Jake Dennis opened Formula E’s Season 12 with a commanding victory in São Paulo, converting pole into a hard-fought win after a chaotic race packed with collisions, penalties, and late-race drama. He slipped to fourth in the early shuffle but kept his composure and conserved energy while rivals tripped over each other. A perfectly timed final Attack Mode moved the Andretti driver back to the front just before the race was neutralised again. After a red flag and a one-lap shootout to the finish, Dennis launched cleanly, pulled clear, and sealed his first win since 2024, becoming the first driver to take pole and victory at the São Paulo E-Prix.
From frustration to triumph for Dennis at the Formula E season opener in São Paulo
Dennis savoured his first Formula E victory since early 2024, finally converting after a year of near-misses and frustration. He reflected on how a likely win in Jakarta had slipped away last season, which made this breakthrough at the São Paulo opener feel even more satisfying. All race long he managed the hectic pack dynamics with composure, hit his first attack mode at exactly the right moment and saw the second activation swing the momentum firmly his way. Even a late red flag threatened to spoil what had looked like a straightforward run to the flag, but Dennis relied on the raw pace of the Andretti package, stayed out of trouble and turned a day that so often used to end in second place into maximum points at last.
“Yeah, no win last year. It was a tough one to take. Jakarta looked like it was ours, but there was a few things that fell apart. But yeah, to turn it around, first win of the season at the first race. And you know, I normally finish second in these races far too many times, and it’s normally behind this bloke [Oliver Rowland]. But yeah, it’s nice to finally win this peloton style racing.”
“Super challenging, you know, getting that attack mode in the first time at the right time. And I think we did just that. Obviously, the second one played into our hands quite nicely. It looked like it was obviously then going to become quite a comfortable win until the red flag. But yeah, I think ultimately we just had good pace and kept our noses clean and brought home maximum points.”
Late attack-mode gamble turns scrappy practice into polished victory run for Dennis and Andretti at Formula E season opener in São Paulo
Dennis explained that the late attack mode gamble had not been part of the original game plan. Andretti hadn’t targeted a last-gasp activation, but like most of the field, they drifted towards a late window as the race evolved. The safety car for Mortara initially seemed to help, then lingered long enough for Dennis to worry he might reach the finish with part of his extra power still unused. In the end, the timing fell perfectly, cementing what already looked like a controlled victory. For Dennis, the relief ran deeper than just a clean execution of the new rules. After a difficult practice with a car that felt nowhere near its best, Dennis left São Paulo satisfied that he and the team had transformed a scrappy start into a polished race-day performance.
“I mean, ultimately, we didn’t go into this race thinking that we want to take it on the last three laps and take it to the finish line. That wasn’t really our strategy. But obviously, I think, like most people, we’re pushing it towards the end.”
“And then when that safety car came out, it was originally quite good, but then it took a long time to clear Mortara’s car. So, then I was a little bit worried, like, am I going to overrun into the chequered flag and only maybe have half of this? But ultimately, it worked out fine. And it looked like it was going to be a comfortable win.”
“But yeah, ultimately, I’m just very happy that we’ve turned it around a little bit from this morning where we weren’t great at all. Really bad feeling in the car, but it felt pretty good out there today. And yeah, feeling quite happy and relieved.”
Pole-Sitter faces expected mayhem and responds to shock of Martí incident
Starting from pole, Dennis never expected a serene Formula E race, he approached São Paulo braced for chaos rather than control. Unlike more track-position-led venues such as London, Jakarta or Tokyo, he treated this race as a survival exercise, focused on keeping his nose clean amid the safety cars and constant resets. The interruptions didn’t catch the Andretti driver off guard, the red flag aside, and even that concern quickly shifted when he learned the severity of Pepe Martí’s crash. He admitted he had initially assumed the stoppage related only to Mitch Evans, and only later saw how heavy the impact had been.
“Yeah, I mean, I think you go into this race thinking it’s going to be chaos. There are ones like London and Jakarta and Tokyo where it’s a little bit more track position race, and you can control everything. Whereas here, it’s really just sort of survival and trying to keep the nose clean.”
“So I very much went into that thinking it was going to be exactly how it was. So no real surprises, obviously, apart from the red flag. But I was glad to see Pepe [Martí] was all right. I had no idea there was a crash. I wasn’t informed. So I just thought it was for Mitch [Evans]. So yeah, I saw the crash a minute ago. And yeah, it’s very bad, but it’s good to see him walk out. Yeah, of course it is.”
