Emotional, frustrated Dennis reflects on Ticktum shunt DNF

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Emotional, frustrated Dennis reflects on Ticktum shunt DNF

Avalanche Andretti's Jake Dennis faced his third consecutive points finish in Sao Paulo, and hit out at "plonker" Dan Ticktum (NIO 333), who collided with him during the race.

Jake Dennis Sao Paulo

Despite three consecutive pointless finishes, Avalanche Andretti's Jake Dennis still clings to second in the Drivers' World Championship - though now by just a point to form-man Nick Cassidy after the Envision Racing driver's run to second in Brazil.

During the recent Julius Baer São Paulo E-Prix, the Brit was wiped out of the action by the NIO 333 of Dan Ticktum and didn't hold back when sharing his thoughts post-race.

Describing himself as having a target on his back, an emotional Dennis was forced to take his and Andretti's first retirement of the season in Brazil. 

"It's two races now, just driving my own race, and then some plonker 100 metres behind me just forgets to brake and smashes into me. It is typical - I don't know what else I can do and I don't know what he was thinking."

Ticktum, who blamed the track's surface at Turn 1 for the incident, ploughed into the rear of Dennis' Andretti and caused significant damage to his 99X Electric. This became apparent when Dennis then made contact with the TAG Heuer Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein - almost disastrous for Wehrlein as well as Dennis, with Avalanche Andretti a customer team of Porsche.

The Brit was keen to add his sincerest apologies to the title challenger he accidentally side-swiped.

“I was braking even earlier than the car was trying to overtake,” Ticktum added when talking about the concrete he blamed for the incident. “It just didn't stop. I've never never known anything like that in my whole racing career, it just did not stop. If I see Jake, I'll go and apologise because, obviously, I didn't mean to do it at all.”

 

Dennis was still unhappy with Ticktum though, adding: "I've seen the onboard, and he's in his own little world. I'm pretty annoyed with Dan. I don't know what the situation is with that - he just forgot to brake and just smashed into me. We move on to Berlin.

"It hurts a lot. For myself and a team, you spend a week doing the full preparation away from home. All the work you do behind the scenes, just for some geezer to forget to brake, it's ridiculous."

Dennis also referenced a similar clash he experienced with NEOM McLaren's Rene Rast in Hyderabad, saying that both drivers "need to start looking forward instead of in their mirrors the whole time." 

Although the Andretti driver has failed to pick up any points in the last three races, Dennis believes things aren't over. Thankfully for him, winning in Mexico City and securing second in both Diriyah races has given him a points cushion over most of the grid. 

"We can still win the championship," he stated. "It's just frustrating. Right now, I'm emotional and just annoyed at the whole situation. It's only around six, so there's a long way to go. But we've probably thrown away around 40 points now - it's not good enough."