Mitch Evans topped two of the three sessions in Formula E’s official pre-season test in Valencia, which he admitted was “really beneficial” not only for himself but also for Jaguar TCS Racing.
Based on the week of running at the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, Jaguar appear to still have the best overall package on the grid, whilst the works team in particular looked incredibly strong. Evans was the quickest driver in the opening session on Tuesday morning prior to the fire, before he was fastest again on Thursday when action got back underway.
The Kiwi was then third quickest on Friday, which brought testing to a close. Evans’ 1m 24.474s lap on Tuesday morning was actually the quickest of the week, giving him “further confidence” ahead of the January season-opener in Mexico City.
It was a faultless week for Evans and the entire Coventry-based team, with 457 laps having been completed between Evans and his new partner Nick Cassidy. It was Cassidy who actually topped Friday’s 10-hour session, meaning it was a clean sweep for Jaguar.
Of the 457 laps completed, 247 of them were courtesy of Evans. He collected an incredible amount of data for the team to go over ahead of Mexico City, something which will be crucial given that the 29-year-old is expecting their rivals to try and “close the gap” before racing gets underway.
“The official test here in Valencia has been really beneficial for both myself and the team,” Evans said.
“I topped the first two session times which is promising and gives me further confidence that the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 has strong pace. However, we’re still 78 days away from the first race in Mexico City and we know that other teams will be doing their best to close the gap and make improvements. I’m looking forward to racing again in January.”
Credit: Sam Bagnall courtesy of FIA Formula E
Whilst his pace looked exemplary throughout testing, it counts for nothing. Unless something truly bizarre happens, Evans will be in the championship fight for a fourth consecutive season. It’s pivotal that he makes the most of Jaguar’s advantage from the get-go, to save him having to do the chasing later in the season.
This was the case in season nine, as a slow start to the Gen3 era left the New Zealander with an incredible amount to do. To put it into some context, Evans was outside the top-10 in the Drivers’ Championship after five rounds last season.
He needs to be at the front instantly, something both himself and the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 have the ability to do.
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