Marti's Wild Ride: Last to Second After Penalty Shake-up

Pepe Marti delivered a stunning performance in Sanya, recovering from a last-place position after a red-flag restart to ultimately finish second. The Cupra Kiro driver found himself last on the grid but executed a superb drive over the final 17 laps. His podium celebrations were initially for third place, but he was later promoted to second.

This dramatic climb was facilitated by a post-race penalty issued to Andretti's Felipe Drugovich, who had made contact with Pascal Wehrlein. Drugovich's five-second penalty dropped him to fifth, thus elevating Marti. Mahindra Racing's Nyck de Vries also benefited, promoted to third despite missing the champagne spray.

Marti expressed his disbelief and gratitude on Instagram, sharing videos and photos of his celebrations. He reflected on the extraordinary comeback, stating he never imagined such a result after the red flag and expressing thanks to his mechanics. He highlighted the team's strategic calls, including the timely use of Attack Mode, as crucial to his success.

This second Formula E podium for Pepe Marti follows his debut podium at the Monaco E-Prix, where he also finished third. He is currently 11th in the Formula E Drivers' Championship standings with 58 points in his rookie season.