Evans on the prowl for Jaguar
Kiwi’s success over the last three rounds of the series has elevated him to 12th
Former Formula One team owner Eddie Jordan is at it again stirring the paddock rumour pot. Jordan has a reputation of making controversial statements and his latest is that Mercedes will quit the sport at the end of 2018.
It would be silly to dismiss the idea despite team boss Toto Wolff ’s adamant denial saying it was “the mischievous speculation of one individual”. If Ferrari build on their current form and dominate the championship, the Germans will probably pick up their toys and head home. New Zealand single- seater racer Mitch Evans will be hoping to keep his run of good fortune going at round six of the Formula E championship at Tempelhof Airport, Berlin this weekend.
The Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver has helped his fledgling team score points in the last three rounds of the series and he is now 12th on the championship table.
Jaguar is the latest manufacturer to enter the series and it was Evans and his teammate Adam Carroll who gained the outfit’s first points at Mexico City. He backed it up with more points in Monaco then again a few weeks later at the Paris race, moving the team into eighth place in the team’s championship.
If all goes well, this weekend’s event could be a big fillip for the team as it’s the first double header race weekend and t wo races means double the points over the weekend.
“We’ve been in the points in the last three races and it goes to show how much progress we’ve been making since the start of the season,” Evans said from Berlin.
“It’s been good for the team’s confidence and now we just have to keep the momentum rolling forward. Having said that, we should have finished higher up in the last two races but for the pit stops.
“I had trouble in Paris turning my car on, losing 20 seconds, but at least we finished in the points.”
The team and Evans had no illusions at the start of the season that it would mean doing hard yards to make an impression as the new kids on the block, without the latest kit.
Now at the mid- point of the season, the Jaguar team has garnered a lot of kudos in the paddock. The other teams have been ironing out the kinks for a season or two already, while the British outfit has been on the back foot a little, but it looks like things are on the up- and- up for both Jaguar and Evans.
“At the start of the season points were looking quite a stretch, but we’ve all knuckled down and worked pretty hard and I’m really proud of what the guys have done with the car. It’s a lot more predictable and energy efficient now and our strategies are getting better every race.
“We’ve still got a bit of unlocking in regards to the car and almost getting the most out of it.
“The team’s doing a very respectable job and the car is getting much better, but it’s still very, very challenging behind the wheel trying to manage the energy and it’s the busiest I’ve ever been in a car.
“It’s quite mentally draining. The cars are not super- fast, but because of the way they react on track they can bite you very fast if you’re not careful,” Evans said.
The Tempelhof track is quite different to any other on the calendar. Like those before, it will be bumpy — the concrete surface is abrasive and will have lower grip than the tarmac — but this will be balanced out by it being wider.
The layout i s largely new, with two long flat- out sections broken up with a tight, technical first sector and t wo hairpins, which will provide good overtaking opportunities.
“The Berlin circuit has been really enjoyable on the simulator. It’s quite fast and I’m eager to get to the track and see the surface for myself,” Evans said. “This year we’re racing out at an airport which makes it really interesting, especially with having two full race days back- toback. It’s going to be hard on the team on Sunday when the race will be the longest the championship has ever had.
“With all the regulations we haven’t got anything new this weekend structurally, but we’ve been tweaking the energy- saving.”
The quality of the drivers in the series is outstanding. Formula E is probably the only series where all the drivers are paid, meaning there are no seats being bought, so you get in on talent. Sebastien Buemi leads the championship with Lucas Di Grassi in second and Nico Prost third.