It was fitting that February 29 – leap year day – saw the 25-year-old New Zealander Mitch Evans fly by 18 cars to finish sixth and achieve the fastest lap of the race.
style=”light” size=”5″]Despite starting his race at the back of the grid in 24th, Evans put in a masterclass performance during the Marrakesh E-Prix to take home nine points and celebrate his second fastest lap award this season. Said team director James Barclay, “After a long race with no safety cars or yellow flags, the performance from Mitch and the team to make up 18 positions and finish strongly in the points was very impressive. It’s very difficult to come through the field without gaining advantage from those factors and so, overall, an amazing race for Mitch and the team.
“We also scored important points with fastest lap, but it doesn’t fully make up for the lost opportunity in qualifying where we had the quickest car. We regrouped and bounced back today, which is a positive, and a sign of how well the team is working.”
The only Formula E race in Africa brought less fortune to the other side of the Jaguar Racing garage. James Calado scored his best qualifying position of his debut season, tenth, but a tough second half of the E-Prix saw his Jaguar I-TYPE 4 eventually finish 16th.
Added Barclay, “James improved in qualifying and started the race well, but performance fell off towards the end, which we will now review. Overall, the team recovered well this weekend, secured crucial points and, importantly, we clearly have the right ingredients for another strong performance next time out.”
