UK's most recent world champion beat George Russell but is glad he gave up on F1 dream

He’s beaten George Russell on track. He’s also got the better of Charles Leclerc. He’s Britain’s most recent motorsport champion outside of go-karts. But there’s a chance you probably don’t know who he is.

Jake Dennis, Formula E’s 2023 winner with Andretti, has a quieter life than some of the racing prodigies that he grew up competing against, which includes no fewer than seven current F1 stars. His only has 63,000 followers, a far cry from the near 18million boasted by Leclerc. It means he can roam the streets of his new home in Monaco without the hustle and bustle that comes with being an F1 driver.

“I haven't seen a single F1 driver there yet. I don't think they're there all that often,” Dennis jokes, about his six months in the principality. “I think if they ever are home, they probably don't want to be out in the streets getting mobbed by the fans.”

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Dennis, 29, does have a role to play in F1. Since 2018 he has acted as a development and simulator driver for and has somewhat been the unsung hero of ’s success.

His reward has been a run-out in FP1 just the once, but Dennis is content with his life outside of main lights of F1. “I was lucky to be sponsored from the age of 12 to 21,” he says. “My sponsors were very much like, look, we'll try and fund you all the way up to say F2 or just the level below F1, but we're not going to be able to fund you any further.

“They funded me basically up to the stage of GP3 at the time, and it was at the point where I needed to make a decision: I can either go down GTs and make a career straight away - I had a professional contract in front of me - or I could try and pursue maybe a year in Formula 2, but what am I going to achieve from that? Even if I go out and win it in my first year, will I get an F1 seat? Probably not.

Watch Jake Dennis in action at the Miami E-Prix on Saturday night live on ITV4 at 6pm.

“It was a tough decision to make. Obviously, at the age I was, I'd worked so hard to try and make it to , but I was also realistic. I'm not from a family with any money at all, so I was like, if I don't make this my career, I'm screwed.

“It wasn't a lot of money at the time, but it was my first step as a career and I decided to pursue that, which has obviously led me to where I am now. It was a difficult situation, but ultimately I'm very happy I took that decision.

“At some point, you need to start earning a career and money, and it's quite easy to get to the age of 26, 27, like some of my friends, when they're still not professional, but they're seriously talented because they're waiting for that golden ticket, but sometimes it never comes.”

Dennis sits ninth in the standings after four races of the Formula E season. Fellow Brit Oliver Rowland - another who never had the budget to make it to F1 despite phenomenal ability - leads the way.

It’s been over 18 months since Dennis could call himself a world champion for the first time - but he insists his goals have not changed.

“In terms of my general life, it was all the same,” he says. ”I think it generally gave me self-confidence to know that I can do this, and when the opportunity is there again to be able to deliver.

“I think I'll naturally be a little bit more relaxed if I'm ever in that position again to lead a world championship going into [final race of the season in] London.

“To be honest, you soon also easily forget that you are a champion because you're so focused on your job in hand. Yes, I won it in Season 9, but I don't really care anymore.

“I just want to try and win it again. That hunger is still there to win multiple championships.”

Formula E's Miami E-Prix is live on ITV4 at 6pm on Saturday night.