As the Formula E season opened, there was everything to race for in Mexico City, and some drama mixed in.
Season nine of the Formula E World Championship kicked off last weekend in Mexico City, where 40,000 fans gathered to watch 22 all-electric cars vie for victory.
Not only did the race in the oldest capital city in the Americas mark the beginning of the next season of exciting racing, but it was also the debut race for the Gen3 cars, ushering in a new era of the championship with faster cars and a revamped set of regulations.
As the sun rose on race day, there was everything to play for on one of the fastest circuits on the calendar at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
At 2,250m above sea level, the drivers would soon sweep through the chicanes, blast down the straights and take a quick dance around Foro Sol stadium.
Mahindra Racing’s Lucas di Grassi and Avalanche Andretti’s Jake Dennis battled it out into the final qualifying stage, but it was the Brazilian Di Grassi who pulled out the quickest time, earning him the first pole position of the year. Rookie Dennis Hughes in the papaya NEOM McLaren car put on an impressive display, lining up P3 on the grid on his debut.
Di Grassi had a clean getaway off the line, holding onto his lead as the pack made its way through the first turn, but Dennis was on his heels. The Brit’s moment came at lap 12 as he slipped past on the inside of Di Grassi for the lead.
While the Mahindra driver fought to regain his lead, Dennis was unstoppable after that, pulling away from the pack.
Meanwhile, Tag Heuer Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein, who had qualified sixth, was climbing up the grid, and eventually made the move on Di Grassi for second place on lap 29.
Come the chequered flag, Dennis pulled off a comfortable victory as he picked up the fastest lap and came home a massive seven seconds ahead of Wehrlein, followed by Di Grassi who finished off the podium.
“It was such a physical race. These cars are so hard to drive physically and with the lower grip as well, it makes everything more challenging. But it’s even more rewarding, especially when you win by [seven] seconds,” Dennis said after the race.
Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations
“My team and I have such a good relationship together. We ...