Dateline Mexico City – January 14th 2023
Formula E: Avalanche Andretti's Jake Dennis produced an utterly dominant drive to climb from second to the race win in Round 1, heading home Porsche's Pascal Wehrlein and Mahindra Racing's Lucas di Grassi in the first race of Formula E's GEN3 era. Dennis soaked in the adulation of the Foro Sol and the packed grandstands watching on, making what would be the race-winning move on Lap 12, when he took advantage of an opening left by di Grassi. From there, Dennis stretched his legs, and through three Safety Car periods, he was able to run away with the race lead – finishing seven seconds ahead of Wehrlein.
Jaguar TCS Racing: Mitch Evans lined up tenth on the grid after narrowly missing out on the qualifying Duels by five hundredths of a second. The safety car-filled race made it challenging for the Kiwi to find overtaking opportunities. When racing resumed in the new lap-based format, Evans made progress, climbing through the field in his Jaguar I-TYPE 6. A late ATTACK MODE activation in the final lap allowed Mitch to secure an eighth-place finish. Teammate, Sam Bird lined up twenty-first on the grid after he had a compromising qualifying session following an issue in Free Practice 2. His bad luck continued when an outbound drive shaft failure on the fifth lap of the race forced him to retire. Both customer Envision Racing Jaguars finished inside the top ten to make it three in total for the I-TYPE 6’s race debut.
Dateline Diriyah – January 27th 2023
Formula E: Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) stormed from ninth to the race win in Round 2, with Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) following home in second after scything through the pack himself. Wehrlein looked terrifyingly quick as he picked his way through the points-paying positions, navigating two ATTACK MODE activations and passing both polesitter Sebastien Buemi (Envision Racing) and Sam Bird - the Jaguar TCS Racing driver coming home an eventual third. The move for the lead came on Lap 30 at Turn 16, with Bird unable to hold back the 99X Electric Gen3 beneath Wehrlein - both driver and car looking monstrous for a second race on the go. Dennis, also with Porsche power, took the fight all the way to the line, but couldn't find a way past.
Jaguar TCS Racing: Sam Bird lined up third on the grid after making it through to the semi-finals of the Qualifying Duels. On the seventh lap of the 39-lap race, Sam made a decisive overtake on Sébastien Buemi to take the lead. He held the lead of the race for 23 laps, strongly defending from Pascal Wehrlein, before he slipped back into second. With five laps to go, Jake Dennis was able to clinch second place, leaving Sam in third. Mitch Evans lined up sixth on the grid and had a challenging race but took the chequered flag in eighth position. The two customer Envision Racing cars also finished in the top ten
Dateline Hyderabad – February 11th 2023
Formula E: Jean-Eric Vergne (DS PENSKE) held fast for an astonishing win in Round 4, after fending off the Envision Racing pair of Nick Cassidy and Sebastien Buemi over the line, though TAG Heuer Porsche's Antonio Felix da Costa ultimately took third after Buemi was penalised post-race. The Frenchman made his way to the front of the pack on Lap 15 - the double champion sweeping by Buemi at the hairpin after the two Jaguars had removed one another from the equation two laps prior.
Jaguar TCS Racing: Mitch Evans took Pole position in the inaugural Hyderabad E-Prix while Sam Bird lined up in P6. Evans led the race for the first seven laps after both drivers held their position off the start line. Mitch took ATTACK MODE and lost three places as part of a strategic move to recoup energy. He overtook Sacha Fenestraz’s Nissan to move up to third place while Sam battled in fifth. On lap 13, Sam made a mistake which resulted in him tapping Fenestraz and crashing into teammate Mitch Evans, ultimately retiring both Jaguars from the race. Customer-team Envision Racing showcased the speed and efficiency of the I-TYPE 6 with a second-place finish for Nick Cassidy.
Dateline Cape Town – February 25th 2023
Formula E: Antonio Felix da Costa drove a storming race from 11th on the grid to his first win for TAG Heuer Porsche in the inaugural Cape Town E-Prix. He clambered his way through the top 10 and was into the top three by Lap 20. Jean-Eric Vergne (DS PENSKE) was second, Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy third and his team mate Sebastien Buemi fifth. The poor luck for the Jaguar TCS Racing team didn't let up. Sam Bird's damaged car wasn't fit to make the start after his qualifying shunt, then Mitch Evans was slapped with a drive-through penalty for an overpower violation, dropping him out of a strong fourth spot at the time, early in the race.
