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For most drivers, winning your home race is a dream. Feeling the support of the passionate local crowd and having your friends and family present is bound to make it a victory you'll never forget.
But how often has that happened in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship? Here are the drivers that have done just that.
Jake Dennis
Standing on the top step of the podium once at your home race is good enough for most. However, Andretti's Jake Dennis has managed it twice! During his visits to the London E-Prix in Seasons 7 and 8, Dennis won the first race of both respective double headers.
For the first occasion, Dennis converted a second place front-row start into the important win. It was the Briton’s second Formula E victory, after earning a first-place finish in Valencia earlier on in his rookie season. He crossed the chequered flag to become victorious, and was over five seconds clear of Nyck de Vries (Mercedes EQ) who finished in second, with Mahindra’s Alex Lynn in third.
A year later, he led lights-to-flag in very dominant fashion - fending off another then-Mercedes driver in Stoffel Vandoorne. Dennis managed to finish second in London the next day too, proving that the unique indoor-outdoor circuit is a real strength of his.
Although he wasn’t able to make it a hat trick of wins, Dennis did manage to clinch the Drivers’ World Championship at the ExCel in London in front of the British fans for Season 9. He became the first Formula E driver to achieve this impressive feat, and the first driver from the United Kingdom to have his name on the championship trophy.
Jean-Eric Vergne
Current DS PENSKE driver Jean-Eric Vergne also stood on the podium's top step at his home race in Season 4. Speeding around the beautiful streets of Paris, the Frenchman locked in pole position and converted it into the win for the exciting 2018 event!
It wasn't easy, though, as Vergne, Sam Bird, and Andre Lotterer were just half a second apart when they made their mandatory car swap midway through the race. With views of the Eiffel tower and Les Invalides, Vergne held the lead and described the win as the "most emotional" of his career.
"Honestly, when I passed the chequered flag, I had like a chemical reaction - I couldn't talk," he said. “It was clearly my most emotional win, by far. If there was a race I wanted to win, it was clearly Paris. To have done it in such a way today with pole position and a race win was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t be happier, especially as it was my birthday this week.”
Vergne would go on to win the championship title later that season, and again in Season 5. He remains the only driver to win two championships, and doing so back-to-back. Très bien, JEV!
Maximilian Guenther
Maserati MSG Racing's Maximilian Guenther won on home soil during Season 6 of the all-electric championship during his time racing for BMW i Andretti Motorsport. As part of the six Berlin races hosted at the Tempelhof airport during the pandemic, Guenther stormed to victory and passed Vergne for first place with just four minutes left on the clock!
It was a nail-biting end to the Berlin E-Prix, especially with his team requesting that he leave the overtaking attempt until the final lap, but Guenther made it stick and joined the list of drivers who had won in front of their home support!
Despite it being only his second victory in the electric championship, the young German showed what amazing potential he had and has gone on to win another two races since then with the most recent being the Jakarta E-Prix in Season 9.
Sam Bird
Having been a part of Formula E since its inaugural season, NEOM McLaren’s Sam Bird has had plenty of opportunities to lock in a home win. Nevertheless, he didn't need it, as he won the London E-Prix in Formula E's very first season.
Navigating himself around the picturesque Battersea Park in England's capital, Bird won the final round of Season 1 in 2015. Repping Virgin Racing at the time, the Briton - born not at all far away in Roehampton - ended his maiden season on a high!
“What a way to finish [the season],” Bird said at the time. “Unbelievable, unbelievable. The race today was a great race, starting from fourth. We were very strong and I was able to attack people into Turn 11, and we made the moves stick which is nice.”
Daniel Abt
Audi Sport ABT Schaeffler's Daniel Abt was on a mission during Season 4’s race around Berlin’s historic Tempelhof Airport Circuit. Having achieved his maiden victory four races before in Mexico City, Abt was ready to repeat his success at his and Audi's home race.
Abt signed off a career-defining race weekend with a commanding lights-to-flag win on home soil at the popular venue. He also claimed pole position and the fastest lap – a then-unique feat in Formula E.
As well as Abt’s first place, his teammate Lucas di Grassi, was able to finish in second making it an Audi 1-2 result at their home event.
Alex Lynn
Representing Mahindra Racing, Alex Lynn made it back-to-back British winners during the London E-Prix weekend in Season 7. Joining Dennis on the podium for Saturday's race, Lynn then got his hands on the winner's trophy just 24 hours later. His victory sparked absolute pandemonium in the Mahindra garages, with the Anglo-Indian team celebrating in style.
His win around the ExCel Arena was not only a home victory but his first and only win in the Formula E championship! An excellent way to do it. Lynn was finally able to uncork the winner's Moet & Chandon in Formula E four years after lining up for his debut E-Prix on pole position in New York City; that winners' champagne must have tasted doubly sweet.
In typical fashion, then-Team Principal Dilbagh Gill struggled to contain his delight as the chequered flag fell and headed straight to the pit-lane to celebrate with Formula E Co-founder Alberto Longo.
