- Mitch Evans took his third win of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Hankook Rome E-Prix
- The Kiwi achieved his second Pole Position and second TAG Heuer Fastest Lap of the season in his Jaguar I-TYPE 6
- Front row lock-out for Jaguar TCS Racing in the Italian capital
- Sam Bird retired from the race after a multi car incident that resulted in a red flag and race stoppage. The British driver was fortunately unharmed
- Mitch moves up to third in the drivers’ standings, closing the gap to the championship leaders with Sam remaining in ninth
- Jaguar TCS Racing remain third in the teams’ standings but again closed the points gap
- Round 14 of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be back on the streets of Rome tomorrow, 16 July 2023
Rome, Italy, 15 July 2023 – Mitch Evans took his third win of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on the streets of Rome for Jaguar TCS Racing. The Kiwi stood on the top step of the podium in the eternal city for the fourth time in his and Jaguar’s Formula E history.
Jaguar TCS Racing took their second ever front row lock-out, after Mitch Evans took Pole position, adding three valuable points to his championship campaign. The Kiwi came first in qualifying group B, before defeating Edoardo Mortara in the quarter-final qualifying Duels and Sébastien Buemi in the semi-finals. Sam Bird also made it through to the Duels and the two Jaguar teammates faced each other in the final, Sam ultimately lined up in second place.
In the opening laps of the race, Mitch and Sam rotated for the lead, with a solid strategy in place. Sam was having a strong race and was in contention for a solid points result until he lost control of his Jaguar I-TYPE 6 in the high-speed turn 6 corner. The resulting accident retired Sam from the race and caused a red flag race stoppage with multiple cars involved in the aftermath. Sam was assessed and checked over by the FIA medical team and is thankfully uninjured.
When the race restarted, Mitch continued from his position in second place, fighting for the lead with Sacha Fenestraz who eventually dropped back. Jake Dennis overtook Mitch on lap 15, taking the lead. In the latter stages of the race Dennis had to drop back to manage a lower energy target, which gave Mitch the opportunity to pass and pull clear, creating a gap to the rest of the field.
Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy came through to finish in second place, resulting in a Jaguar powertrain 1-2 – a strong result on the streets of Rome that showcased the competitive performance of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6.
Jaguar TCS Racing remain third in the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship teams’ standings, closing the gap to the leaders.
James Barclay, Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal: “Our fourth win here in Rome under intense pressure is a fantastic achievement for the team. Pole position, fastest lap and the win for Mitch is as good as it can get, and a very rare achievement at this level. The day started well with our second ever front row lock-out in qualifying and at this point in the championship with four races to go and with the pressure on, I’m incredibly proud of all the team. Most important though is that Sam and the other drivers involved in the accident that stopped the race are okay. Credit goes to the FIA, the team and all suppliers who continue to push the safety aspect of these race cars alongside performance. Our focus now shifts to repair Sam’s car and to build on today’s great performance.”
Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #9:
“Firstly I’m glad that all the drivers involved in today’s accident are okay and walked away uninjured. For me personally, it’s been a massive day, securing the maximum points is really positive for both the drivers’ and the teams’ championship campaign. We are hoping tomorrow will see similar results, so we can further close the gap to the drivers and teams’ ahead. We know how unpredictable this championship will be, but we will give it everything.”
Sam Bird, Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #10:
“A small oversteer today resulted in a big consequence, and of course I’m disappointed. Luckily, I am uninjured as are the other drivers involved, it could have been a lot worse if it wasn’t for the safety of the car. The team will be working hard to fix my car tonight, and I’m hoping tomorrow will be a better day.”
Round 14 of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship will be back on the streets of Rome tomorrow.
