Andretti driver Jake Dennis won the opening race of the new Formula E season in Sao Paulo on Saturday after a late red flag converted the closing stages into a one-lap sprint following a heavy crash involving rookie Pepe Marti.
Dennis, the 2022–23 Formula E champion, moved into the lead after benefiting from well-timed use of his second Attack Mode following a safety car period triggered on lap 23 by a collision between Edoardo Mortara and Lucas di Grassi. Several of his rivals were unable to fully capitalise on their energy boosts, allowing Dennis to take control of the race at the end of lap 27.
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The contest was then neutralised again on lap 28 when Marti misjudged a full-course yellow caused by Mitch Evans hitting the wall. The Cupra Kiro driver struck the rear of both Antonio Felix da Costa’s Jaguar and Nico Mueller’s Porsche, sending his car airborne and into a roll. Marti was able to exit the wrecked car without injury.
Following a lengthy stoppage to clear debris, the race resumed for a single lap, with no additional distance added as the earlier safety car had come too late for an extension. Dennis defended his position to take the chequered flag by 1.349 seconds over reigning champion Oliver Rowland of Nissan.
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Rowland had started 13th on the grid and climbed steadily through the field. Nick Cassidy finished third to secure a podium for Citroen on its Formula E debut, while Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein took fourth place. Felipe Drugovich completed the top five on his debut for the Andretti-affiliated U.S. squad after also benefiting from late race energy deployment.
Mueller recovered from the heavy impact in the crash to finish seventh for Porsche, ahead of DS Penske’s Maximilian Guenther. Envision drivers Joel Eriksson and Sebastien Buemi placed eighth and ninth respectively, while Mahindra’s Nyck de Vries rounded out the top 10 despite early contact that dropped him to the back of the field.
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Dennis later reflected on the decisive moment of the race. “The timing of the last Attack Mode and the restart was absolutely critical, and once we got clear air, I knew we had a chance to make it stick,” he said.