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interview josep maria marti season 12

Marti: “I was so open-minded to having no success in the beginning."

INTERVIEW 15 Aug 2026 4 Mins

With two Formula E podiums already under his belt, Pepe Marti heads to London with one final target in mind, breaking into the top-10 of the Drivers’ Championship.

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interview josep maria marti season 12

The CUPRA KIRO rookie currently sits 12th on 62 points, just three points behind fellow rookie Felipe Drugovich in the battle to be crowned the best newcomer of the season.

After a maiden podium in Monaco was followed by an even better second-place finish in Sanya, Marti has quickly established himself as one of Formula E's brightest new talents.

His Sanya result was another remarkable recovery drive. Starting from 18th on the grid, Marti immediately began making progress, overtaking Taylor Barnard and Norman Nato before settling into an energy-saving strategy.

His first ATTACK MODE activation helped him climb as high as 12th, but his progress was halted by an unavoidable Turn 9 incident which caused significant rear-end damage and brought out the red flag.

Marti lined up 19th for the restart, but the setback did little to stop his charge. With more energy available than many of his rivals, he worked his way back into the top 10 before using his final ATTACK MODE on Lap 35 to move into fourth.

A penalty for Antonio Félix da Costa promoted him to third before another post-race penalty, this time for Drugovich, elevated Marti to second and secured the best finish of his Formula E career.

“It’s been quite successful, and especially in the podium zone more than I expected,” Marti explained. “Looking back, we could have achieved a lot more than we did.”

While Marti has already collected two podiums, he believes a number of missed opportunities have cost him a much stronger position in the standings.

“I feel like Shanghai didn't really go my way,” he said. “In Shanghai, I had a couple bad decisions. We ended up having four points in the last four rounds, whereas, you look at the other ones before like Sanya, Monaco, and even Berlin, where I scored six points. It just feels like I have missed 20 to 30 points, where I would be in the top 10 if I scored them.

“It’s a difficult championship to be 100% happy with, because you know you can always do more.”

For the 21-year-old driver, that frustration is also a sign of how much his expectations have changed since arriving in the all-electric series.

Before the season began, the Spaniard had little idea what to expect. He arrived in Valencia without having driven the GEN3 Evo, without having worked with his new team and with limited knowledge of how unpredictable the championship could be.

“I was so open-minded to having no success in the beginning or points,” he adds.

“I barely knew the layouts for the championship season. I was quite lost in the beginning. I lacked understanding about what I needed to do to perform well in the championships. Again, those first few rounds where I started getting points, it was a big surprise because I didn't really expect it.”

For Marti, finding that extra confidence could be the key to unlocking another step forward.

“It has really been the one thing that I would have liked to get a hang of to have a bit more confidence in the car," Marti adds. “Maybe even to be a bit more aggressive in myself and the way I drive the car and then that would have probably helped me to be quicker.

“On this track, qualifying is the most important. I'm 100% going to be focused on qualifying. Your qualifying score can determine what positions you're finishing. If I get into the top 10 of the championship by the end, it would honestly be a great achievement.”

SCHEDULE: Where, when and how to watch or stream the 2026 Hankook London E-Prix, Rounds 16 & 17

It all comes down to this. After a season of nail-biting drama, the fight for the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads to London for a season-ending double-header on the world’s only indoor/outdoor circuit.

With just two races remaining in the GEN3 era, nine drivers still in mathematical title contention, and the crown on the line, there’s zero margin for error at the London ExCeL.

Free Practice 2: Saturday 15 August, 08:30 local
Qualifying: Saturday 15 August, 10:40 local
Race: Saturday 15 August, 15:05 local

Free Practice 3: Sunday 16 August, 08:30 local
Qualifying: Sunday 16 August, 10:40 local
Race: Sunday 16 August, 15:05 local

All times detailed above are 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.

Secure your seats for the finale: How to buy tickets for the 2026 Hankook London E-Prix

With the title set to go down to the wire in London on 15 & 16 August at Formula E's London Excel finale, here's how to buy tickets and secure your seats in the grandstands as the GEN3 era comes to a close in style.

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.