Jake Dennis takes the first win of the season in São Paulo

Written by Lucrezia Marano, edited by

Credits: Pete Phillips - PhotographybyPhillips

The 2025 São Paulo E-Prix (officially the Google Cloud São Paulo E-Prix) marked the start of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship Season 12. The much-anticipated race, held at the iconic Anhembi Sambadrome street circuit, delivered its usual mix of energy, drama, and electric competition.

In the days leading up to the race, a dramatic promotional moment turned heads: Brazilian rookie Felipe Drugovich of Andretti Formula E team drove a brand-new Gen3 Evo car down the runway of São Paulo’s GRU Airport. The stunt underlined not just the excitement for the sport, but also its growing ambition and visibility in Brazil.

Early hiccups: practice session cancelled

Credits: Pete Phillips - PhotographybyPhillips

Not everything went smoothly. The scheduled first free practice session on Friday was abruptly cancelled due to technical difficulties with radio communications, a rare disruption for such a high-tech championship.

Despite this seatback, the remainder of the weekend's timetable stayed the same: Practice 2 took place early Saturday, followed by Qualifying and then the race. The disruption added an extra layer of tension, albeit nothing one expect at the cutting edge of electric racing.

Qualifying at São Paulo delivered drama right from the knockout duels. Season 10 champion Pascal Wehrlein clinched top time in final duel, conquering his third consecutive pole on this track.

However, a three-place grid penalty for wheelspin in the pti lane dramatically altered the starting order. This penalty relegated the Porsche driver to fourth on the grid, handing the top spot to Jake Dennis, followed by Dan Tickum and Edoardo Mortara.

Credits: P300

With the grid reshuffled, all eyes were on whheter qualifying pace would translate into race performance. The answer came early: first-time front-runner Jake Dennis proved composed and precise, building and maintaining lead under immense pressure and loads of obstacles (such as red flag caused by Cupra Kiro driver Pepe Marti).

Second place went to Oliver Rowland, who turned around a lacklustre qualifying into a solid podium with strong race craft and consistency. Meanwhile Wehrlein crawled his way back to claim the final step of the podium. Behind them: Nick Cassidy held on for a respectable fourth place, while newcomer Felipe Drugovich scored an encouraging fifth on debut.

More than just a race: innovation, sustainability, spectacle

The São Paulo E-Prix has long been more than just motorsport: it's a festival of sustainability, innovation and emotions. This year's event leaned even more into that ethos. Powered by renewable energy and backed by the partnership with Google Cloud, the race weekend aimed to showcase how electric racing can be a testbed for the future of mobility.

Credits: Pete Phillips - PhotographybyPhillips

Local community outreach was also key: social-impact initiatives, waste-management systems and efforts to reduce freight emissions underscored Formula E's commitment to environmental responsibility.

As the curtain rises on Season 12, the São Paulo E-Prix proved once again why it remains a cornerstone of the Formula E calendar. Between strategic duels on track and ambitious sutainability and marketing efforts off it, the event captured the increasing global and green spirit of the series.

For teams, the challenge is clear: adapt quickly. With a tight schedule, regained momentum after a disrupted practice, and a fresh grid order thanks to qualifying penalties, success will depend on adaptability as much as speed. And for the broader mobility and sustainability community it was a statement of intent: electric racing is not just here to stay, it's accelerating.