Andretti’s Dennis clinches Formula E crown as Evans wins in London

Jake Dennis dodged the slings and arrows of a typically frenetic Hankook London E-Prix to come home second, enough to secure the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Drivers’ Championship for the Avalanche Andretti driver with one race remaining, while …

Jake Dennis dodged the slings and arrows of a typically frenetic Hankook London E-Prix to come home second, enough to secure the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Drivers’ Championship for the Avalanche Andretti driver with one race remaining, while Mitch Evans took the checkered flag first for Jaguar TCS Racing.

Dennis survived two missed trips through the Attack Mode power boost loop, heavy pressure from his closest rival and polesitter Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) as well as two red-flag stoppages to become Formula E’s first British champion and the first to take the title on home soil by taking a record 10th podium finish of the season. Dennis’ title is also Andretti’s first in Formula E, the American team having been a part of the series from day one.

Dennis headed into the race 24 points clear of Cassidy, who started from pole after Evans qualified first but was handed a five-place grid penalty for causing an accident last time out in Rome.

Cassidy led the early stages before ceding top spot to eventual winner and countryman Evans on lap 11 and second spot to teammate Sebastien Buemi. Dennis had earlier made it by Cassidy with an opportunistic move at the final corner just a couple of laps before, with Cassidy immediately fighting his way back by the Andretti car — a titanic scrap looked to be brewing.

However, with Cassidy running in formation, close behind the Swiss, the Envision drivers came into contact. The former’s front wing was dislodged, catching beneath his left-front wheel. Repairs were attempted but his race couldn’t be salavaged — one fewer challenger for Dennis to deal with.

Loose bodywork from that clash caused a brief spell under the safety car, bunching the pack up. Dennis, meanwhile was not impressed over the radio with Porsche stablemate Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche), the German hanging onto fourth at the expense of the standings leader in the customer, Porsche-powered Avalanche Andretti as the teams’ title battle heated up. Team owner Michael Andretti wasn’t pleased either…

Wehrlein’s challenge then also fell by the wayside in a shunt just before a red flag was flown for the recovery of Sacha Fenestraz’s Nissan. He and Jake Hughes tangled into Turn 1, with the damage to the German’s Porsche terminal.

Evans leads Sebastien Buemi. Simon Galloway/Motorsport Images

On the restart Evans led away, with Dennis working his way into third. An over-optimistic move from Norman Nato (Nissan) at the penultimate turn on lap 34 then caused a chain reaction behind with several cars unable to avoid the melee, enforcing another spell under the red flag.

It was a three-lap sprint to the flag at the restart, with Dennis having only to hold fast to ensure he’d take top honors. Duly, he did, in front of jubilant home support — made doubly sure by his promotion to second at the flag, just behind Evans, with a penalty for TAG Heuer Porsche’s Antonio Felix da Costa, dropping him out of the podium positions. Sebastien Buemi (Envision Racing) rounded out the podium.

“Oh my God. That is incredible!” said Dennis. “That race was so hard, everything thrown at us. World champions, baby!

“I felt like everyone was racing against us but Jesus Christ — we have just become world champion and I am so so happy for myself, the team and everyone, we deserved it so much.

“I only joined the championship three years ago and we almost won it in our rookie year, but now to come back and properly have the year that we had, you know break all the podium records and to become world champion, it’s just mind blowing. I really didn’t think it coming into this year and full credit to my boys — I love them so much and they’ve given me an absolute rocketship all year. And this is the least I can do for them.

“I can hear the fans as well and it’s just absolutely incredible to share this with them.”

While the drivers’ crown is secured, there’s still all to play for in the teams’ title race in tomorrow’s season finale in London, with Envision Racing heading the way from the factory Jaguar TCS Racing squad while TAG Heuer Porsche clings to third with a mathematical chance of the top spot.