Jaguar TCS Racing: Mitch Evans lined up fourth and held his position off the start line, but on lap 11 he served a drive-through penalty for overuse of power at the start. A last-lap accident for Sacha Fenestraz promoted Mitch to P11. Sam Bird was unable to compete in Cape Town following an accident in Qualifying.
Dateline Sao Paulo – March 25th 2023
I know that a number of you regard our reporting on the Formula E championship as a bit of a duty. However, all you sceptics, please savour this headline: Evans Heads Jaguar-Powered Trio to Win In São Paulo. Jaguar TCS Racing first and third, Envision Racing – they use a rebranded I-TYPE 6 – finished second and tenth. Shades of D-Types at Le Mans.
Formula E: Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) led home a first one-two-three for the Jaguar powertrain, with Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) and Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing) crossing the line together - the trio just half a second apart - to close out an enthralling inaugural São Paulo E-Prix. It was a flat out push to the finish, with Evans managing to navigate his way through constant position changes up-and-down the pack to take the chequered flag first from third on the grid. The New Zealander took the initiative and the race lead from his compatriot Cassidy.
Jaguar TCS Racing: Mitch Evans powered to his first victory of the season at the inaugural São Paulo E-Prix. He was joined on the podium in third by teammate Sam Bird after dominating on the fast Sambadrome track. Evans lined up third on the grid after a strong qualifying performance. He held his start position and later passed Porsche’s Da Costa taking him to second place. Despite dropping back to P4 during the 35-lap race, Mitch maintained a strong energy strategy and seized his moment to take the lead. Brit Sam delivered one of his best drives of the season, climbing seven places after starting in tenth, by utilising a favourable energy strategy. Sam rounded off the podium and also took home the TAG Heuer Fastest Lap accolade, providing him with an additional point.
Dateline Berlin – April 22nd 2023
FE: Jaguar TCS Racing played a blinder with their race strategy to seal a Mitch Evans, Sam Bird one-two in a beautifully chaotic SABIC Berlin E-Prix Round 7 that saw 190 overtakes and a record 20 at-the-line lead changes and eight different race leaders. Maximilian Guenther's (Maserati MSG) took third with an overtake later in the race..
JTCSR: Jaguar TCS Racing made history in Berlin with the team’s first 1-2 finish in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Mitch Evans took his second victory in a row this season and team-mate Sam Bird finished second - achieving his third podium and highest finish of the season.
The 43-lap race provided gripping racing from start to finish. With the lead frequently changing in an action-packed E-Prix and in an effort to save energy, Mitch was able to carve his way through the pack, carefully avoiding the carnage along the way. Sam Bird took the lead of the race at the Tempelhof circuit on four different occasions and both drivers worked together to maximise efficiency. In total there were eight different leaders but Mitch took the chequered flag, with Sam Bird just behind him.
Dateline Berlin – April 23rd 2023
FE: The unique Berlin Tempelhof Circuit threw up a second intensely tactical race in as many days, brimming with overtakes and featuring another strategic masterclass from the race winner; this time, Envision Racing's Nick Cassidy. The Kiwi started eighth and hit the front on Lap 25. Jake Dennis was in striking distance come the chequered flag in the Avalanche Andretti, just half a second back. Jean-Eric Vergne was quietly pleased to have scored strongly with third.
JTCSR: Mitch Evans finished fourth for Jaguar TCS Racing in the eighth round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. In another captivating and strategic race, Mitch held his fifth position off-the-line for the first four laps. When the two ABT race cars and DS Penske’s ATTACK MODE strategies came into play, Mitch started to move up the order before taking the lead of the Berlin E-Prix on lap six.
Sam was also in a competitive position, climbing his way through the field, but was unfortunately hit from behind and forced into the car in front, damaging his front wing. The Brit pitted for a new front nose but without a safety car, Sam was unable to catch the back of the field and finished nineteenth, out of the points. The Jaguar customer team Envision Racing celebrated their first win of the partnership. Nick Cassidy’s win marked the third Jaguar-powered win in a row this season.
Dateline Monaco – May 6th 2023
FE: Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing) fired to the top of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with a storming drive from ninth on the grid to the race win in an absorbing 2023 Monaco E-Prix. Cassidy led home Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing), having fended off his countryman until a late-race Safety Car made the win certain for the Envision Racing man. The 150mph game of chess ebbed and flowed as leaders vied for control and to set the pace but Cassidy's decisive early-race moves yielded the ultimate result. Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) couldn't quite live with the lead pair, but had torn through from 11th on the grid to make thrd.
