Ticktum takes his maiden win in nail-biting Jakarta E-Prix

Jessica Alfieri
9 hours ago
4 min read

Written by Jessica Alfieri

Dan Ticktum put his name onto the victory board for the first time, taking his and Cupra Kiro's maiden Formula E victory after a thrilling 38 laps of racing in Jakarta. Mahindra's Edoardo Mortara and Andretti's Nico Müller rounded out the top three in the Indonesian capital.

Dan Ticktum after the Jakarta E-Prix | Andrew Ferraro/LAT Images

Following a three‑week break during which several drivers competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 11th season of Formula E nears its conclusion. The Jakarta E-Prix took place on one of the most popular circuits with drivers, with a potential chance to return to the calendar in 2026 too.

Despite being an overtaking-friendly circuit, heavy dust and rain overnight made grip unpredictable, with deviation from the racing line carrying considerable risk, and resulting in significant position losses.

And chaos is!

As the five red lights went out, pole-sitter Jake Dennis held his own off the line, while Nyck de Vries quickly jumped into second, moving past Taylor Barnard's McLaren into turn 1. Ticktum held fourth, at the end of the opening lap.

Jean‑Éric Vergne became the first driver to activate Attack Mode on lap 4, with the fastest first laps emerging from the midfield. However, Vergne ran deep into turn 13, colliding with Mitch Evans. The collision forced him to pit, ultimately costing him a five-second penalty. Fortunately, Evans escaped from the incident, unscathed.

On lap 5, Zane Maloney and David Beckmann activated Attack Mode. At this point, none of the frontrunners has yet used Attack Mode. The following lap saw Penske's race come apart, with Maximilian Günther also pitting and never coming back on track.

Meanwhile, Oliver Rowland made a series of late moves in his comeback from 16th on the grid. This came at a cost, though, as he made contact with Max Günther, before further contact with Evans led to a five-second penalty for the championship leader.

By lap 12, Wehrlein activated his Attack Mode for six minutes, and by lap 13 he already has Robin Frijns in his sights. The Jakarta E-Prix marked a pivotal point in Wehrlein’s quest to defend his title: A chance to close down Rowland's tally, with the Briton running outside the points.

At the head of the grid, Dennis held his nerve at the front despite pressure from Nyck de Vries. Frijns dropped to seventeenth place, and Wehrlein climbed to 13th by lap 16. Wehrlein attempted a risky move on Maloney ahead for 12th, succeeding at the expense of grip, a reminder of any unorthodox line risks loss of traction, position or barrier contact.

By lap 20, the top three drivers of the group have activated Attack Mode. Nick Cassidy is now ideally placed, having delayed his Activation.

At lap 21,  Dennis has to pick up the pace as those behind are closing in. De Vries then attempts an ambitious pass, nearly brushing the barrier, but Dennis holds firm. The two cars seemed glued together, while de Vries applies sustained pressure.

de Vries’ aggressive direction-change move costs damage to Dennis’ front wing and a ten‑second penalty. Cassidy seizes the moment and is the last driver to take his first hit of Attack Mode.

A safety car appears on lap 25 to clear debris from Dennis' Andretti. Cassidy's choice revealed unfortunate, as he is unable to fully exploit his Attack Mode.

In the meantime, Dan Ticktum became a major factor in the battle for victory, having controlled his race so far. By lap 27, Edoardo Mortara wound up third, patiently awaiting an opening from Dennis, while defending from Ticktum.

Around lap 30, yellow flags were out for Jake Hughes, who stopped in turn two under the Full‑Course Yellow (FCY). Within a minute, Stoffel Vandoorne too found himself in the wall, with a suspected technical failure, with de Vries and Dennis too sliding down the order and stopping. Vandoorne's stricken Maserati triggered another full course yellow. It made for a race to forget for the Italian marque.

Between the two FCYs, Ticktum managed to lock into first place. By lap 34, he led the race, poised for his and Cupra Kiro's first win. He faced a stern threat from veteran Edoardo Mortara, and Sébastien Buemi in third.

Mortara’s street‑circuit experience gives him a chance for victory, but the final two laps were nail‑biting in true Formula E style. Mortara chased Ticktum relentlessly, but Ticktum held firm and claimed his maiden win in Formula E.

Amid intense speculation ahead of the Berlin E‑Prix (a key mid‑season event), it remains to be seen whether Dan Ticktum will be in discussion with a top team, especially after today's performance.

Here are the results of round 12: