge uphill through Beau Rivage. Interestingly, three of the eight Monaco races have been won by less than half a second.The Monaco Street Circuit, with its steep inclines and high-speed sections, once again promises to put the drivers’ energy management skills to the test.ID@undefined Caption not available.ID@undefined Caption not available.Last season, Nissan’s Oliver Rowland won one of the two Monaco races before going on to secure the championship title. Sébastien Buemi of Envision Racing claimed victory in the other race, securing his record-breaking third win at the venue.The Pit Boost race on Saturday, May 16, will add another strategic twist, with drivers required to make a mandatory mid-race pit stop. During the stop, their cars will receive an ultra-fast 10% energy increase (3.85kWh) through a 30-second 600kW boost in the pit lane.With more energy available, the chances of overtakes, strategic gambles and intense on-track battles are expected to increase significantly.These races will also feature only one Attack Mode activation lasting six minutes, compared to traditional races, which usually include two activations totalling eight minutes.Also read: Jake Dennis jokes about Monaco E-Prix preparations with “building and tape measurements” at his new Marbella home