Formula E is mourning Cyril Blais, the team principal of the Citroen Racing Formula E Team, who has died at the age of 46.
Blais's death was confirmed to teams by Formula E Operations on Sunday morning and announced publicly on Monday in a joint statement from Monaco Sports Group, Citroen Racing, Stellantis Motorsport, Formula E and the FIA. No cause has been disclosed, and the parties said no further details would be shared out of respect for the family's privacy and wishes.
The news reached the paddock days before it reconvenes in Japan for the Tokyo E-Prix, the penultimate weekend of the 2026 season.
"We are heartbroken by the loss of our colleague and friend, Cyril, and our heartfelt thoughts and condolences are with his family, loved ones and all those who knew him," said Formula E chief executive Jeff Dodds.
"Cyril's passing is a devastating loss for his family, for MSG, Citroen Racing, and for our entire Formula E community."
Blais had spent close to a decade in the championship and, unusually for a team principal, arrived in the role through the engineering side rather than the commercial one. He held a master's degree in vehicle dynamics from Kingston University and worked at Manor Motorsport and Arden in Formula 3 and Formula 2, where he engineered Maximilian Guenther during the German's F2 campaign.
His Formula E career began as a race engineer at Venturi, the squad that would eventually become Maserati MSG and then Citroen. After a spell at Mahindra between 2019 and 2021, he returned to Monaco Sports Group and moved up through chief engineer and deputy team principal before taking the top job in autumn 2023.
That trajectory made him one of the few people on the pit wall who had done nearly every job in front of it.
Beth Paretta, managing director at the team, pointed to how long many of the staff had known him.
"We are all so saddened to lose Cyril," Paretta said. "Many of the team have known and worked with him for several years. Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and colleagues throughout the paddock."
FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem said the loss extended well beyond one garage.
"The entire motorsport community is deeply saddened by this tragic news, and Cyril will be greatly missed by all who were fortunate to know and work with him," Ben Sulayem said.
"He was dedicated to our sport, earning the respect and admiration of colleagues, competitors and friends across the paddock. His passion, determination and belief in his team were evident in all he did. Beyond his achievements on track, Cyril will be remembered for the integrity he brought to our sport."
Blais's final season was also one of the most demanding of his tenure. He steered the operation through its rebrand from Maserati to Citroen, a change that landed midway through a championship cycle and required the team to absorb a new manufacturer identity without losing competitive ground. It did not: Nick Cassidy won for the team in Mexico City in January.
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*Originally published on [Motorsports Global](https://motorsports.global/article/formula-e-mourns-citroen-team-boss-cyril-blais-dead-at-46). Visit for full coverage.*