.
Jake Dennis, the reigning Formula E champion, rebounded from a disappointing start to the season in Mexico City to take a dominant victory in the first round of the Diriyah double-header in Saudi Arabia.
Starting third behind front-row chargers Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske) and Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS), the Andretti driver recovered from a sluggish start to take the lead through ATTACK MODE and cruise to victory by more than 13 seconds.
Dennis’ margin of victory was the second-largest in Formula E history.
Vergne held his own at the start, but the Frenchman was soon under pressure from the Jaguar duo of Evans and Nick Cassidy who has started P7.
A late mistake from Vergne allowed Dennis to extend his lead and drop his rival back into the clutches of the Jaguars.
Evans, who was running third at the time, made a last-ditch lunge for second place on the final lap, but he misjudged the corner and overcooked the entry, handing the podium spot to his teammate Cassidy.
Cassidy who had opted to take his two mandatory 50kw ATTACK MODE boosts late in the race saw his gamble pay off as he climbed from seventh on the grid to finish third.
Neom McLaren’s Sam Bird, a two-time winner in Diriyah, also enjoyed a strong run up the ranks, the Briton starting P9 and finishing just two tenths off the podium in fourth position.
Norman Nato (Andretti) finished sixth, with Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing) seventh and Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) eighth.
The German, who won the race in Mexico City, will go into Saturday’s round leading the championship now leads the Drivers' World Championship by just a single point from Cassidy, with Vergne sitting third with 29 points.
Sergio Sette Camara impressed in qualifying for ERT, making the Duels and lining up fourth on the grid. He was unable to challenge for a podium finish, but he did manage to score points with a ninth-place finish. Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns rounded off the top 10.
Formula E’s teams and drivers will regroup on Saturday in Diriyah for round 2.
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