Mitch Evans dominates the competition: The e-Formula.news driver rating for the season opener in Sao Paulo

Formula E kicked off its eleventh season at the weekend. The race was furious! Wehrlein rolled over, only 14 drivers crossed the finish line, attack mode was stronger than ever, McLaren finished on the podium despite a drive-through penalty and Mitch Evans won from last place on the grid. It is not easy to award marks in this chaos, but the editorial team finally came to a consensus.

After each round of the 2024/25 Formula E season, our editors award points on a scale between 1 and 10 for all drivers. They are then sorted according to their average rating score. The rating is based exclusively on driving performance, not the potential of the car or external circumstances.

Mitch Evans | Jaguar TCS Racing | 9.8

Mitch Evans is the first driver in Formula E history to win a race from the last place on the grid. Not only was his race a magnificent performance, but the New Zealander was plagued by technical problems throughout the weekend, forcing him to park the car in 2nd free practice and qualifying. Winning the race despite so little track time also deserves the win in terms of points!

Antonio Felix Da Costa | TAG Heuer Porsche | 9.0

Antonio Felix da Costa's start to the season was worlds better than in season 10. A good qualifying and a race consistently in the leading group were a solid performance. It is remarkable that he was able to secure second place without getting caught up in the dynamics of the race even once. Keeping a cool head and reading the race correctly is the Portuguese driver's greatest strength.

Oliver Rowland | Nissan | 8.8

Oliver Rowland may be the unluckiest driver of the race weekend. For a long time, he dominated the race at the Sambadrome and looked like the most likely candidate to win. An error in the control systems at the start of his Nissan was the reason for a late drive-through penalty, which robbed him of all chances. Like Felix da Costa, Rowland seems to have carried over his best form from last season into season 11.

Flop of the E-Prix: Nick Cassidy | Jaguar TCS Racing | 5.3

Although there were still a few drivers with lower marks than Nick Cassidy, all of them either failed to finish or were rookies. The second Jaguar driver had a very difficult weekend. He seemed frustrated and unsure with the car. It wasn't enough for him in the duel phase of qualifying, but the race dynamics played perfectly into his hands. However, he made nothing of his interim lead and collided with Günther and consequently also with Wehrlein in a desperate attempt to defend himself. To be 25 points behind his team-mate after just one race is certainly not his ambition.