Jaguar Racing in strong position after rounds 3 and 4 in Rome.
The 2021 season of Formula E was certainly one that had high hopes for Jaguar racing, with a strong driver line up with after Sam Bird was added to the line up alongside Mitch Evans. With good results in the first four races that optimism appears to be well placed as Jaguar leave Rome topping the drivers championship taking 1st and 2nd places in the overall Championship and Jaguar leading the way in the manufacturers championship.
What happened in Rome?
James Barclay, Team Director of Jaguar racing summed up the weekends action saying:
"We’ve had a very good weekend here in Rome. Our first double podium yesterday was a great result and we followed this up with good points for the team today too. Our qualifying performance was really strong, given the mixed weather conditions, and Mitch had a really polished drive through the field. It is a shame that Sam was taken out late in the race as we could have scored even more points including the fastest lap. If it wasn’t for that late Safety Car I think it would have been a really interesting finish as we were doing really well on energy management. We leave Rome in a great position leading both the Teams’ and Drivers’ Championship and we’re very much looking forward to racing again in just two weeks’ time in Valencia."
Rome - Round 3
Jaguar Racing secured their first double podium finish in 30 years with Sam Bird and Mitch Evans finishing second and third respectively at the Rome E-Prix. Mitch Evans also secured the fastest lap of the race with a 1:42.387 while Sam Bird achieved his first FanBoost with the British team.
In the race both drivers showed their pedigree managing the cars energy and conditions whilst constantly attacking and gaining places.
Sam Bird carved his way through the pack from tenth and finished the race in second - his second podium for Jaguar in three races. The action-packed race, which started under the Safety Car, saw Sam overtake Sebastian Buemi as the green flag was waved - showing fantastic pace in the Jaguar I-TYPE 5. A number of clean overtakes and clever uses of ATTACK MODE allowed the Brit to move up to second before the race concluded under the Safety Car.
Mitch Evans also executed an incredible drive through the field, gaining nine places from twelfth to third and securing his second podium of the season. Evans tussled with Vandoorne and Frijns but made some decisive moves throughout the race. The Kiwi pushed through to take the final place on the podium while proving the speed of the Jaguar with the fastest lap of the race.
Rome - Round 4
Round 4 and the same qualifying story.
The second Rome E-Prix race saw Jaguar Racing continue their point scoring run with Mitch Evans finishing a solid sixth. The Kiwi qualified in twelfth and was able to slice his way through the pack, gaining six places. Evans made decisive overtakes throughout the race and showed the strong pace of the Jaguar I-TYPE 5 with a final overtake of Antonio Felix Da Costa, the reigning Formula E champion.
Sam Bird also had a good start to the day after topping group one with his Jaguar I-TYPE 5 in a rain affected qualifying session. Starting eleventh on the grid, the Brit demonstrated skills and speed throughout the race before the Safety Car was deployed with eight minutes to go. As the green flag fell for the final lap of the race, an intense one lap shoot-out ended when Nyck De Vries collided with Sam, taking them both out of the race.
What next?
The lights turn green for the fifth and sixth rounds of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on 24 and 25 April 2021 on the Valencian Ricardo Tormo circuit, Spain. Don't forget to tune in and enjoy the free viewing of what promises to be a strong year for Jaguar Racing in Formula E. To find out how you can view the racing visit the Formula E website and choose the veiwing options for your region:
