After a race packed with lead changes, cautions, and strategic intrigue, Jake Dennis and Felipe Drugovich delivered Andretti’s first Formula E one-two at the Sanya E-Prix.
Sanya E-Prix race day
Andretti dominated qualifying for the Sanya E-Prix, locking out the front row as Jake Dennis beat teammate Felipe Drugovich to pole position.
In Group A, Drugovich set the pace ahead of Taylor Barnard, while championship leader Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy also advanced to the Duels. Group B was topped by Pascal Wehrlein, with Nyck de Vries, Dan Ticktum, and Dennis joining him in the knockout stages.
The quarter-finals produced several close contests. Evans edged Barnard by just 0.001s, while Drugovich defeated Cassidy by 0.392s. Ticktum overcame De Vries, and Dennis progressed despite brushing the wall on his lap against Wehrlein.
Drugovich then beat Evans in the first semi-final. Dennis secured the second final berth when Ticktum locked up at Turn 9, guaranteeing Andretti pole position before the all-team showdown.
In the final, Dennis delivered a 1m05.502s lap to claim pole. Drugovich ran deep at Turn 4 and could not recover, finishing second to complete Andretti’s first Formula E front-row lockout.
Going green for the race
Jake Dennis converted pole into the race lead at the start, while Pascal Wehrlein immediately gained ground to move into the top five. Early yellow flags briefly interrupted proceedings before the field settled into a tightly packed rhythm.
Dennis continued to lead through the opening laps as Felipe Drugovich and Mitch Evans remained in close pursuit. Norman Nato and then Evans traded fastest laps, while race control noted a slippery surface at Turns 8 and 9 and later investigated contact between Nick Cassidy and Nyck de Vries.
Wehrlein emerged as the early mover. The Porsche driver climbed into the podium positions by Lap 6 before passing into second a lap later. With the field running nose-to-tail and multiple battles throughout the pack, strategy became increasingly important.
On Lap 8, Wehrlein completed his charge from seventh on the grid to take the lead from Dennis. Zane Maloney also came alive after activating Attack Mode, setting the fastest lap and carving his way through the order.
Dennis reclaimed first place a lap later as several frontrunners deployed Attack Mode, but the advantage proved short-lived. Wehrlein responded a lap later to return to the front, with the top contenders separated by only a few tenths of a second.
The lead changed hands again on Lap 12 when Dan Ticktum surged from fourth to first, using Attack Mode to maximum effect. He also set the fastest lap of the race so far as he moved ahead of Wehrlein, while Cassidy closed in behind with additional power available.
The opening phase of the race ended with several lead changes, contrasting strategies, and an intensely competitive pack still firmly in contention.
Red flag at the halfway point
Nick Cassidy surged into the lead on Lap 13, using Attack Mode to move ahead of Dan Ticktum and set the fastest lap of the race.
The lead continued to change hands as strategy came into play. Cassidy held first on before Edoardo Mortara completed a remarkable climb from 11th on the grid to take the lead on Lap 15, also setting a new fastest lap.
Cassidy responded a lap later too reclaim the top spot, but Mortara struck back a lap later to return to the front. With Attack Mode activations reshuffling the order, the battle at the front remained extremely close.
Dennis regained the lead on Lap 18 as Mortara slipped back, putting the Andretti driver back in control heading into the next phase of the race.
However, the Sanya E-Prix was halted on Lap 19 when contact between Ticktum and Evans at Turn 6 triggered a red flag. Dennis and Drugovich were caught out by the timing of the stoppage after entering the pits, wiping out the advantage Dennis had built before the restart.
Back to racing at the Sanya E-Prix
The race resumed on Lap 20 following the red flag, with Dennis leading a tightly packed field into the second half of the contest.
Dennis initially held the advantage, but the strategic picture quickly shifted as Attack Mode activations and pit stops reshuffled the order. Rowland emerged as a major contender, climbing from 10th on the grid to take the lead.
The lead changed again on Lap 24 when António Felix da Costa surged to the front using Attack Mode. Nico Mueller also joined the fight at the sharp end, setting the fastest lap as the leading group remained closely matched.
Da Costa retained control through the next phase, but his race became complicated by an incident with Norman Nato, which later earned him a five-second penalty. Additional investigations and penalties followed, while Cassidy was penalised for speeding in the pit lane.
A yellow flag on Lap 27 soon escalated into a Full Course Yellow, neutralising the race and erasing the gaps between the frontrunners.
When racing resumed on Lap 29, penalties and Attack Mode strategies played a decisive role. Rowland capitalised to retake the lead on Lap 30 and remained in front heading into the closing laps, with da Costa chasing despite his penalty and Mueller continuing his charge into podium contention.
Final laps
Rowland moved into the lead on Lap 30 after making effective use of Attack Mode, continuing his charge from 10th on the grid. Da Costa remained close behind despite carrying a five-second penalty, while the order continued to fluctuate as drivers deployed their final Attack Modes.
Da Costa briefly took over at the front on Lap 32 and held the lead through the next lap, with Dennis and Rowland locked in a tight battle behind. However, the looming penalty left the Jaguar driver vulnerable as the race entered its closing stages.
Dennis returned to the lead on Lap 34 and never relinquished it. The race was extended by two laps following earlier interruptions, adding further tension as the field managed energy and Attack Mode deployments in the run to the finish.
A late yellow flag neutralised the race after an incident involving Rowland. Dennis crossed the line first under caution to secure victory after leading from pole position.
Although da Costa finished second on the road, his five-second penalty dropped him down the order. That promoted Felipe Drugovich into second place, sealing Andretti’s first-ever Formula E one-two finish with Dennis leading home his teammate in Sanya.
READ MORE – Formula E 2026 Sanya E-Prix – Race Results
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