Delighted Dennis
Jake Dennis took his seventh EPrix win at São Paulo to take the early championship lead. But his win was hard-fought after a poor Saturday morning practice session appeared to initially put he and his Andretti team on the backfoot.
“Practice was a struggle and we were 17th on 300kW running but we managed to turn it around, make some small changes and just brought the window a bit better towards my liking,” he told Formula E Notebook.
“We didn’t expect pole to be honest but we’re always good in these races trying to manage everything with the peloton. And finally, I won one, I’ve never actually won a peloton race before, I normally always finish second to Nick (Cassidy) but today I pipped him and we had a really good race.”
Podium Cake Carnage Explained
A curdled Andretti team principal Roger Griffiths walked away from a huge podium incident last Saturday after suffering cream and sponge related impacts via Formula E’s Chief Operating Officer and co-founder Alberto Longo. Griffiths was celebrating his birthday in the best way possible with his team and initially watched Dennis’ engineer Sean McGill (who’s birthday it was the day after the race) take to the podium to celebrate with Dennis.
“They did forewarn me, so I took my glasses off!” Griffiths told FEN after he’d washed off most of the icing and cream.
“The combination of champagne and birthday cake is not great. They’re better had separately, in a glass and on a plate with a fork. Everybody’s been so kind. It’s been so much fun being here in Formula E. Alberto sent me a really nice message. He said, ‘honestly, if I couldn’t be home with the family, I don’t think I can think of a better place to be with my Formula E family.’ It’s been a lot of races together and I’m really appreciative of everybody here and the kind words they’ve had for the team.”
Mahindra Debacle Explored
Mahindra was left to rue a poor first race in which its notable pace and dexterity was squandered through a self-inflicted incident (Nyck de Vries) and being nudged off by an errant Lucas di Grassi (Edoardo Mortara). Although de Vries came through to score a tenacious two points in 9th position, Mahindra team boss Frederic Bertrand was highly displeased by the events.
Bertrand explained to FEN that he believed the team’s recent difficulties in previous seasons was partly to blame, saying that “a little bit too much of the past is influencing our present.
“That’s because we were so used to going safe on energy and try to take any opportunity that it drives a little bit still in the mind of the drivers, some behaviours.
“Typically, when you look at the race of Edo, he’s definitely able to keep the pace of Dennis and probably finish in the top three. What is more interesting is that he had the pace to be there and then maybe a little bit too conservative at one point because of lack of confidence, would we be there in efficiency, and we were there.
“So, that’s something we are definitely learning and taking away from this event. I don’t want to say being optimistic, but at least aggressive and more trying to follow the top and not be used only to be in that point, that region.”
Burnout Bother
Pascal Wehrlein claimed his third consecutive pole position points at São Paulo on Saturday but the Porsche driver started fourth on the grid after being penalised for wheelspinning at the pit exit before joining the circuit. This was in breach of Article 23.18 which was included in the Sporting Regulations for the 2025-26 season recently to try and deter the practice on safety grounds.
“The pit lane here has this concrete surface meaning low grip and when he went on throttle, he got wheelspin and immediately reacted to it,” Porsche’s Head of Factory Motorsport for Formula E told FEN.
“This means lifted off. There you can see it was not intentionally or on purpose. He was surprised by the low grip and the wheelspin he got. Reacted immediately.
“This is not considered because the rules are the rules. But maybe we should think about how the rules are and how they are taken into place because it’s a safety thing. And when you queue up there at the pit exit and you get a little wheel spin, what does this influence? Safety, yes or no?”
Unlucky Ticktum
CUPRA Kiro’s Dan Ticktum rued getting hit by a wayward Nyck de Vries at the first corner which triggered a puncture, which in turn triggered two separate pit infringement penalties (for a mechanic working on the car while it was in ‘move status’ and wheelspinning in the pitlane). His misery was compounded by a brake problem when he completed his two drive-through penalties.
“Me and Mortara both got nicked by Mr de Vries and he gets away scot free, and I get a drive through for some small wheelspin within the pit lane,” Ticktum told FEN after the race.
“I think the emphasis on penalties and how they’re dished out are slightly incorrect. I’ve said to people already, there’s far too much red tape in the sport now. God forbid we will actually spin (wheels) in a racing car!”