JTCSR: Mitch Evans took his third podium of the season, with a runner-up finish on the iconic streets of Monaco. In the race, Mitch strategically climbed his way through the field and by lap 13 was leading the pack. Navigating the track with precision and speed, he tussled with the Jaguar-powered Envision of winner, Nick Cassidy, and defended well from the Andretti of Jake Dennis. Sam Bird lined up in P16 and held his position off-the-line and started to work his way through the pack. He gained eight places and was up into P8 when he missed the ATTACK MODE loops with three laps to go, dropping him to P10, next Sam was given a post-race 5-second time penalty for causing a collision with the Nico Muller, meaning his final result is P16.
Dateline Jakarta - June 3rd 2023
FE: Standings leader Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche) stamped his authority on the Gulavit Jakarta E-Prix Round 10 with a controlled victory; the TAG Heuer Porsche driver leading Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) and Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing). Wehrlein started third and traded places for the lead with polesitter Guenther over the opening third of the E-Prix. From Lap 12 and the second ATTACK MODE activations, Wehrlein was able to manage things comfortably - making it look as easy as it can do in Formula E when temperatures touched the mid-30s.
JTSCR: Mitch Evans made up one place off-the-line, quickly progressing into the top ten and points positions. With a decisive strategy, he continued to climb through the field and moved up into eighth position with three laps remaining. Sam Bird was also having a good race, making up seven positions with a combination of overtakes and an effective race strategy. Sam was in his final ATTACK MODE with three laps to go, when a mistake resulted in him making contact with teammate Mitch Evans, who retired from the race still in eighth position. On the last lap René Rast made contact with Sam forcing him to spin into the barriers at turn three. Sam rejoined the race but dropped down the pack, finally finishing in P21.
Dateline Jakarta – June 4th 2023
FE: Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing) converted a second consecutive Pole Position into the race win in Round 11, with the German able to stride well clear of the rest and win by almost three seconds at the chequered flag. Guenther timed things just right, happy to hold fire behind Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) once the Brit had taken the lead through the first round of ATTACK MODE activations. The telling switch came as Guenther held off on his second jolt of ATTACK MODE when Dennis blinked first. The German was able to generate a gap enough to leapfrog the Avalanche Andretti driver by the time he made the dive for his final 50kW boost on Lap 18.From there he didn't look back and pulled out 2.822 seconds on Dennis at the flag and more than 18 seconds on third-placed man Mitch Evans in the Jaguar TCS Racing I-TYPE 6.
JTCRS: Mitch Evans took his fourth podium of the 2023 ABB FIA World Championship for Jaguar TCS Racing, finishing third in the second race of the weekend. Kiwi, Mitch, lined up in P3 on the grid, with Sam in P14. Before the lights went green, Sam suffered a technical issue, and was unfortunately unable to start the race. Mitch held his position in the opening lap and then proceeded to rotate for the lead with Maximilian Günther and Jake Dennis. A brilliant drive and well-executed race strategy meant Mitch was able to hold off the rest of the field for the final 15-laps of the race. In the end, Mitch finished in the final podium position after the intense, 36-lap race in extremely challenging conditions.
Dateline Portland – June 25th 2023
FE: Envision Racing's Nick Cassidy clambered from 10th to the top step of the podium in an enthralling inaugural Southwire Portland E-Prix Round 12, heading home the TAG Heuer Porsche of Antonio Felix da Costa and Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti).
JTCSR: Kiwi Mitch Evans, while also celebrating his 29th birthday, finished the Portland debut in fourth place, after an almighty 16-place climb from the back of the grid. Mitch and the team’s decisive performance in Formula E’s most strategic “peloton-style” race to date saw the Jaguar driver move from 17th to second place within the space of three laps. British driver Sam Bird also drove a clever race with strong pace when it mattered and crossed the finish line in seventh. Unfortunately, Sam received a post-race time penalty following contact with Maserati MSG Racing driver Maximilian Günther. As a result, he finished the Portland E-Prix in 17th place and lost out on his well-earned points.
