Formula E News: Evans wins in Shanghai for Jaguar

Jaguar TCS Racing’s Mitch Evans produced a sweeping final lap move to snatch the win in the Shanghai E-Prix Round 11, picking his moment perfectly to steal by Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein.

Evans started third and hit the front early, on Lap 7, working his way by polesitter Jean-Eric Vergne (DS PENSKE) and Nissan’s Oliver Rowland – plus the Porsches of Pascal Wehrlein and Antonio Felix da Costa, who worked as a pair through ATTACK MODE to retain track position while looking after their energy levels.

RESULTS: The full Shanghai E-Prix Round 11 classification

The top six looked the place to be with the pack jostling to hit that front quarter of the field, steering clear of the mid-pack melee and positioning themselves for a potential podium push.

At the halfway stage – Lap 16 – the Porsches, Wehrlein from da Costa, swept back to the lead by Evans – the Jaguar driver their closest company, though absolutely nothing split the field with each car running nose-to-tail. The Stuttgart outfit ran its cars in tandem, preventing any forward move from Evans behind, blocking the Jaguar into that long, sweeping Turn 1.

However, on Lap 19, Evans had a percent of energy in-hand and managed to slice by da Costa through Sector 1, while the sister Jaguar TCS Racing of standings leader Nick Cassidy had two percent energy over the leaders ahead. Come Lap 23, Cassidy had crept up to fourth, and had three percent energy on the lead trio of Wehrlein, Evans and da Costa.

Reigning champion Jake Dennis (Andretti) briefly fired himself into the lead quartet before the Jaguars’ energy advantage made itself clear – Cassidy making it by da Costa for third as the laps ticked down.

Wehrlein was two percent down on energy to the Jaguars and was forced into all the defensive maneuvers in the book to hold the pair back. The decisive move for the lead did eventually come, with Evans breaking the German’s resistance on the final lap after a failed move at the hairpin a lap prior.

Evans ran all the way around the outside of Wehrlein to swoop into P1 and held fast to the flag, while the Porsche fended off the final turn advances of Cassidy – the championship leader settling for third, clipping his nose at the last and having to see off Oliver Rowland’s late lunge for the podium.

Da Costa came home fifth, Dennis sixth and Vergne only seventh from first on the grid at lights out. Nyck de Vries scored maiden points at Mahindra having led early on in the encounter, crossing the line eighth. Maserati MSG Racing’s Maximilian Guenther and Envision Racing’s Sebastien Buemi rounded out the top 10. Guenther would later receive a 10-second penalty, promoting DS PENSKE’s Stoffel Vandoorne into the points.

All that sees Cassidy lead Wehrlein in the Drivers’ table 155 points to 142, with Rowland third on 130. Jaguar TCS Racing’s advantage in the Teams’ running is now 66 points with the team having won three of the last four races.

Next up, Round 12 tomorrow, 26 May in Shanghai.

As the sparse crowd looks on – Marek Nawarecki, Circuit Sport Director, FIA, Alberto Longo, Deputy CEO and Chief Championship Officer, Formula E, Jeff Dodds, CEO, Formula E, dignitaries and the drivers line up at the front of the grid before the start during the Shanghai E-Prix at Shanghai International Circuit on Saturday May 25, 2024 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Simon Galloway / LAT Images)

As it happened…

Polesitter Vergne launched cleanly and led into Turn 1 while Rowland bogged down from second, passed immediately by Wehrlein and Evans. Through Lap 1 the field ran three cars wide. Vergne led the Porsches of Wehrlein and da Costa – the pair looking to work together early on as the latter jumped a group of cars into the final complex of corners.

Wehrlein was the first driver to take his first mandatory 50kW ATTACK MODE power boost – only he and Rowland jumping for it of the top 10 runners on Lap 3. Robin Frijns (Envision Racing) briefly found himself in P1, before he took an initial two-minute ATTACK MODE boost, handing the lead back to Wehrlein on Lap 4 – the German heading Vergne and da Costa.

The Porsche’s teamwork continued as da Costa hit the front at the start of Lap 5 before taking his initial ATTACK MODE activation, and dropping back behind teammate Wehrlein. A tour later, the spots swapped again with Wehrlein activating his second 50kW boost. Running two by two allowed both drivers to take advantage of the more efficient running in the slipstream in turn, while retaining track position out-front.