Ticktum’s frustration with the T1 contact was plain to hear on his conversation with engineer Nico Morel as he toured around to the pits after the hit from an out of control de Vries.
TIC: Bunch of w******. F****** hell mate.
TIC: What are we doing?
NM: Ok so standby for what we do. Pack is currently T8. So, mode 15.
TIC: F****** typical. It’s just unbelievable. This sport sucks.
Sheepish De Vries Explains
Nyck de Vries’ mistake at the first corner in which he hit Dan Ticktum and forced his teammate Edoardo Mortara off the track did not warrant a penalty which surprised many in the paddock on Saturday evening. For de Vries himself, he is believed to have apologised to his team for what he called “a misjudgement.”
“I got a decent start and came past Pascal and kind of misjudged what was happening in front,” de Vries told FEN.
“I had to avoid and then you are on the backfoot and I’m not sure what happened with the flat tyre as it happened quite late, I could have picked up some debris, I’m not sure what that was. Then you are fighting against the current and trying to salvage something.“
Pepe’s Peak before Fall
Pepe Marti’s horrendous aerial accident that stopped the São Paulo EPrix for a time hit the headlines immediately after the race. But in a way that hid a huge amount of positivity in his Formula E debut, which saw him closing on at least a top six finish just before his accident.
Marti was running 9th at the time of his accident, and CUPRA Kiro team principal Russell O’Hagan told FEN that Marti’s energy was “up the whole way through.”
“As a rookie, I was a little bit dubious about him racing in the middle of the pack and being able to keep his nose clean and manage his energy. But that’s the hardest thing in FE, he did that incredibly well.
“Then obviously with the timing of that safety car, he was wiping out everyone else’s attack mode. Pepe was sat there with a couple of percent energy advantage. And one of three cars with the attack mode in 6th or 7th on the table, which would have been remarkable for his first race.”
Will DS Stay or Go?
The DS name’s future in Formula E is open to a lot of conjecture at present as Stellantis Motorsport gets ready to introduce Opel in addition to Citroen for the Gen4 era next year.
Formula E CEO added credence to paddock rumours that DS Automobiles could continue to have a presence in Formula E for the Gen4 era through a deal to keep its brand competing in conjunction with a team for several more seasons.
“We obviously have a very good feel for where Stellantis will be as they enter Gen4, but we also know that Xavier Peugeot, who came to the London race last year as the CEO of DS, we know that he likes this product, he likes to race,” Dodds told FEN in São Paulo last week.
“They’ve been involved for a very long time. DS invested a lot of money and a lot of energy in building the profile of DS within the championship. I think it’s perfectly conceivable that DS find a route to stay in the championship as a brand. Not as a manufacturer necessarily, although they’re part of the stable of Stellantis.”
New Era for Stellantis Begins
New Head of Stellantis Motorsport, Olivier Jansonnie was at São Paulo last week making his first official visit to a Formula E race. The former technical director and team principal of the Peugeot TotalEnergies FIA WEC team had previously attended the Paris and Monaco EPrixs but was at the first race of the 2025/26 season in an official capacity. He takes over at the end of January from Jean-Marc Finot and will oversee Stellantis’ strategy for the Gen4 era of competition starting at the end of 2026.
Stats…
Max Guenther finished sixth in his 100th Formula E race on Saturday. The DS Penske driver had a relatively quiet race and described it to Formula E Notebook as “a good recovery” after a disappointing qualifying period saw him start from a lowly 16th.
“The race opened up for us, but it wasn’t perfect; we took our Attack and then the safety car came out so we were a bit exposed with a lot of people still with Attack remaining. We tried to hang on, and with a lot of things happened at the end – I’m glad everyone is OK – the red flag gave us a bit of respite. To walk away with a top six this weekend is positive.”
Mitch Evans’ late race retirement ensured that he is stuck on 999 points in Formula E since he scored his first at the 2017 Mexico City EPrix when he claimed fourth position.
Zane Maloney scored his first Formula E point for 10th position following the penalties accrued by Felipe Drugovich for overtaking and overspeeding under Full Course Yellow following the Buemi and Evans incident.
