Dan Ticktum and Zane Maloney will head into the Shanghai E-Prix weekend already under pressure after Formula E confirmed both drivers must serve penalties from Sanya.
The championship said Maloney faces a 43-place grid penalty after Lola Yamaha ABT changed inverters and a gearbox during the Sanya weekend, before a further three-place drop was added for speeding under red flag conditions.
Why The Penalties Matter
Because Formula E fields only 20 cars, Maloney cannot fully serve that sanction on the grid. The Barbadian will therefore also take a 10-second stop-go penalty at the start of Saturday’s race, turning qualifying into damage limitation rather than a clean shot at track position.
Ticktum’s punishment is smaller but still costly. CUPRA KIRO’s British driver has been given a three-place grid drop after stewards ruled he failed to reduce speed to 50km/h quickly enough after rejoining from the Sanya red-flag incident.
- Maloney: 43-place grid drop plus 10-second stop-go.
- Ticktum: Three-place grid drop for Round 12.
- Context: Shanghai hosts Rounds 12 and 13 of the 2025/26 Formula E season.
The penalties add another layer to a weekend already framed by a tight championship schedule, with Shanghai’s double-header timetable compressing practice, qualifying and race execution across two days.
For Maloney, the first race now looks like a salvage job. For Ticktum, the task is narrower but still blunt: recover grid places quickly without burning energy or risking another stewards’ visit.
