JAKE DENNIS WINS CHAOTIC 2025 SÃO PAULO E-PRIX AFTER LATE RED FLAG SHOOTOUT
Andretti’s Jake Dennis started the 2025 São Paulo E-Prix (Round 1) from pole position and won the race, but it was far from an easy, calm drive. The race had 30 laps and many things happened.
Dennis made a strong start and stayed with the leaders as the race changed many times. Late in the race, he passed Nick Cassidy’s Citroën on Lap 27. This move gave him the lead for good. Cassidy had made a fast late charge through the field.
There was a huge crash involving rookie Pepe Martí that resulted in a grid penalty for him in the next race. Martí’s car flew over Antonio Félix da Costa’s Jaguar, but luckily he landed safely and was not hurt. This caused a Red Flag and the race stopped for a moment. After the track was cleaned, there was only one lap left. Dennis kept the lead in the final sprint. Reigning champion Oliver Rowland (Nissan), who had started 13th, finished second. Cassidy finished third.
This was Dennis’s first win since Diriyah in 2024. He also became the first driver to win from the front row at the Anhembi Sambadrome Circuit.
Pascal Wehrlein finished fourth. He had also been involved in a similar crash last season at the same track. Home driver Felipe Drugovich finished fifth on his debut with Andretti. That meant Andretti had two cars in the top six. The team used their ATTACK MODE late in the race, and it helped them.
Nico Müller finished sixth for Porsche. Porsche-powered cars were strong, with four in the top six.
With this result, Dennis leads the Drivers’ Championship, Andretti leads the Teams’ standings, and Porsche leads the Manufacturers’ table. The next race is in Mexico on 10 January.
At the start, Dennis stayed ahead while both Mahindra cars ran wide in the first chicane. Dan Ticktum also had trouble and fell to last place. Dennis led from Wehrlein, Mortara, Nato, da Costa, and de Vries. De Vries caused Ticktum to get a puncture by outbraking himself, ending Ticktum’s chances immediately.
On Lap 3 the lead changed when Wehrlein took first place. Dennis dropped to P4 to save energy. Mortara got a five-second penalty for the earlier incident but briefly led on Lap 4.
Drivers started using the first of their two ATTACK MODE boosts. The lead changed many times between da Costa and Wehrlein. Citroën’s Cassidy climbed to the front once his boost ended.
Rowland used ATTACK MODE soon after and fought with Vergne for the lead, taking it on Lap 9. More drivers took ATTACK MODE on Lap 11, and the order changed again.
When things settled, Wehrlein led from Dennis, Mortara, Nato, da Costa, Rowland, Buemi, Müller and Evans. Many drivers in the second half of the field still had not used ATTACK MODE, setting up a very mixed race.
On Lap 17, Rowland and Nato touched. Nato got a puncture and dropped out of the fight. Rowland continued.
By Lap 19, Dennis led again, followed by Wehrlein and Cassidy. Cassidy used ATTACK MODE very well and passed many cars on the main straight. Soon he also passed Wehrlein and chased Dennis.
The second round of ATTACK MODE activations began on Lap 22, and the order changed again. Rowland took the lead from Dennis, with Cassidy, Wehrlein, and da Costa behind. On Lap 23, Mortara and di Grassi made contact, causing a Safety Car and ending both their races.
After the restart on Lap 27, Rowland led Cassidy, Dennis, and Wehrlein. Dennis then passed both leaders through the final sector. Drugovich moved up to sixth.
Then came Martí’s big crash, which caused a Red Flag. Mitch Evans had already hit the wall just before this incident. Martí, da Costa, and Müller were all okay.
When the race restarted with one lap to go, Dennis kept the lead easily. Rowland finished second and Cassidy third, giving Citroën a podium on its debut.
Drugovich finished fifth but received two post race penalties for infringment under FCY procedure, which brought him down to twelfth, and got him a 3-place grid penalty for Mexico.
Pepe Marti has also been disqualified from the next race’s qualifying session for missing the activation of the FCY, and ending Da Costa’s hopes of a podium.
Join us in Mexico for more in January.
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