Jake Dennis converted pole into a hard-fought Season 12-opening victory at the Anhembi Sambadrome, holding his nerve through a red flag, a one-lap shootout and pressure from Oliver Rowland and Nick Cassidy. The win is his first since Diriyah 2024 and puts both Andretti and Porsche power at the top of the early standings heading to Mexico City in January 2026.
Season 9 World Champion Jake Dennis launched cleanly from Julius Baer Pole Position and initially controlled the pace, before slipping back as part of an energy-saving strategy in the early phases. As ATTACK MODE activations cycled, Pascal Wehrlein, António Félix da Costa and Edoardo Mortara all took turns at the front, while Nick Cassidy charged through the pack in his Citroën with an aggressive late-race push.
The decisive moment came on Lap 27, shortly after a Safety Car period, when Dennis dived past Cassidy and race leader Rowland in the final sector to retake control of the E-Prix. Moments later, rookie Pepe Martí was launched over da Costa’s Jaguar in a spectacular accident, triggering a red flag and setting up a one-lap sprint to the flag once the incident was cleared and all drivers were confirmed uninjured.
Restart and final result
On the restart, Dennis executed a flawless final lap, managing his energy and track position to keep reigning champion Rowland’s Nissan at bay, with Cassidy holding third to give Citroën a debut podium in Formula E. Wehrlein recovered to fourth after having led earlier, while home favourite Felipe Drugovich marked his full-time Andretti debut with fifth, and Nico Müller completed a strong day for Porsche powertrains in sixth.
Those results mean Dennis leaves São Paulo leading the Drivers’ Championship, Andretti tops the Teams’ standings and Porsche heads the Manufacturers’ table after placing four of its powertrains inside the top six. The field now resets for Round 2 in Mexico City, with the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez hosting race day on 10 January 2026, continuing its long-standing place on the Formula E calendar.
