Fortescue Zero launches racing and innovation team to compete in ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Fortescue Zero is going from the pit lane to the grid, launching its Fortescue Zero racing and innovation team to compete in the world’s biggest electric racing series.  

The new customer team intends to be the first Australian owned outfit to race in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with plans to join for the start of the 2026/27 season, subject to FEO and FIA approvals.  

Fortescue Zero has a long and successful legacy in motorsports, from its roots in Williams Racing, to becoming an in-demand, high-performance engineering business, working at the cutting edge of electrification.   

Unique and innovative technologies created by Fortescue Zero’s highly skilled engineers have helped redefine electric performance on the racetrack and are now being applied across commercial electric vehicles and heavy industry. 

Fortescue Growth and Energy CEO, Gus Pichot said, “For more than a decade Fortescue Zero has been the brains behind some of the groundbreaking technologies powering and transforming electric racing. Now, we’re going to show the world how we can compete on the track as well.” 

“Progressing from the pit lane to the grid is the next chapter in our motorsports story. We’re here to race, to win and to innovate.” 

“At Fortescue, it’s in our DNA to go to the extreme, push the limits and go further and faster than our competitors. For us, motorsports is more than just a chance to take home a championship trophy, it’s a platform to develop, test and home in on the next great technologies that will transform industries beyond racing.” 

To establish its new customer team, Fortescue has acquired the Penske Formula E operation and will compete with a Jaguar GEN4 powertrain.  

Fortescue Zero Electromobility Chief Technology Officer Travis Hester said “Formula E is pushing electric racing to another level, creating completely new engineering challenges. That is exactly where we want to be, at the front of the grid, solving difficult problems and finding the next competitive advantage.” 

“Motor racing allows Fortescue Zero engineers to design & develop technologies at the cutting edge of performance and efficiency. Battery, software and hardware technology is proven in the harsh environment of racing, then efficiency applications applied throughout Fortescue’s mining and energy portfolio, as well as Fortescue Zero’s automotive and defence customers.” 

Penske Autosport owner Jay Penske said, “We are proud of what we have built with this team and the people who have competed at the highest levels of elite racing.” 

“Fortescue Zero has a clear ambition for electric technology and motorsport and we know it will build upon the great foundations we have laid and lead to future success.” 

Fortescue Zero has been a part of Formula E since the early years of the Championship, developing and supplying a range of technologies. As well as a technical partnership with Jaguar TCS Racing, Fortescue Zero was also the official PIT BOOST provider for the 2024/25 and 2025/26 seasons of the Championship.  

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds said, “Fortescue Zero has been a vital technology partner for Formula E from day one, standing alongside us since the inception of the Championship.”  

“Formula E is far more than a race series, it’s an incubator for peak performance and ground-breaking technology, and Fortescue Zero exemplifies both.” 

“We are excited to see the competitive edge and innovation they will bring to the GEN4 era of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.”  

Technology and innovation are central to Fortescue's strategy to accelerate the decarbonisation of heavy industry and create new sources of long-term value. Fortescue Zero’s motorsports engineering heritage is central to that strategy, delivering high-performance innovations tested and proven on the track and scaled for trucks and mine sites in the Pilbara.  

The power systems, fast chargers and world-leading battery intelligence being implemented on our mine sites, started on the racetrack and are now real-world applications, reducing emissions. 

Fortescue Energy and Growth CEO Gus Pichot said, “In racing every second counts, and innovations can be the difference between winning and losing. The same goes for decarbonising our mining operations.” 

“We need technology that can operate at extremes and push the limits. Without motorsports as an incubator and proving ground, we would not be as advanced in our decarbonisation journey as we are today.” 

ENDS 

Editors Note: Images can be found here.