Early Career
Jean-Eric Vergne’s - known affectionately as ‘JEV’ - motorsport career started earlier than most, starting karting at just four years old at his father’s track near Paris. A highly successful karting career followed with a flurry of victories and podiums, before the Frenchman made the move to single-seater racing with Formula Renault in 2007.
After securing the backing of Red Bull, he won the 2010 British F3 championship with six rounds remaining, after taking 12 victories from 24 races. This absolute domination saw him promoted to Formula Renault 3.5 for the following season, where he finished runner-up in the championship standings.
Formula 1
Despite not winning the championship, the Frenchman had done enough to prove to Red Bull that he was worthy of a Formula 1 seat with Scuderia Toro Rosso for 2012 - partnering Daniel Ricciardo.
Known for his strong race craft and Sunday recovery drives - despite occasional qualifying struggles - Vergne amassed 51 career points in Formula 1, with a career-best finish of 6th place at both the 2013 Canadian Grand Prix and the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix. Although he outscored teammate Kvyat in 2014, Red Bull ultimately opted to drop Vergne at the end of the season.
Formula E | 2014-16
JEV entered Formula E with Andretti for the championship’s inaugural season. Despite a stunning debut with the American squad, the Frenchman moved to Virgin Racing for his second campaign. Although the switch allowed him to add to his pole tally, victory still proved elusive for Vergne, and a tense partnership with teammate Sam Bird, aided the Frenchman’s decision to leave the Virgin Racing squad at the end of the 2015/16 season.
Formula E | 2016-22
Another change of scenery came for his third campaign as he linked up with TECHEETAH. In the final round of the season, he finally made his breakthrough with an emotional maiden win in Montreal. Remaining with the team for the 2017/18 season, JEV continued to soar. With four wins and six podiums, he assembled a title tilt, which he converted into his first Formula E Drivers' Championship at the New York City season finale.
Intent on retaining his crown, Vergne embarked on his fifth season in Formula E with his newly manufacturer-backed squad, DS TECHEETAH, as the French automotive brand joined the fold. Despite a potent powertrain, JEV battled through a rollercoaster season, which saw the title fight head right down to the wire in the New York City finale. With four title contenders in with a chance of winning top honours, Vergne held his nerve to emerge victorious from the battle in Brooklyn, making history as the series' first double champion.
The Frenchman aimed to make it a hat-trick the following year, but new teammate Antonio Felix da Costa quashed his dream to seal the title for himself in a season disrupted by the 2020 COVID pandemic.
The friendly rivalry continued the following season, with Vergne securing a victory in Rome and a podium in New York City, ultimately finishing the season tenth in the standings - below what fans had come to expect from the Formula E legend.
2021/22 saw a change in fortunes as JEV was in contention for the Drivers’ Championship throughout GEN2’s final campaign. Podiums in Mexico, Rome, Monaco, Berlin and Jakarta filled a heady mid-season for the Frenchman, but retirements in New York and London hamstrung the double title-winner before he got to the Seoul finale.
Formula E | 2022-25
The start of the GEN3 era saw JEV paired with another Formula E champion, as DS partnered with Penske, to form DS PENSKE. This time, JEV was up against reigning champion Stoffel Vandoorne, fresh off two seasons of dominance with Mercedes. Despite comfortably leading his teammate throughout the season, JEV’s title fight never really gained its spark and he ended the season in fifth.
The following season provided glimpses of JEV’s speed and racecraft. The Frenchman managed to string together a consistent run of point-scoring performances, highlights of which included second in Diriyah and Berlin.
The Frenchman had a new partner in the form of Maximilian Guenther as he chased down more records in 2024/25. Those accolades came in 2025, as JEV added two more podium visits to his tally. One of those podium visits came in spectacular fashion, as he passed two people to claim second in Shanghai - making it a one-two finish for DS PENSKE in the process.
Formula E | 2025-26
After years wearing black-and-gold and leading DS to title success in Formula E, JEV left the squad to join Citroën Racing, spearheading their entry in the all-electric series alongside new teammate Nick Cassidy.
The season marked a transitional chapter for the two-time champion, who faced a tough campaign adapting to his new surroundings, as Citroën worked to establish consistency against the established frontrunners in the paddock. Lacking the outright pace to challenge for the drivers' crown, he regularly fought for points finishes, and claimed a spectacular second place finish in Shanghai, but ultimately ended the championship in 12th place with 68 points.
As one of the last remaining ‘original’ Formula E drivers, JEV’s vast experience will be invaluable to the Citroen Racing team, ahead of the 2026/27 season - the first of the GEN4 era.