Dennis wins the Diriyah 1 E-Prix, first podium for Vergne

• The champion is back! After a discreet first round in Mexico (9th), Jake Dennis (Andretti) showed who was the boss in Formula E by winning the Diriyah 1 E-Prix this Friday evening, ahead of Jean-Éric Vergne (DS Penske) and Nick Cassidy (Jaguar).
• The Andretti driver managed to take the lead of the race thanks to good management of his Attack Mode. Third on the grid, the Briton was able to create a sufficient gap in front of his closest rivals to maintain control after his second pass through the detection zone. Well helped by its powertrain Porsche, one of the fastest and most economical in the field, Jake Dennis did not hesitate to seek his first victory of the season, and the best lap in the race.
• Jean-Éric Vergne, who started in pole position, did not have the weapons to fight: although he managed to defend himself against the Jaguars and the Andrettis, the DS Penske driver suffered from excessive consumption at the end of the race. The Frenchman had to slow down in the final laps to maintain his second place, despite an intense battle with the Jaguars.
• Third place on the podium was acquired by a very happy Nick Cassidy, since the New Zealander took advantage of an overly optimistic attack from Mitch Evans on Jean-Éric Vergne in the last lap to recover 3rd position. His teammate finally finished 5th, behind Sam Bird (McLaren).

A BOLD BID from @mitchevans_ on @JeanEricVergne 😮

The attempted overtake cost the @JaguarRacing driver two positions in the final few turns of the #DiriyahEPrice pic.twitter.com/GYLiHhiwHR

— Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) January 26, 2024

• Norman Nato (Andretti) has long been in the running for a podium, but the Frenchman was unable to find an opening in the train formed by Jean-Éric Vergne at the end of the race. However, he achieved a solid 6th place, crucial points with a view to the team championship.

Diriyah E-Prix 1 – Ranking

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