Jake Dennis is joining the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team for Season 7 of the FIA Formula E Series. He replaces Alexander Sims, who has moved on to Mahindra, and runs alongside Max Günther, who is returning to the team for a second season.
Dennis, 25, who hails from the U.K., started his pro racing career in 2013 in Formula Renault. He drove for the R-Motorsport Aston Martin team in DTM in 2019, scoring a sixth-place finish in one race, the best for the team in its one-year foray into the series. He also finished second in the 12 Hours of Bathurst in 2019. Since 2018, he has been a simulator and development driver for the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team.
BMW Motorsport director Jens Marquardt said, “Welcome Jake Dennis, to the BMW family and as a new member of the BMW i Andretti Motorsport team. I’m delighted that we were able to recruit a young, talented, versatile driver like him for our Formula E project. His performances in the BMW Motorsport simulator and during test drives in the BMW iFE.20 were impressive which is why we decided to offer him the cockpit alongside Maximilian Günther. Jake made a name for himself through his appearances in the DTM and with his podium finish in the Bathurst 12 Hours, among other things. He is also a simulator and development driver for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing in Formula 1. But our decision wasn’t based solely on whether someone has raced in the DTM or Formula 1. To be successful in Formula E with all its unique challenges, a driver must meet some very special criteria. We considered all of those and tested our candidates thoroughly with these in mind. At the end it was clear to us that Jake Dennis brings the perfect full package that we desire from a driver in Formula E.”
Dennis said, “I’m really looking forward to the new challenge that awaits me in Formula E, and would like to thank all those in charge at BMW i Andretti Motorsport for their trust. I’m aware that I will be confronted with unique requirements in Formula E, which I will need to get used to first, but versatility has always been one of my strengths, and I am confident that, with the help of the team and my fellow driver Maximilian Günther, I will quickly get my bearings. Formula E is one of those race series that, as a racing driver, you really want to be involved in at the moment because the level of manufacturers, teams and drivers is higher there than anywhere else. I can’t wait to be starting a Formula E race in the BMW iFE.21 for the very first time.”
The ABB Formula E series’ Season 7 begins with a double-header in Santiago, Chile on January 16–17. Formula E recently revised its calendar, postponing its Mexico City and Sanya, China races indefinitely.—Brian Morgan
[Photo courtesy BMW Motorsport.]
