Evans extends Jaguar contract in Formula E
Kiwi Mitch Evans has extended his contract with the Jaguar Panasonic Racing team in the Formula E world championship.
Evans was an early adopter of Formula E as a category to build a racing career and is regarded as one of the best in the field. This year is his fifth with the British team and he’s signed another multi-year deal.
Evans’ experience in single seaters and the FE championship has made him a driver in demand for a number of teams, including newcomers Porsche. The German manufacturer has a long-term relationship with Evans’ manager Mark Webber and would likely have wanted Evans to jump manufacturers. However, he’s sticking with the team who backed him from the start.
“I’m not going anywhere,” said Evans. “Having spent over five years with [ Jaguar], I know exactly what we plan to achieve in the forthcoming seasons and I’m excited to continue to be part of the team’s journey.
“I’ve been approached by other teams but my home continues to be with Jaguar. There’s still everything to play for this season and into the future with Jaguar Racing.”
In the past five years, Evans has won two races and stood on the podium 10 times, with a highest overall placing of fifth in 2018-19.
Team boss James Barclay sees Evans as a key player in their desire to win a world title.
“Mitch is one of the most exciting talents in Formula E. His experience and understanding of how we work is invaluable,” said Barclay.
Evans got on the podium after his last race in London two weeks ago — his fourth third-place finish this season — and is eighth overall on 75 points, 20 behind series leader Nyck De Vries and just six behind thirdplaced Sam Bird. With the season’s final two races in Berlin next weekend worth double points, he has the chance to rise up the rankings.
Another young New Zealander making a name for himself is Red Bull Junior and Formula 2 driver Liam Lawson. Influential Red Bull Team F1 adviser Helmut Marko spoke highly of Lawson in a recent NewsTalk ZB interview with Mike Hosking.
“Liam is a down to earth, hardworking guy who is very ambitious. He works with the engineers, and if he sees a weakness, he will work on it until it goes away.
“What is amazing is how quickly he can change from F2 to DTM, where he is also doing an excellent job.
“He has unbelievable speed and very nice car control, and we help him mentally and physically with the job he has to do and also prepare him on the technical side.
“After the summer break, he will be on the Formula One simulator for us to see how he will do before getting into a Formula One car.
“We will make an evaluation after September [to see if he’s good enough for F1]. Showing that he is a frontrunner in F2, and was a front-runner in F3, and competitive in DTM against more experienced drivers shows he has the talent to get into Formula One, but when is another matter,” said Marko.