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BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR
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BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR

27 February 2021

Sam Bird won the second round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship under the lights of the streets of Diriyah. Jaguar returns to the podium for the second time this weekend. Briton, Sam Bird, secured his debut victory for Jaguar after qualifying third in Super Pole.

  • Sam Bird wins the second Diriyah E-Prix Formula E night race – his first victory for Jaguar
  • Jaguar Racing leave Saudi Arabia leading the ABB FIA Formula E Teams’ World Championship by four points
  • Sam Bird retains his streak as the only driver to have won a race in every Formula E season
  • Teammate Mitch Evans retired after a collision
  • The lights turn green for the third round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on the streets of Rome on 10 April 2021 where both drivers have been victorious

Sam Bird started the race on the second row of the grid but made a decisive move and progressed into second at the first corner, overtaking Sette Camara. Bird battled with his old teammate Robin Frijns for the majority of the race – attacking and defending and showing the pace of the Jaguar I-TYPE 5. After multiple incidents, Sam followed the safety car for the last six minutes of the race before taking the victory under a red flag.

The second night race brought less fortune to the other side of the garage. It was frustrating day for Mitch Evans as he started in eighteenth on the grid after being held up by Oliver Rowland on his qualifying hot lap. The Kiwi did not finish after a collision ended his race.

BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR

An absolutely fantastic way to start the season – two podiums in two races, a third place and a win is a really brilliant start for Jaguar in this most incredibly competitive world championship. It’s a real testament to the hard work and the expertise of the team that have worked together on all aspects of performance including the new Jaguar I-TYPE 5. It’s great to be leaving Saudi Arabia leading the championship and we’ll be working hard to continue this positive momentum into Rome.

James Barclay
Jaguar Racing Team Director

I’m so incredibly happy right now. Jaguar have opened their doors with open arms, let me into their family and taught me new things. We’ve worked really hard together during the pre-season and although there were some challenges, we’ve worked for this result. This is for everyone – not only for the people in Riyadh, but for the team back at the factory and everyone at Jaguar who have tirelessly worked on this project. We walk away from this weekend in a strong position and I look forward to racing on the city streets of Rome.

Sam Bird
Jaguar Racing driver, #10
BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR
BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR
BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR
BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR
BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR
BIRD SOARS IN SAUDI WITH DEBUT VICTORY FOR JAGUAR

The race was always going to be tough from the back of the grid. I was trying to make some progress but ended up losing some places at the start. Although this is disappointing we’ve had a great weekend as a team, we’ve scored great points on both sides of the garage. We’ll take a lot from this weekend and hopefully move things forward for Rome.

Mitch Evans
Jaguar Racing driver, #20

The lights turn green for the third round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship on the streets of Rome on 10 April 2021.

Further information

For further information about Jaguar Racing, please contact:

Adrian Atkinson, Global PR and Communications Manager, Jaguar Racing

Tel: +44 (0) 7979 554005

Email: aatkins5@jaguarlandrover.com

 

Emily Hogg, Global Brand and Partnerships Officer, Jaguar Racing

Tel: + 44 (0) 7384 532 605

Email: ehogg2@jaguarlandrover.com

Notes to Editors

ABOUT JAGUAR RACING

Jaguar returned to racing in October 2016, becoming the first premium manufacturer to join the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship street racing series. In 2019 the team won the Rome E-Prix – Jaguar’s first international motorsport victory since 1991.

Formula E is a real-world test bed for Jaguar with its Race To Innovate mission in the future of electrification.

As an official manufacturer team in Formula E, Jaguar Racing designs its own powertrain, which includes the motor, transmission, inverter and rear suspension.

To control costs the carbon fibre chassis and battery are common components and the same for all twelve teams. This allows the focus to be on developing electric vehicle powertrains which are efficient and lightweight which will improve the performance and range of future Jaguar Land Rover electric vehicles.

The 2020/21 Formula E season is the first as the all-electric series has been granted full world championship status by the FIA – the sport’s governing body. It will be the third year for the teams to be racing with the futuristic Gen2 race cars.

Teams have two race cars, one per driver, which will be used for the full race distance.

Beyond its all-electric concept, Formula E is unique in the world of motorsport for its choice of venues. The championship takes place on temporary street circuits in the centre of the world’s major cities including Santiago, Diriyah, Rome, Paris, Monaco, New York and ending in a double-header race weekend in London.  

Mitch Evans finished season six seventh in the Drivers' Championship and Jaguar Racing finished seventh in the Teams' Standings with a win in Mexico City, a podium in Santiago and one pole position. He is joined for season seven by British driver Sam Bird, who has won a race in every season of Formula E.

In season seven the championship is official recognised as a world championship by the governing body the FIA. It will be known as the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

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