Pepe Marti’s debut in Formula E ended in the worst way possible. His race at the Sao Paulo E-Prix looked promising after a Safety Car disrupted the plans of most drivers, who at that time, with less than 10 laps remaining, were using their second ‘Time Attack’ option. Unfortunately, the Cupra Kiro driver found himself in eleventh place and with plenty of options to make a comeback; perhaps even aiming for a top 5 finish or a podium. However, everything came to an end when Race Direction imposed a Full Course Yellow, requiring all drivers to reduce their speed to 50 kilometers per hour.
Martí, who was in ninth place and in the midst of his resurgence, seemed unaware of the situation. While his competitors in front of him slowed down, he failed to do so. The 20-year-old driver did not react in time and crashed heavily into Nico Muller and Antonio Felix da Costa. His car flew off the track and spun several times before landing back on the track, fortunately still upright.
The best news, however, is that the young Spanish talent emerged from the car under his own power, demonstrating the safety of the Gen3 Formula E cars in the final year of their regulatory cycle. Martí even took the fire extinguisher provided by the marshals and immediately put out the fire that started in his car after the incident, in the braking area.
Now, it remains to be seen what Race Direction’s reaction will be, considering that the accident appeared to be entirely Martí’s fault, so penalties for the next round of the electric championship (Mexico E-Prix, on January 31) are not out of the question. Martí must face the consequences of his recklessness, and the incident forced a red flag to stop the race with only two laps remaining. At that time, Jake Dennis, utilizing his second ‘Time Attack’, was leading ahead of Oliver Rowland, Nick Cassidy, Pascal Wehrlein, and Felipe Drúgovich.
