CUPRA KIRO narrowly misses out on podium as Dan Ticktum and Pepe Martí secure double points finish at 2026 Madrid E-Prix
CUPRA KIRO secures double points finish at the 2026 CUPRA Raval Madrid E-Prix, with Dan Ticktum missing out on the podium by 0.186 seconds
CUPRA KIRO stormed to a double-points finish at the 2026 CUPRA Raval Madrid E-Prix, with Dan Ticktum narrowly missing out on a podium to finish fourth while Pepe Martí secured ninth at home in Spain.
After setting the initial pace for the weekend in FP1, Dan narrowly missed out on the duels come Qualifying, with the Briton just 0.042 seconds adrift to line up ninth. Pepe, meanwhile, started from 12th after building speed throughout Group A.
In the race, Pepe had a conservative start but after activating Attack Mode on lap seven, the Spaniard battled through the pack to move from 16th to the lead. The home race hero then took Pit Boost at the end of lap 14 and rejoined the race in 11th, but recovered in the closing stages to finish ninth, scoring his fourth points finish in six races.
Dan had a lightning start to the race by moving forward from ninth to fifth on the first lap and after pressing forward to third, was a consistent presence in the podium places in the first half. He took Pit Boost on lap 13 to rejoin fifth overall and used Attack Mode to move back into the top three but was overtaken on the run to the line when battling Mitch Evans for second, missing out on a podium by just 0.186 seconds.
Dan Ticktum, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“Overall, a really good race. We weren’t as competitive in the wet and after FP2, we had some issues that we needed to work on but we managed to improve for Qualifying. In the dry, the pace was strong and I had a great start to move into the top five. The car was good and the strategy was good and I think we were just a bit unfortunate on the last lap. I don’t know where I could have put the car, and even if I followed the two Jaguars, I think Pascal [Wehrlein] would have gone up the inside and the outcome would have been the same. Going from ninth to fourth is a decent result, and we’ve scored some good points today.”
Pepe Martí, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“Overall, I’m disappointed with the race. I made some bad decisions at the start by losing track position and falling backwards, but then we took an early Attack Mode which meant that I moved forwards. We led the race for quite a bit which was amazing, but unfortunately, we were on the wrong side of the strategy which meant that we ended up fighting for ninth. Ninth wasn’t the result we were looking for but, in the end, we’ve scored points again and I’m happy with that. Racing at home in Formula E has been unforgettable, and I want to thank the fans for all the support they’ve given me this weekend.”
Russell O’Hagan, Team Principal, CUPRA KIRO
“It’s been a very strong showing from the team here in what was a huge event for us in Madrid, and to come away having been unbelievably close to the podium shows just how much progress we’re making. For Dan, the objective for Madrid was to build on his momentum from Jeddah and backing that up with fourth is a positive step forward. We all know that it’s just a matter of time before we see him back on the podium. Pepe has also been outstanding all weekend. As the first Spanish driver to race at home in Formula E – and with it being a big home event for our Co-Title Partner, CUPRA – there was naturally a lot of attention on him, but he handled it brilliantly, keeping his head down in a rollercoaster race to take his fourth points finish in six races. Jarama has been a fantastic venue for Formula E and we hope that we’ve been able to put on a great show in front of a very passionate crowd, but now, we’re looking ahead to Berlin with a lot of confidence in what we’re building.”
