A dominant Jake Dennis took full advantage of his rivals’ misfortune in Sunday’s second Rome E-Prix to stretch his championship lead by bagging pole, the fastest lap and victory in the Eternal City.
Dennis’ feat was the first Grand Slam of Formula E’s Gen3 era, and it was one that was helped by a spectacular run-in between his direct rivals Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy that resulted in the Jaguar charger’s DNF and zero points for the Envision Racing driver.
Dennis led the field from pole at the start and skillfully navigated through the chaos that unfolded behind him during the second lap of the race, sparing himself from the unfortunate fate that befell Cassidy and Evans.
As Cassidy made a move on Dennis for the lead while approaching the braking zone at Rome’s notorious Turn 7, Evans lost control of his Jaguar in the compression, making contact with the front of Dennis's Andretti car and launching spectacularly over the top of Cassidy's Jaguar.
This incident had significant implications for the title race as Dennis managed to capitalize on the situation. Unfortunately, Evans' car sustained irreparable damage, while Cassidy could only salvage a 14th-place finish by the end of the race.
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With the commotion behind him, the British driver maintained his calm and composure and steadily extended his lead, crossing the finish line with a comfortable three-second advantage over Nissan’s Norman Nato.
The Frenchman managed to successfully defend his runner-up spot against Sam Bird throughout the race despite sustaining early damage to his front wing.
In a historic moment for the GEN3 era, Dennis achieved his first lights-to-flag victory, securing the coveted Grand Slam of Julius Baer Pole Position, TAG Heuer Fastest Lap, the race win, and leading every single lap.
Dennis joins the elite group of only three drivers in Formula E history to accomplish a Grand Slam, and the 28-year-old Briton is the first driver to achieve this feat twice.
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But the real significance of the triumph is that it grants Dennis a substantial 24-point lead over Cassidy as they head into Formula E’s finale double-header in London.
Meanwhile, Mitch Evans trails behind by 44 points in third place, while Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche maintains a slim mathematical chance, sitting 49 points adrift from the top spot.
In the Teams' standings, Envision Racing currently leads the way, holding a 13-point advantage over TAG Heuer Porsche.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Season 9 will culminate in London, with the thrilling conclusion featuring two races scheduled for July 29th and 30th.
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