PEPE PRODUCES EPIC COMEBACK TO CLAIM SANYA PODIUM.

• The Spaniard started 18th on the grid before fighting his way to a podium finish.

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• He equalled his best-ever result in Formula E.

Pepe Martí delivered a remarkable comeback at the Sanya E-Prix to secure another podium finish in the FIA Formula E World Championship. Despite being hampered by a red flag at the worst possible moment, the CUPRA KIRO driver charged from 19th to third in less than half the race, matching his best result of the season, previously achieved in Monaco.

The Barcelona-born driver arrived in Sanya carrying a five-place grid penalty from the Monaco E-Prix. Nevertheless, he approached the event with confidence, believing the characteristics of the new circuit would suit his driving style.

The weekend began on a positive note. Martí finished just one tenth of a second away from the top nine in the opening free practice session and was again only a tenth adrift of sixth place in FP2. In qualifying, he narrowly missed out on progressing to the Duels by just 63 thousandths of a second. However, his grid penalty meant he lined up 18th for the race.

From the very start, Martí showed he had the pace to fight his way through the field. He gained a position off the line and another by lap nine to move into 16th, once again demonstrating excellent energy management that allowed him to reach the crucial Attack Mode phase with a highly competitive battery level.

Following the team's strategy, he delayed his Attack Mode activation until late in the race and immediately began making up places, including overtaking team-mate Dan Ticktum. However, his progress was halted when two cars collided at Turn 9 directly ahead of him, bringing out a red flag.

The interruption proved particularly costly. Martí lost track position, one of his Attack Mode activations was effectively cancelled under the red flag regulations, and his car also sustained damage in the incident. Repairs were not straightforward, preventing him from rejoining in time for the restart. As a result, he was forced to restart from 19th with only 17 laps remaining.

It was then that Martí produced one of the standout drives of his Formula E career. He immediately climbed from 19th to 13th at the restart before continuing his charge through the field with impressive pace. On lap 35, he activated his final Attack Mode and completed a sensational recovery, crossing the finish line in fourth place. A post-race penalty for a rival subsequently promoted him to third, securing his second Formula E podium.

The result marked Martí's second podium finish in the FIA Formula E World Championship, equalling the third place he achieved in Monaco. It also took him to 55 points in the Drivers' Championship, leaving him just one point behind Formula E World Champion Nyck de Vries and moving him closer to the championship frontrunners.

The Sanya E-Prix marked the beginning of Formula E's Asian leg of the season. The championship then headed to Shanghai for a double-header before concluding the Asian swing with another double-header in Tokyo.