Five takeaways from the Sanya E-Prix

The Sanya E-Prix was definitely one to remember- the tight and twisting circuit created chaos in every corner. While several surprises adorned the results sheet, it showed just how unpredictable the all-electric series can be. Jake Dennis was the big winner- Season 9’s champion earned his second win of 2026.

Credit: Simon Galloway

Andretti to the front

Throughout Season 12, Andretti has had some mixed results - they’ve experienced podiums and wins as well as the lows of non-finishes and non-points scoring weekends. However, Sanya seemed to suit the team perfectly, allowing them to capitalise on their performance.

Rookie driver Felipe Drugovich also seemed to be continuing his success, despite a post-race penalty taking his podium away. The Brazilian driver has been slowly growing in confidence since Round 1 and took his maiden podium in Monaco.

The Andretti duo have the potential to be front-runners, and if they continue to capitalise on their performance, they may score more wins.

A tough weekend for the championship top four

Out of the top four drivers in the championship, not one of them scored points this weekend. Both Oliver Rowland and Edoardo Mortara suffered DNFs, while Mitch Evans and Pascal Wehrlein were both involved in minor incidents.

Mitch Evans would presumably love to secure his first-ever championship in his final season with Jaguar; however, it is paramount that he maximises his potential. Sanya may have been a slight blip for Evans, but if he wants to win, he needs to pick his battles carefully. 

Oliver Rowland also had an eventful weekend, sustaining damage that ultimately led to his non-finish. Whilst he had the highs of victory in Monaco, Sanya was a fall from grace with the Briton’s performance dipping. 

Dan Ticktum, still unlucky 

In Monaco, Dan Ticktum had an incredible qualifying performance, which continued in Sanya with a fourth-place start. 

While the performance did not continue in the race as Ticktum was involved in the red-flag causing pile-up, he continues to show his development as a racing driver in Formula E.

With his team, Ticktum has shown that he has the ability to produce results that are impressive and show that he has a future in the all-electric series.

Pepe Martí has found his feet

Cupra Kiro’s rookie has had some impressive performances as of late- his first podium came in Monaco, and whilst it was through the misfortune of his teammate, his performance was still undeniably impressive. 

The Spaniard, who was stuck down towards the rear of the field after the red flag, pulled off a stellar comeback using his attack mode, eventually climbing up to a podium position by the end of the race. 

Martí’s fortune continues, and the young Spaniard has proven himself as a talented driver whom Cupra Kiro should aim to retain in the future. 

Credit: Simon Galloway/LAT Images

Will Sanya be suitable for Gen4?

Ahead of the return to Sanya, there were doubts as to whether or not the Gen3 Evo would be suitable for the Sanya circuit due to the tight track. Although drivers were able to put on overtakes, some corners seemed potentially too tight to allow for good, close racing as seen when several cars were involved in a pile-up.

Although Sanya stays on the calendar for Season 13, there still remains the lingering concern of how the new generation of Formula E cars will fare around the street circuit. 

The Gen4 cars will be faster than the current ones, and so it begs the question of whether the circuit will still be suitable, with the removal of the ExCel in London, which is also a tight and twisting circuit, so it may mean that Sanya could be removed as the Formula E cars continue to develop.