The 2025-26 Formula E World Championship opener came down to a one-lap shootout easily won by Andretti's Jake Dennis, after a horrendous accident for rookie Pepe Marti caused a late red flag.
(Marti crash image courtesy of Hugo Morales)
Cupra Kiro driver Marti ran into and over the Porsche of Nico Mueller and the Jaguar of Antonio Felix da Costa as the field slowed for a full course yellow caused by da Costa's team-mate Mitch Evans slewing into the wall in a clash with Envision driver Sebastien Buemi.
A massive incident in São Paulo
— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) December 6, 2025
Pepe Martí is okay and out of the car @googlecloud #SãoPauloEPrix pic.twitter.com/BDqwzqliAK
Marti's car rolled down the track and came to a rest on fire, but he walked away unaided.
Dennis already looked set for victory at that point, as he had been one of the only drivers with an attack mode left when the field was bunched behind the safety car because Edoardo Mortara's Mahindra had been squeezed into the wall by Abt Lola Yamaha driver Lucas di Grassi.
After the restart, Dennis quickly claimed his attack mode and surged from fourth to first in the brief window before the Evans and Marti incidents.
Two laps remained when the clear-up from Marti's crash was complete and with one of those behind the safety car before a rolling restart there was little chance to challenge Dennis as he took his first win since the January 2024 Diriyah round.
Reigning champion Oliver Rowland came from 13th on the grid to second, with Nick Cassidy giving Citroen a podium on its Formula E debut in third just ahead of Pascal Wehrlein - who'd taken pole but lost it to Dennis via a three-place penalty for breaching a new rule by wheelspinning in the pitlane.
Dennis's new Andretti team-mate Felipe Drugovich was the next-best driver with attack mode left after the Mortara crash safety car and would certainly have progressed higher than fifth had the next interruption not occurred.
Long-time Aston Martin Formula 1 reserve Drugovich had crashed in qualifying and started only 17th. His fifth place at the finish turned into 12th post-race due to a five-second penalty for overtaking Cassidy while the race was suspended by the full course yellow.
Dan Ticktum started on the front row but was given an immediate puncture when Nyck de Vries slewed into both him and his own Mahindra team-mate Mortara at the first corner.
That wasn't the only intra-team clash of the afternoon, with Rowland punting Nissan team-mate Norman Nato out of contention on his way up the order.
Results
1 Jake Dennis (Andretti)
2 Oliver Rowland (Nissan) +1.349s
3 Nick Cassidy (Citroen) +1.876s
4 Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) +2.449s
5 Nico Mueller (Porsche) +3.775s
6 Maximilian Guenther (DS Penske) +4.436s
7 Joel Eriksson (Envision) +4.832s
8 Sebastien Buemi (Envision) +5.289s
9 Nyck de Vries (Mahindra) +5.370s
10 Zane Maloney (Lola Yamaha Abt) +6.095s
11 Antonio Felix da Costa (Jaguar) +6.581s
12 Felipe Drugovich (Andretti) +8.187s
13 Taylor Barnard (DS Penske) +2 laps
DNF Pepe Marti (Cupra Kiro)
DNF Jean-Eric Vergne (Citroen)
DNF Mitch Evans (Jaguar)
DNF Edoardo Mortara (Mahindra)
DNF Lucas di Grassi (Lola Yamaha Abt)
DNF Norman Nato (Nissan)
DNF Dan Ticktum (Cupra Kiro)
