Discover more
Pepe Marti claimed the best result of his Formula E career at the 2026 Lianxin Sanya E-Prix, charging from 18th on the grid to secure second place after a dramatic race around the Haitang Bay circuit.
The CUPRA KIRO driver initially crossed the line third to collect his second consecutive Formula E silverware, but was later promoted to second after Andretti’s Felipe Drugovich received a five-second penalty for contact with Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein.
READ MORE: Marti and Lee take ABB Engineered to Outrun honours in Sanya
Marti made early progress by overtaking Taylor Barnard and Norman Nato before settling into an energy-saving strategy. After using his first ATTACK MODE to move closer to the top 10, his race was thrown into doubt when he suffered significant rear-end damage in a multi car incident that triggered a Red Flag on Lap 11.
Lining up 19th for the restart, Marti and his team mounted an impressive recovery. With more energy than many of his rivals, the 21-year-old carved his way through the field. A late Full Course Yellow worked in his favour after his engineer had timed his final ATTACK MODE perfectly, allowing him to maintain his position and secure a podium finish behind Andretti duo Jake Dennis and Felipe Drugovich, before Nyck de Vries inherited third after the five-second penalty.
UPDATE: Drugovich hit with five-second time penalty, loses podium finish
“I’m very happy with our performance," he said. "To get a podium after starting from 18th on the grid was unexpected, but the race played out really well.
“We didn’t expect Andretti to do the strategy that they did, but the pace that they set played into our advantage because we were able to save more energy than the guys at the front.
“We did a good job, this is definitely the weekend where I performed best in both free practices, and that obviously just transfers to being quick and being able to move forward.”
Just last month, Marti took home his maiden Formula E podium in Monaco and became the first Spaniard to ever achieve the feat in the all-electric series. Similar to his race, in Sanya, Marti started from 15th and climbed to 12th before an early safety car intervention just four laps into the race.
Moreover, a well-timed strategy helped Marti rejoin seventh on Lap 20 with a stronger pace than his competitors. He crossed the line in fourth but was promoted to third after his teammate, Dan Ticktum received a penalty following a contact with Jaguar’s Mitch Evans.
Marti has come a long way in the series, with a best finish of sixth before Monaco showcased his potential.
“Motorsport is a place where I can’t do the job without my mechanics," Marti said. "They can’t do the job without engineers. It’s a team’s job and it really comes to shine when you know you’re sitting with a bent push rod and the mechanics did the job in eight minutes and you’re back on track.
“Everyone in the team did a fantastic job this weekend and continue to work flawlessly week in, week out. I can’t wait for Shanghai.”
Marti’s second-place finish added 18 championship points to his tally, which puts him just one point shy of Mahindra’s Nyck De Vries in 10th.
SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 Shanghai E-Prix, Rounds 12 & 13
Next stop: Shanghai! The fight for the championship intensifies as we head to the world famous Shanghai International Circuit for Rounds 12 & 13 of the 2025/26 season. It’s a fast, flowing, and unforgiving track that promises to challenge the drivers and shake up the standings.
Free Practice 1: Friday 3 July, 16:00 local / 09:00 BST
Free Practice 2: Saturday 4 July, 08:30 local / 01:30 BST
Qualifying: Saturday 4 July, 10:40 local / 03:40 BST
Race: Saturday 4 July, 15:05 local / 08:05 BST
Free Practice 3: Sunday 5 July, 08:30 local / 01:30 BST
Qualifying: Sunday 5 July, 10:40 local / 03:40 BST
Race: Sunday 5 July, 15:05 local / 08:05 BST
View the full schedule in your time zone and check the broadcaster listings or tap the Ways to Watch button above to find out where to watch all the racing action where you live.
Follow the race LIVE on web and in the Formula E app!
Keep across Live Timing – which includes a real-time interactive track map and the ability to follow your favourite driver during every session of every E-Prix – plus highlights, detailed session reports, exclusive interviews, all the standings and results as well as data, insight and reaction from trackside.
LIVE: Follow every lap live, with reaction and coverage at fiaformulae.com/live
Additionally, Formula E’s social media channels, website, and app will provide session reports, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights from trackside during the five-day event.
Find out more
GEN4: A new era of Formula E is about to begin
WATCH: How to watch every Formula E race in your country
UNMISSABLE: Watch the brand-new season of 'Driver' on Amazon Prime
CALENDAR: Here's every race set for the 2025/26 Formula E season
FOLLOW: Download the Formula E App on iOS or Android
TICKETS: Secure your grandstand seats and buy Formula E race tickets