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The dramatic win that vindicates a new Formula E star

With just a handful of laps to go in Santiago, Maximilian Guenther appeared to have lost his shot at a maiden Formula E victory. His response to that, which included a sensational overtake to reclaim the lead, proves why BMW's new star is one to watch

Alex Kalinauckas Jan 20, 2020, 2:27 PM

This time last year in the hot Chilean sun, Maximilian Guenther lost a promising Formula E result when a powertrain problem struck his Dragon Racing car. Twelve months on, he's a race winner in the electric championship after triumphing in a sweltering Santiago race last weekend for his new squad BMW Andretti.

For a significant portion of the year just past, Guenther has had to endure struggles not of his owning making. Soon after the 2019 Santiago E-Prix, he found himself dropped by Dragon, with ex-Formula 1 driver Felipe Nasr taking his seat from the next round in Mexico City. While there is nothing to suggest there was anything untoward about that development, the team explaining Guenther had completed a "three-race programme" was odd, and in conversations with the young German driver - utterly professional throughout the saga - there was a sense that all was not well behind the scenes.

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Author Alex Kalinauckas

Alex Kalinauckas is Autosport's Grand Prix Editor, covering every Formula 1 race since the start of 2020. After completing a master's degree in journalism at Goldsmiths College University of London in 2014, he worked for a range of motorsport and technology publications while covering national racing as an Autosport freelancer.

A lifelong motorsport fan - no one in his family can explain quite how or why such a development first occurred - Alex joined the Autosport staff in April 2017 as the magazine’s Assistant Editor covering Formula 2 and GP3, before being made Formula E correspondent and Autosport.com’s Plus Editor in March 2018. He lives in north-east London and is constantly frustrated by the Central Line.