How Dennis dominated Formula E's new generation opener

By:

Jake Boxall-Legge

Jan 16, 2023, 4:10 PM

Formula E’s Gen3 era kicked off with more unpredictability as Andretti’s Jake Dennis recovered from poor pre-season testing to dominate in Mexico. Here's how it played out and what the opener hints at what is to come in the new generation of the electric series

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An undercurrent of trepidation accompanied Formula E's third-generation era. Throughout the off-season, a series of concerns became apparent, and threatened to take the sheen away from the all-electric championship's next epoch. The paddock was hoping for a clean race, devoid of troubles; as the chequered flag fell in Mexico City, it appeared that it had got its wish.

Once last year's Seoul finale came to a close, the venerable Gen2 cars were put out to pasture. Formula E's facts and figures pertaining to the new car were impressive, but private and collective testing uncovered multiple teething issues. The new battery was prone to overheating and derating, requiring a packaging redesign. Supply chain problems interrupted manufacturer testing, meaning that spare parts were at a premium, but the biggest concern heading into Mexico's season opener related to the brakes, particularly as the Gen3 machinery purely relies on the motor to stop the rear wheels.

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Jake Boxall-Legge

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Jake Boxall-Legge Autosport’s Technical Editor. Having studied Automotive Engineering with Motorsport at the University of Hertfordshire, West Country-born Jake's original ambition was to design racing cars. During a year between studies in which he accidentally rekindled a love of writing, he took up a Master's in Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brookes. Halfway through his master's year, he was offered a place on the Autosport Academy, conducting occasional freelance duties before becoming the press officer for Formula 2 and GP3 in 2018. Autosport offered him a return to the fold later that year to serve as its Technical Editor. His voice appears on a number of videos and podcasts, and can often be found writing about terrible Formula 1 cars in excruciating detail. In his spare time, Jake enjoys baking and blames his failure to make it past the Great British Bake-Off interviews on his tenuous grasp on choux pastry. His dream is to open a brunch cafe - and his willingness to make outrageous puns in inappropriate situations has earned him the contempt of his colleagues.