LONDON, July 24 (Reuters) - Jake Dennis won the first of two home London Formula E races for BMW Andretti on Saturday while fellow-Briton Sam Bird retired but stayed top of the overall standings in the all-electric series.
The win was a second of the season for the rookie after Valencia in April and sent him third in the championship with three races remaining.
Mercedes' Nyck De Vries and Mahindra's Alex Lynn rounded off the top-three.
Jaguar's Bird had a frustrating home return, forced out on the opening lap with suspension damage.
He is now just one point clear of DS Techeetah's Portuguese reigning champion Antonio Felix Da Costa, who finished eighth. The top eight drivers are separated by 11 points.
The indoor-outdoor race was the first major event held at London's ExCeL centre since the Docklands venue served as a temporary hospital and COVID-19 vaccination centre.
A second race is scheduled for Sunday. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)