Weekend Recap: Formula E Drama and a Statement Win at Anaheim 1

The weekend delivered high-level drama across multiple forms of motorsport, with Formula E producing one of its most chaotic races of the season so far and Supercross kicking off 2026 in emphatic fashion at Anaheim 1.

Formula E

Nick Cassidy had a great drive to win in Mexico City (Hector Vivas)

Nick Cassidy delivered a standout drive, charging from 13th on the grid to take victory in a race defined by strategy, late-race battles, and major swings in fortune. Cassidy’s energy management proved decisive, allowing him to carve through the field after saving power early while others fought at the front.

While Cassidy celebrated, it was a difficult day for pole sitter Sébastien Buemi. After an incident on the opening lap dropped him to the back, Buemi mounted an impressive recovery to climb back to sixth by lap 17. However, his hopes of salvaging a strong result ended when he was forced to pit for a puncture during a Full Course Yellow, relegating him to a disappointing 17th at the finish.

The podium fight went down to the final lap. Oliver Rowland snatched third place in the stadium section on the last tour of the 38-lap race, which had been extended from its scheduled 36 laps due to a safety car. Rowland had stayed glued to Jake Dennis despite his second Attack Mode expiring earlier than the Andretti driver’s, making the move when it mattered most. Morata secured second place to complete the podium.

Cassidy, Morata, and Rowland were on the podium (Hector Vivas)

Pascal Wehrlein finished fifth, while Pepe Martí delivered one of the quiet stories of the race. Starting from the back of the grid and serving a stop-and-go penalty for drivetrain changes, Martí fought through the chaos to score his first Formula E points with an eighth-place finish.

The race’s turning point came on lap 18, when a Full Course Yellow was deployed after Nyck de Vries stopped at Turn 1. That FCY transitioned into a safety car two laps later, compressing the field and bringing Cassidy, who had conserved energy at the rear early on, firmly back into contention. Jean-Eric Vergne finished eighth, ahead of Nico Müller, who led early but lost ground after running deep at Turn 5 on lap 28.

Off track, Dan Ticktum voiced his frustration with the standard of racing and stewarding in Formula E, describing it as “like rental kart hacks” following a difficult start to his campaign. His comments followed Saturday’s Mexico City race, where Antonio Félix da Costa made contact with Ticktum and also collided with Maximilian Günther while defending from Cassidy. Stewards opted not to issue penalties, citing a combination of “unfortunate elements” and minimal initial contact.

Supercross

The 2026 Monster Energy SMX World Championship opened in front of a sold-out crowd at Angel Stadium, and the night belonged to Eli Tomac. In his debut with Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, the 33-year-old veteran delivered a dominant performance, leading every lap on his way to the 54th win of his storied career.

The 450SMX Main Event got off to a frightening start when a first-lap multi-rider incident brought out a red flag. Malcolm Stewart was unable to triple early in the race and rolled the landing, leaving Justin Barcia with nowhere to go. Barcia was launched into the dirt in a violent collision, and initial reports from the track indicated Stewart suffered a dislocated shoulder.

Eli Tomac's SuperCross debut with Red Bull KTM was electric!

When the race restarted, Tomac quickly asserted control. After lining up behind teammate Jorge Prado, Tomac made his move on the opening lap and never looked back. He steadily pulled away as Ken Roczen charged through the field from outside the top 10. The German veteran made several decisive passes, eventually clearing Hunter Lawrence for third before overtaking Prado to secure second place.

Roczen closed to within a couple of seconds of Tomac late in the race and kept the pressure on through the 20-minute plus one-lap main event, but never got close enough to challenge for the win. Tomac crossed the line 1.4 seconds clear, claiming his second Anaheim 1 victory.

Prado leveraged the holeshot into the best Supercross result of his career, earning his first-ever podium in just his seventh start. However, his night was not without controversy. Prado’s KTM failed post-race sound inspection, resulting in a three-point championship penalty, though he retained his third-place finish.

Hunter Lawrence finished fourth after a race-long battle with Jason Anderson, who completed the top five. Defending champion Cooper Webb endured an up-and-down race to finish seventh, just ahead of Chase Sexton, who had multiple crashes and off-track moments in his debut for Monster Energy Kawasaki.

With the victory, Tomac leaves Anaheim 1 with a three-point championship lead over Roczen, while Prado sits third, five points behind his KTM teammate.