Jaguar’s Evans fired himself into the top three on Lap 7, splitting the Porsches with a move through Turn 1 and a lap later, the Kiwi took the lead as it stood around the outside of Wehrlein into that long, sweeping right-hand Turn 1. On Lap 8 it was three wide for the lead into the final chicane, with Vergne jumping both Evans and Wehrlein to retake P1.

The DS driver took ATTACK MODE on Lap 10 and dropped back into the pack, with the whole field split by just a few seconds. Mahindra’s de Vries lead the pack, from Wehrlein, Rowland, Evans, Dennis and da Costa the top six, though everything was changing corner to corner.

The top six looked the place to be with the pack jostling to hit that front quarter of the field, steering clear of the mid-pack melee and positioning themselves for a potential podium push.

Evans led once again on Lap 13, with the Porsches and Vergne still in that top four biding their time and waiting for their moment. The top 10 runners at the half-way stage had used all of their 50kW ATTACK MODE boosts, except reigning champion Dennis – what remained was a 15-lap battle to the flag for the highest possible finishing position.

Berlin winner Cassidy found himself in the top six and two percent of usable energy to the good. Having clambered from 21st to the win in Germany, could the standings leader do it again?

The Porsche pair, Wehrlein from da Costa, swept back to the lead on Lap 16, by Evans – the Jaguar driver their closest company, though absolutely nothing split the field with each car running nose-to-tail. The Stuttgart outfit ran in tandem, preventing any forward move from Evans behind, blocking the Jaguar into Turn 1.

However, on Lap 19, Evans had a percent of energy in-hand and managed to slice by da Costa through Sector 1, while the sister Jaguar TCS Racing of Cassidy had two percent energy over the leaders ahead. Come Lap 23, Cassidy had crept up to fourth, and had three percent energy on the lead trio.

Wehrlein outbraked himself into the hairpin, allowing Evans to pounce and bolt into the lead, while Dennis finally went for ATTACK and made it into third. The Brit then set about Wehrlein for second – not a battle in which either driver would give an inch.

However, Dennis would have his hands full of Cassidy, who made a move stick into the final complex while Wehrlein outdid Evans for the lead heading into the final three laps – the top 10 split by just a second.

Evans made the leap for the lead on Lap 27 into the hairpin but Wehrlein fought hard to hold him off – the lead pair edging Cassidy despite the latter’s energy advantage with two laps to go while da Costa kept himself in contention for third, right under the Jaguar’s gearbox.

Wehrlein had it all on to hold P1, with all of the defensive moves in the book on show but into Turn 1 of the final lap, Evans broke the German’s resistance – right around the outside of Turn 1. Evans then slowed Wehrlein into the hairpin to allow Cassidy to attack the Porsche for second but the standings leader couldn’t make it by, fending off Rowland at the last to hold third after clipping his front wing through the final turn.

Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing, 1st position, sprays champagne in celebration during the Shanghai E-Prix at Shanghai International Circuit on Saturday May 25, 2024 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Andrew Ferraro / LAT Images)

Mitch Evans, No. 9, Jaguar TCS Racing, said:

“Super happy, but it was not an easy race to manage. Starting towards the front can be good, it can be bad, but I think we managed it well. I thought I got into the lead at the right time, but actually Pascal [Wehrlein] kind of caught me napping a bit into Turn 8 and he put his nose up and then had another go at me. I’m surprised they didn’t get anything for going off track and passing me, so we have to look at that afterwards.

“I had the energy advantage so I just wanted to bide my time and hopefully let the race come to me, and it did so yeah, super stoked to get this one three for [Jaguar TCS Racing Team]. Great points for our championship, it was a good one.”

Pascal Wehrlein, No. 94, TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, said:

“Yeah, it was a tough race. I think in the end, we went to the lead a bit too early and for a bit too long. I think that’s where [Mitch] Evans and also the others could build a bit of an energy advantage. I think in the past we’ve been a bit too conservative, and maybe today a bit too aggressive.

“On the last lap, and because of defending, my target [dropped] so I had to coast quite early. That’s how Mitch overtook me into Turn 1. Tough fight in the last lap with the drivers because Mitch clearly tried to slow me down so that Nick could pass me. A few contacts, but that’s how it is, I think it was hard but fair.

“I think we did what we could do. We kept it clean, and a well-deserved podium for the team.”

Nick Cassidy, No. 37, Jaguar TCS Racing, said:

“It was a nice race today, awesome to get a one-three! I had the energy to win for sure, but it wasn’t my decision so it’s okay.”