Taste of victory

Motorsport ace Mitch Evans claims first win of the season for Jaguar TCS Racing in the first-ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in Brazil.

The New Zealander led home a one-two-three for the Jaguar powertrain, with Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) and Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) crossing the line together. The trio finished just half a second apart to close out an enthralling inaugural Julius Baer São Paulo E-Prix in front of more than 23,000 passionate motorsport fans.

“This has come at the perfect time,” an elated Evans said. “We had a tough start but the car has been quick so to finally get the victory and some points is incredible. A Jaguar 1-2-3!”

It was a flat out push to the finish at the rapid 11-turn São Paulo Street Circuit, with Evans managing to navigate his way through constant position changes through the pack to take the chequered flag first from third on the grid. He took the initiative and the race lead from his compatriot Cassidy as the race headed into laps added-on following multiple safety car incidents.

“Nick pushed me all the way - we pushed each other - both teams executed brilliantly,” he added. “This is down to a lot of hard work, there is a lot of graft that goes in with simulations, and to try to put these races together regarding strategy is not easy. I wouldn’t have wanted it much closer than that.

“Super happy to get some big points on the board.”

Defending world champion Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE) started in Julius Baer Pole Position and led the way early on, fending off António Félix da Costa (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) during the first round of ATTACK MODE activations until the race reached its half-way stage.

The lead was almost impossible to track on Lap 14 with three or four changes over that tour alone and Cassidy coming out on top.

But Vandoorne would end up sixth after struggling for usable energy from his time at the front. Da Costa had slipped to fourth and briefly made designs on the podium but wound up settling just outside the podium positions. Jean-Éric Vergne (DS PENSKE) headed his teammate home for an eventual fifth spot.

Standings leader Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) had it all to do from 18th on the grid and managed to slice his way through the pack to seventh position at the chequered flag with Jake Hughes (NEOM McLaren Formula E Team) finishing eighth, just ahead of teammate René Rast in ninth and with Sébastien Buemi (Envision Racing) rounding out the top 10.

Meanwhile, Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti Formula E) suffered another non-finish after contact from Dan Ticktum’s NIO 333 saw his 99X Electric shoved into Wehrlein’s Porsche.

Wehrlein maintains his Drivers’ World Championship lead on 86pts from Dennis with 62pts, while Cassidy moves into third just a point behind the Brit. TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team heads Envision Racing 144pts to 103pts with Jaguar TCS Racing third on 83pts.

Germany is the next stop in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for Rounds 7 and 8 and the 2023 SABIC Berlin E-Prix double-header on April 22 and April 23.