Mexico City E-Prix 2022-23: Dennis Forgets All his Struggles
Jake Dennis (copyright FIA Formula E)
The Formula E season-opener saw a new car and new regulations, plus a domination rarely seen in the Gen2 era, and by a driver who, notwithstanding his success has become known online for struggling. Jake Dennis for Andretti was the resounding winner in this first race for the new Gen3 machinery, in a performance that seemed to even surprise the English driver.
From the start, Lucas di Grassi led in the Mahindra, the Brazilian having moved from the former Venturi team in the close season. There was contact at the back of the field, with Robin Frijns, in his first race for ABT-Cupra, hitting Norman Nato’s Nissan and ending up in the barrier. It seemed a surprise at first, given the low-speed nature of the clash, but Frijns broke his wrist due to the steering wheel jerking his arms harshly when his wheel touched Nato’s. Frijns would subsequently be ruled out for several races, a sad development for him and his new team.
Sam Bird was also out of the race, on lap six, with driveshaft failure as a result of the impact on the first lap. It was not until lap 10 that the race was green-flagged, with Dennis taking the lead two laps later into the complex.
Dan Ticktum, who had been running promisingly in a points-paying position for NIO 333, was given a drive-through penalty for overpower, something that happens from time to time when a new powertrain and new car are in competitive action for the first time. While that was happening, Andre Lotterer, Dennis’s Andretti team-mate this season, took Attack Mode and was briefly overtaken for fourth place by Pascal Wehrlein, his former Porsche factory team-mate.
It was a chastening opening weekend for the two new teams using Stellantis powertrains; DS Penske had qualified out of the top ten with Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne, and never looked like challenging at the sharp end. Meanwhile Maserati MSG Racing, who had taken over the Venturi team, had Edoardo Mortara in the top five, only for the Swiss to spin out at turn one.
McLaren, who appropriated the former Mercedes EQ factory and workforce, seemed to have carried over their pace and organisational skills, with Jake Hughes, a Formula E newcomer but a junior-series veteran, fighting at the front throughout the race, even if his teammate, Rene Rast, spent much of the race in midfield behind Sergio Sette Camara’s NIO 333.
Di Grassi took advantage of the limited overtaking opportunities at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, holding onto third place from Lotterer and Hughes, with Wehrlein having taken second, and yet it was Dennis who demonstrated serenity out in front to win.