Dateline Rome – July 15th 2023:
Formula E: Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) became the first polesitter to stride to victory in Rome in Round 13, besting the rest in a race of two halves, split by a massive multi-car shunt on lap 9. Only fourteen cars made the restart, with Sacha Fenestraz (Nissan) heading the pack away with Evans in tow. The Jaguar driver put in the fastest lap of the race twice in a row and regained the lead, running there to the flag, as he headed home Nick Cassidy (Envision) and Maximilian Guenther (Maserati MSG Racing).
JTCSR: Mitch Evans stood on the top step of the podium in the eternal city for the fourth time, while the team took their second ever front row lock-out. In the opening laps of the race, Mitch and Sam rotated for the lead. Sam was having a strong race until he lost control in turn 6., resulting in his retirement and a red flag. At the restart, Mitch continued from second, fighting for the lead with Sacha Fenestraz and Jake Dennis, who both had to drop back giving 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.
Dateline Rome – July 16th 2023:
Formula E: Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) took full advantage of his rivals' misfortune to hammer his authority home in Round 14 with the first Grand Slam of the GEN3 era. He scampered away to the tune of three seconds at the chequered flag - helped by Nissan's Norman Nato managing to hold off Sam Bird (Jaguar TCS Racing).
JTCSR: Sam Bird secured a third-place podium finish in Round 14. In the first lap of the race, Mitch overtook the Nissan of Norman Nato, moving up into third. He was battling for second place with Nick Cassidy, when he had a rear-wheel lock-up resulting in a crash with Cassidy that brought him back into the pits. The team attempted to repair his car, but unfortunately had to retire due to safety concerns. Sam moved up to third following the accident and throughout the rest of the 24-lap race was battling with Norman Nato and Sébastien Buemi for a podium finish.
Dateline London – July 29th 2023:
Formula E: Jake Dennis navigated a crazy Round 15 to come home second; enough to make sure of sealing the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Drivers' Championship, as Mitch Evans took the chequered flag first for Jaguar TCS Racing. Sebastien Buemi (Envision Racing) rounded out the podium.
JTCSR: The British team took the teams’ championship battle right up to the wire, securing an almighty 40 points. Mitch started the race in sixth place after a five-place grid penalty, with Sam Bird in ninth. Throughout the race, action-packed from start to finish, Mitch climbed an impressive five places to lead the pack from lap 9. During lap 15, a safety car was deployed, while Lap 29 saw another safety car, before a red flag and race stoppage. At the rolling restart Mitch led Sébastien Buemi, António Félix da Costa and Jake Dennis before a second red flag was flown just minutes later when the track was blocked due to an incident at turn 19. The second race restart saw Mitch hold his lead, pull clear and take the chequered flag, securing his fourth win of the season. In the midst of an aggressive pack, Sam navigated his way into fourth after a penalty was applied to Da Costa.
Formula E: Nick Cassidy led the charge from the front for Envision Racing amid ultra-tricky, wet conditions in a delay-hit Round 16 - leading lights-to-flag for a fourth win of the season. After wet weather delays, Cassidy strode to a comfortable race win - heading home Mitch Evans and new champion Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti) to deliver the Teams' crown to Jaguar customers Envision Racing, ahead of the factory Jaguar TCS Racing squad.
JTCSR: Coming into the final race, Jaguar TCS Racing were equal on points with Envision Racing. Mitch Evans lined up on the front row of the grid with Sam Bird in sixth. The opening five laps of the rain-affected race were led by the safety car before the E-Prix was red flagged due to safety concerns. After the rolling restart, Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans pulled clear of the field and, between them, were fighting to define the teams’ title. After 30 laps of incredibly difficult racing conditions, the Envision of Nick Cassidy managed to achieve the win ahead of Mitch. Meanwhile, Sam Bird, drove an efficient and clean race to bring the car home in seventh position around the ExCeL circuit.
Summary:
After 16 races across 11 cities and five continents, Jaguar TCS Racing finished runners-up in the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with 292 points – the team’s biggest points haul in Formula E. With 11 podiums, four wins, three Pole positions, the team have seen great success.
Mitch Evans finished third in the Drivers’ World Championship with 197 points, his biggest points haul in Formula E, and only two points behind second-place Nick Cassidy. Sam Bird finished the season in eighth. After three special years together, the London finale marked Sam Bird’s final race with the team. Having joined Jaguar TCS Racing in 2020, Sam has been a fundamental part of the team, achieving seven podiums, two wins, and racking up an incredible 215 points. As a veteran within the paddock, this year Sam competed in his 100th Formula E race.