The coveted jewel of Formula E finally fell to Mitch Evans after several years of near misses, the Jaguar charger capitalizing on a flawless Jaguar strategy to lead home teammate Nick Cassidy in the Principality.
Evans' triumph began with a dominant start, the Kiwi snatching the lead from polesitter Pascal Wehrlein (Porsche) on lap 11, showcasing the raw pace of the Jaguar.
When a fortuitous Virtual Safety Car emerged for Edo Mortara's stricken Mahindra, the Jaguar strategists saw their golden opportunity.
Evans used the momentary lull to activate his ATTACK MODE, building a comfortable lead. Teammate Nick Cassidy held station behind, cleverly manipulating the pack and keeping rivals like Stoffel Vandoorne (DS PENSKE) and Jean-Eric Vergne (DS PENSKE) at bay.
This masterful team play allowed Evans to maintain clean air and maximize energy efficiency.
The Jaguar duo displayed an impressive advantage in energy conservation throughout the race. While Evans enjoyed a slight edge over Cassidy, both drivers consistently hovered a few percent higher in usable energy compared to the chasing DS PENSKE cars.
And the strategic superiority paid dividends as the race progressed.
Halfway through the 31-lap encounter, Evans relinquished the lead to Cassidy by activating his second ATTACK MODE boost.
The move further bolstered their position by allowing Cassidy to temporarily impede the pursuing pack. Once the boost concluded, Evans swept back into the lead, effortlessly maintaining his advantage until the checkered flag.
The result was a picture-perfect one-two finish for Jaguar TCS Racing, a historic feat that further solidified their championship aspirations.
©FormulaE
The podium finishers were followed by Vandoorne and Vergne, showcasing the strength of the DS PENSKE team. Wehrlein, despite losing the early lead, managed to salvage a fifth-place finish ahead of Nissan’s spirited Oliver Rowland.
The battle for points further down the field saw Antonio Felix da Costa (DS PENSKE) finish in seventh, followed by Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan), Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing), and Norman Nato (Andretti) rounding out the top ten.
This dominant victory propelled Jaguar TCS Racing to the pinnacle of the Teams' Championship standings with 172 points. Their closest rivals, TAG Heuer Porsche, now trail by a significant 44 points.
The enthralling battle for supremacy continues in just a few weeks. Formula E heads to Berlin for rounds nine and ten, scheduled for May 11th and 12th. With Evans and Jaguar brimming with confidence, and other teams determined to respond, the next chapter in the championship promises to be another edge-of-your-seat show.
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
