Mitch Evans was in a league of his own on the streets of Rome in Formula E's first round of racing in Italy's Eternal City on Saturday, the Jaguar Racing driver charging from P9 on the grid to a commanding victory.
It was the Kiwi's third career win in the all-electric series and his second in Rome, and one that provided a welcome boost to his points tally in the championship's standings.
As poleman Stoffel Vandoorne led the field at the start, Evans darted through the commotion of the first lap which ended with a Safety Car deployed following a crash by Nissan e.dams' Maximilian Guenther.
When the action resumed, Vandoorne led from Virgin's Robin Frijns and his Mercedes-EQ teammate Nyck de Vries.
In fourth position, Envision's Antonio Felix da Costa took his Attack Mode and bridged the gap with the top-three. He then inherited the runner spot behind Frijns when the two Mercedes drivers re-energized as they also took their Attack Mode.
But da Costa then lost ground as Vandoorne and Frijns battled for the lead. The latter gained the upper hand over the Belgian, but the former McLaren F1 driver recouped what he believed was rightfully his.
Meanwhile, as de Vries started to struggle, there was nothing holding back a fast moving Evans who exploited his Attack Mode in a timely manner to pass both Vandoorne and Frijns and establish a comfortable cushion.
The Jaguar charger held his own in the closing stages of the race, fending off Frijns and Vandoorne on the final lap to take the checkered flag in Rome for the second time in his career.
"We knew we'd be strong but not this strong," said a visibly surprised Evans when all was said and done.
"It was a really good race for the team. We've struggled with points since the start of the season, so to bag a load of points has come at a really good time.
"The way the car is designed means it's very strong on raw street circuits like Rome. There's a lot of surface changes, bumps and 90 degree turns.
"I knew I was going to have a good race but not like that. The car was just fantastic and the team gave me one of the best races I've ever had.
"It was energy positive and the balance was just perfect."
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