Dennis wins in Spain 2021 Formula E
Rounds 5 and 6 of the 2021 Formula E season took place in Spain where BMW i Andretti Motorsport secured victory with Briton Jake Dennis.
Maximilian Günther made a strong impression during the two practice sessions ahead of the Valencia E-Prix, the German BMW i Andretti Motorsport Team driver was consistently one of the fastest competitors in dry conditions. That translated to a strong qualifying result putting him in third to reach the Super Pole, there he benefited from penalties incurred by rivals to secure second spot on the grid for Round 5 of the 2021 championship in Spain. Teammate, Briton Jake Dennis was further down the pecking order, he would start the first of the weekend's two races in 13th on the grid.
At the start of the race the rain in Spain fell mainly on the track. Early on Günther was unable to maintain the pace he'd shown in dry conditions during practice and qualifying – he fell back to sixth on the slippery circuit. Worse was to come as towards the halfway point of the race, Günther slid into the gravel trap out of turn two. That triggered one of four full course yellow flag periods. The race restarted behind the Safety Car due to the wet conditions.
In what will surely go down as one of the most controversial ends to a Formula E race, a miscalculation on energy usage saw most cars run out of power on a tumultuous final lap. Amongst them was the only remaining BMW iFE.21 driven by Dennis, who had battled for a top ten result throughout the race. He was initially classified in eleventh position but then moved up to eighth after numerous post-race disqualifications. The result saw Dennis score the first points of his Formula E career.
The second race at Valencia was a far more successful affair for BMW i Andretti Motorsport. Dennis started in group four in qualifying, he took advantage of the improving grip on a drying track to set the fastest time and progress to Super Pole for the first time. From there, as the last man onto the track, he secured his first pole position by some margin. Günther was unlucky in qualifying. His flying lap was deleted for exceeding track limits meaning he had to start from the back of the field.
The track surface had dried completely by the start of the race, Dennis made a fine getaway to maintain the lead. Excellent energy management and clever use of Attack Mode, meant he was able to stay ahead throughout to claim a richly-deserved win – the maiden victory of his fledgling Formula E career. Meanwhile Günther fought back strongly from the back of the grid to finish P12 – just outside the points. The win for Dennis was the fifth victory for BMW i Andretti Motorsport in its third year as a works team in Formula E.
The next Formula E weekend takes place in Monaco on a circuit layout all but identical to that used by Formula One..