Pepe Marti Endures Terrifying Airborne Crash in São Paulo Formula E Thriller

Jake Dennis wins the São Paulo E-Prix season opener after a late airborne crash for rookie Pepe Marti forces a red flag and a safety-car finish.

Marti rolls after high-speed contact with two cars, triggering lengthy recovery work. The incident overshadows an attritional race that leaves only 12 classified finishers.

Dennis starts from pole following Pascal Wehrlein’s three-place grid penalty. In 31C heat, he manages pace early while the pack compresses through energy saving and Attack Mode cycles.

Early contact between Nyck de Vries, Edoardo Mortara, and Dan Ticktum destabilizes strategies. Ticktum pits with a puncture, then retires after penalties for pit-lane infractions and unsafe work.

De Vries avoids sanction for the initial clash. Mortara receives five seconds for failing to stop in the run-off after being forced wide. De Vries serves an unsafe release penalty.

Frequent Attack Mode activations shuffle the order. By mid-distance, Wehrlein rises to the lead ahead of Dennis and Mortara, even as Mortara carries that five-second penalty.

Team tensions surface when Oliver Rowland hits teammate Norman Nato on lap 17, causing a puncture that precipitates Nato’s retirement and invites stewards’ scrutiny.

Another flashpoint follows on lap 23 as Lucas di Grassi squeezes Mortara into the wall. Both retire, and the safety car compresses strategy windows at a critical energy-saving phase.

[p fervogear_custom]Race ends under the safety car following Pepe Marti’s airborne crash and red flag.[/p fervogear_custom]

At that neutralization, Andretti’s Dennis and Felipe Drugovich still have an Attack Mode available, as does 11th-placed rookie Marti. That reserves a decisive late-race tool.

The restart with four laps remaining sees Dennis and Drugovich activate immediately. Dennis edges clear, Mitch Evans crashes, and moments later Marti’s barrel-roll brings out the red flag.

Officials end the race behind the safety car. Dennis takes victory ahead of Oliver Rowland, with Nick Cassidy third, as attrition and penalties reshape the points.

The crash marks a second consecutive São Paulo flip, spotlighting circuit risk management. Expect a review of kerbs, run-offs, and car-to-car interaction under braking.

From a competitive standpoint, Dennis and Andretti demonstrate disciplined energy targets and Attack Mode timing. Wehrlein’s mid-race control underscores Porsche pace despite his grid penalty.

Only 12 finishers in 31C heat underline the demands on battery temperature, brake management, and pit discipline. The opener sets a combative baseline for 2025.

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Zane Muniz

Zane Muniz writes across NASCAR, IndyCar, F1, IMSA, NHRA, and dirt-racing news. His breaking-news alerts and event previews ensure motorsport fans never miss a lap, drift, or drag-strip showdown.