In a reverse of last season’s result, Mitch Evans pipped Nick Cassidy to win the Monaco ePrix as Jaguar TCS Racing dominated a safety car-affected race on Saturday.
Last year, Evans and Cassidy were rivals but this year, they are teammates. The pair put on an impressive spectacle within the tight and windy roads of Monte-Carlo with Cassidy making the crucial overtake late in the race. “I think I could have kept him behind for a couple of laps, after that it would have been a different story, but that’s the way it’s gone today. Nick timed it perfectly,” said Evans. at the time.
Whilst Cassidy deprived Evans of a maiden Monaco victory 12 months ago, it was his contribution that allowed him to stand on the top step of the podium this time around.
With Evans and Cassidy quickly dispatching pole-sitter Pascal Wehrlein and then Stoffel Vandoorne, who both took their attack modes early in the race, the two New Zealanders quickly took control of the race. Their domination was facilitated by teamwork with Cassidy and Evans both holding up the chasing pack at times in order to allow their teammate to activate attack-mode in Casino Square.
Even despite two safety cars, one of which was deployed when former Maserati MSG Racing driver went into the barriers in the Pool section on lap five, Jaguar were serene and untroubled at the front and completed the impressive one-two.
“It was all about strategy. Nick and I started side by side and that helped as the race evolved. I owe this win to Nick, he really helped me when it mattered, To finally get on the top step here, it means the world,” reacted Evans in the post-race press conference.
197 overtakes at ‘impossible to overtake’ Monaco
It is an important win for Jaguar and Evans, who were branded as the ‘favourites’ at the start of season 10 but up until Saturday, had been unable to entriely justify that tag.
“I finished last season well and was expecting to start this season in the same way but it has not gone how I would have wanted so far. Getting your first win gets a monkey off your back. The 25 points were needed on my side of the garage this weekend,” added Evans.
Stoffel Vandoorne, the winner of the 2021 Monaco ePrix, rounded off the podium in third. Wehrlein, whose attack mode was wasted by the early safety car, could only manage fifth after starting on pole. It is the third season in a row that pole position has not been converted into a race win; the old addage that it is ‘impossible to overtake in Monte-Carlo’ certainly doesn’t apply to Formula E after an incredible 197 overtakes were completed on Saturday.
Maserati MSG Racing secure points at home race
Further back, Maserati MSG Racing, headquartered just 500 metres away from the circuit, picked up points in their home race, albeit not as many as they would have liked. Both drivers had difficult races, punctuated by problems that saw them drop them through the field.
Maximilian Günther, however, did manage to finish ninth and pick up an important two points for the Monégasque brand that sees them go into the Berlin ePrix in a fortnight’s time sixth in the Championsip. “It’s disappointing, but we’ll regroup,” reacted chief engineer Cyril Blais.
However, Saturday was all about Jaguar, who now have a considerable lead at the top of the constructors’ standings (44 points). Monaco is a special place for drivers and for teams and that showed in the euphoric celebrations in the pitlane and on the podium post-race. Jaguar’s victory was savoured long into the night in the Principality.
See all the action in our Instagram video below. Images by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life.
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Photo credit: Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life