Norman Nato continued his poor form at São Paulo with a retirement after suffering damage to a rear toe-link when he was in collision with teammate Oliver Rowland at the exit of the T4/5/6 complex. Nato’s record at the Anhembi Sambadrome track reads as: DNF, 17th, 13th and DNF in the four São Paulo EPrixs held there so far.
With Sam Bird and Jake Hughes not having race seats this season only four British drivers are on the grid. The last time four were entered was in 2017-18 when Bird was joined by Oliver Turvey, Alex Lynn and Tom Blomqvist.
Off the Podium
Marco Rossini one of the senior Formula E project team leaders at Podium Advanced Technologies has left the company to join Stellantis Motorsport.
Commenting on his time at PAT, Rossini said that “Podium is where I grew from stepping into the professional world to leading a group of young and talented project managers; something I could only achieve thanks to the incredible people around me. Working with such committed, passionate teammates taught me that with the right dedication, almost anything is possible.
“We shared unforgettable milestones – from standing on the podium in Le Mans to becoming the single supplier of Formula E batteries to many others; but honestly, the everyday learning and growth meant even more,” added Rossini.
News of Rossini’s new role has been met with some intrigue by paddock insiders, including Andretti team principal Roger Griffiths who told FEN “I don’t fully understand European working law, so I don’t know if there’s anything that can be done to prevent that from happening.
“I certainly feel it’s a conversation we should have with the FIA around non-compete clauses. I mean, it’s the sort of thing that we have in our own contracts, whether it’s with sponsors or drivers or whatever, or even our chosen manufacturer, so we’re not stealing each other’s staff.
“But it doesn’t matter whether it’s motor racing or any other business it happens. Can we prevent it? Maybe there could be something in there that says you can’t go after key personnel within two years of the product being launched or something. But let’s say European working law may actually prevent you from putting those kind of clauses in there. I don’t think it’s particularly healthy, but also I’m not overly concerned.”
Gouzin to Start at Jaguar
Jaguar TCS Racing is set to confirm former Spark and Nissan technical lead Theophile Gouzin in a new senior position at the manufacturer shortly. Gouzin, who has been on gardening leave from Nissan since July, will begin his role this month and is expected to be at the Mexico City EPrix next month.
New JLR Gaffer
Jaguar Land Rover welcomed a new CEO last month when PB Balaji took over from recently departed Adrian Mardell. Balaji said: “I’m delighted to share that I’ve begun a new chapter as the CEO of JLR – an iconic company that continues to redefine modern luxury through its distinctive brands and people. A heartfelt thank you to Adrain for his outstanding contributions over the past 35 years. His leadership and friendship have been invaluable, and I wish him every success in his next chapter.”
CUPRA Kiro Heralds New Partners
CUPRA Kiro welcomed new partners to its team in Brazil last week including clothing brand Reflo, data-drive hydration experts AQUAME and Duelbits who become the teams’ Official Crypto Gambling Partner.
Commercial Director of the team, Jon Wilde said that “as a team, our identity sits at the crosshairs of challenging convention and driving innovation, and partnering with like-minded brands who share the same vision is exactly what we want to do.
“Duelbits is bold and forward-thinking and has strategically positioned itself at the cutting edge of crypto gaming and sports entertainment. I can’t wait to channel their energy into Formula E, and I’m excited for us to start working together this season.”
Gulf Industry news at your Fingertips
A new news resource dedicated to racing industry news in the Gulf has been launched recently. The fresh venture, launched by friend of FEN, Alastair Moffitt, will see insights, news and features dedicated to the thriving motorsport scene in the area. You can subscribe to get all the latest. For free, HERE.
Tuning In
FEN has learned that Formula E is soon to announce a key new member of staff to head up its TV rights and deal acquisition department. The word in the paddock at the weekend was that a big name with F1 experience will be employed by Formula E to take up the role vacated by Aarti Dabas earlier this year. A conformation on the hire is expected this week.
SPOTY for ROW
Current ABB FIA Formula E World Champion Oliver Rowland is set to attend the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year event in Salford, Manchester on December 19. The annual event celebrates and decorates key achievers in the world of sport every year and previous winners have included Sir Stirling Moss, Nigel Mansell, Damon Hill, Sir Jackie Stewart, John Surtees and Sir Lewis Hamilton.
Photos thanks to Hugo Morales, Andreas Biel and Liv Perry/Andretti
