Pepe Marti was shocked after replacing Dan Ticktum on podium at Monaco E-Prix: “I was really happy with fourth”

Cupra Kiro rookie Pepe Marti’s podium finish at the Monaco E-Prix initially came as a shock to the Spanish driver, but he eventually embraced the moment and described it as a dream. It was actually his Cupra Kiro team-mate Dan Ticktum who had originally finished third and was set to stand on the podium. However, his contact with Antonio Felix da Costa, which sent the latter into the chicane in dangerous fashion, cost him the result. As a consequence, Marti, who had been running in fourth place, was promoted onto the podium.Pepe Marti said after the race that he had already been delighted to finish fourth, as it marked his first top-five result. However, the unexpected promotion to the podium came as both a shock and a dream come true. The 20-year-old later celebrated alongside Monaco E-Prix Round 9 winner Nyck de Vries of Mahindra Racing and runner-up Mitch Evans of Jaguar TCS Racing.Opening up about the unexpected result, Marti said, “I didn't know what went on, I was really happy with fourth. I mean it was my first top five and it hurts to see that Dan [Ticktum] was the one to fall out of the podium, but nonetheless, it's a great result.”The driver still gladly accepted his maiden podium, despite initially being shocked by the outcome. “To do it in Monaco, I mean there's no better place to do it. The car's been on fire, you can tell. A pole position for Dan and then I've been able to move up from 15th all the way to third, so it's fantastic. I'm still a bit shocked because, you know, I didn't expect it. I crossed the line in fourth, I was really happy with it and to be here now is a bit of a dream,” he said.Pepe Marti also shared cheerful pictures from his first-ever podium celebrations in Monaco. He captioned them in Spanish, which translated to: “FIRST PODIUM IN FORMULA E!! P15… P3 in Monaco!! What better place for a first podium? Great job by everyone - another one tomorrow! LET'S GO!!”F1 driver Gabriel Bortoleto, who was among the high-profile guests at the race, reacted to the post with several clap emojis.