Jake Dennis: British Formula E driver surprised to be in title race for the Drivers' Championship
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ByEurosport
Published 11/08/2021 at 14:29 GMT
Season 7 of The Net Zero Carbon Championship reaches its climax this weekend with a double-header at the BMW i Berlin E-Prix presented by CBMM Niobium. The series returns to the track it has raced on more than any other – the Tempelhof Airport Street Circuit – where last year featured a remarkable six races in nine days for the most intense season finale in motorsport history.
Jake Dennis
Image credit: Getty Images
BMW i Andretti Motorsport’s Jake Dennis admits even he did not expect to be challenging for the title at the start of the season as the Nuneaton racing driver prepares for the finale of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Berlin.
Dennis, in his rookie season with the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team, heads into the race joint-third in the Drivers’ Championship after securing victory in Round 12 in London – his second win of the season.
And the 26-year-old admits even he has been taken aback by his position heading into the double-header finale in the German capital.
“I would be lying if I said I fully expected to challenge for the title”, he said.
“It is a nice feeling going into the final races of the year knowing that you are joint-third in the Championship, you have had two wins, broken some records, so even if it all goes wrong this weekend I will be pretty pleased with the season to be honest.
“It is nice to be racing at a really high level, with some of the best drivers in the world. There are so many drivers who are so capable of being in Formula 1, but Formula 1 being as it is that doesn’t work out.
We have got such a high level of drivers now, and it shows because the Championship is so close, and every driver performs on their day when they are given the opportunity.
Perhaps it should not be a surprise Dennis has taken the all-electric series by storm this year when taking a closer look at his pedigree in single-seater racing.
He came third in the 2015 European Formula 3 Championship – finishing ahead of some household names like Charles Leclerc, Lance Stroll, George Russell, and Alexander Albon – and was briefly a Red Bull development driver in Formula 1.
But he believes it is Formula E that has given him the chance to show his abilities in single-seater racing – describing competing in the Championship as “relentless”.
“I have always classified myself as a good driver, but obviously opportunities didn’t quite work out, so it is nice I have had this opportunity with BMW & Andretti to go into single seater racing. I did beat guys like LeClerc, Albon who are in Formula 1, so, it is now nice to get that opportunity in Formula E, it seems a good place to be at the moment. It has worked out well.
“It really is relentless how hard work it is to be at the top of your game in Formula E day in day out, but it is what you need to do to be fighting for the Championship.”
Catch the season finale double-header of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship live on Eurosport 2 at 13.00 BST on Saturday 14 August and 14.30 BST Sunday 15 August.
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