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DIRIYAH E-PRIX - 2023 ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
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BIRD FLIES ONTO THE PODIUM TO CELEBRATE HIS CENTENARY IN FORMULA E

27 January 2023

Jaguar TCS Racing’s Sam Bird secures a third-place podium on his 100th race in Formula E. The Brit also topped the times in Free Practice 1 and made it through to the Qualifying Duels.

  • Jaguar TCS Racing’s Sam Bird secures a third-place podium on his 100th race in Formula E
  • Mitch Evans finished with a point after a first lap incident
  • All four Jaguar-powered race cars finished in the top ten – the best of any manufacturer
  • Jaguar TCS Racing sit fifth in the teams’ standings, with Sam Bird fifth in the drivers’ standings and Mitch Evans in twelfth
  • Diriyah E-Prix night races continue under the lights tomorrow, 28 January, for the third round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship

Jaguar TCS Racing’s Sam Bird secures a third-place podium on his 100th race in Formula E. The Brit also topped the times in Free Practice 1 and made it through to the Qualifying Duels.

Under the lights of Saudi Arabia, 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 of the Diriyah E-Prix. The British driver held the lead of the race for 23 laps, strongly defending from the Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein and showing the pace of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6, before he slipped back into second place. With five laps to go, Jake Dennis was able to clinch second place, leaving Sam to round out the podium positions.

Mitch Evans also made it through to the Qualifying Duels but was eliminated by Jaguar-powered Envision Racing’s Sébastien Buemi in the quarter-finals. He lined up sixth on the grid on the Diriyah street circuit. The Kiwi had a challenging race but took the chequered flag in eighth position. Mitch was issued a five-second time penalty for causing a collision in the opening lap of the race, meaning he finishes tenth overall to secure an additional point.

Sam Bird is currently fifth in the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship drivers’ standings, while Mitch Evans sits twelfth.

After the second round of the World Championship, Jaguar TCS Racing move to fifth in the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship teams’ standings.  

A podium in the first race in Diriyah is a really strong result for the team. I’m incredibly proud of Sam on his 100th race to secure a podium and be performing so strongly all day. It’s a really positive result for Sam and the team. Mitch also had really good potential today. His issue at the opening corner and the resulting five second penalty ruled out the chance for Mitch to have a stronger points finish. A podium, double points finish and four Jaguar-powered cars in the top 10 really shows the potential of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6. We have a good foundation to build on for tomorrow.

James Barclay
Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal

I was disappointed with the result today and will be hoping from more tomorrow. It was great to get into the Qualifying Duels and finish third in both free practice sessions - a big step forward from Mexico - but it was quite a messy race. Sam was able to get a podium and as a team we seem solid but we need sit down tonight and crunch the numbers to ensure a stronger race tomorrow.

Mitch Evans
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #9

Firstly, I really want to thank the team. There has been so much work going on behind the scenes to get us where we are now. I know that we didn’t take the win today but this is still a little victory for us. To get a podium shows we’re heading in the right direction. We’ll continue to work hard ahead of the second race tomorrow.

Sam Bird
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #10

All-electric street racing continues under the lights tomorrow, 28 January, for the third round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

Further information

For further information about Jaguar TCS Racing, please contact:

Emily Hogg, Senior Media Officer, Jaguar TCS Racing

Tel: +44 (0) 7384 532 605

Email: ehogg2@jaguarlandrover.com

 

Adrian Atkinson, Head of Motorsport PR & Communications, Jaguar TCS Racing

Tel: +44 (0) 7387 237 406

Email: aatkin14@jaguarlandrover.com

Notes to Editors

ABOUT JAGUAR TCS RACING

Jaguar returned to racing in October 2016, becoming the first luxury manufacturer to join the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship street racing series. In season eight, Mitch Evans finished as runner-up in the drivers’ standings – his most successful result in Jaguar TCS Racing’s Formula E campaign.

Formula E is a real-world test bed for Jaguar with its journey to becoming an all-electric luxury brand from 2025. Jaguar TCS Racing’s goal is to ‘Reimagine Racing’ and together the team will test, develop, learn and collaborate, sharing insights across Jaguar Land Rover which will benefit future road car development. Specifically, learnings and technology transfer from Formula E will help ‘Reimagine” the Jaguar brand coinciding with the company’s commitment to the Gen3 era of Formula E.

2023 is the first year for the teams to be racing with the Gen3 car, the world’s first net zero race car.

As an official manufacturer team in Formula E, Jaguar TCS Racing designs its own powertrain, which includes the motor, transmission, inverter, and rear suspension. Jaguar, via its long-term Formula E technical partner Williams Advanced Engineering, will supply Envision Racing with its powertrain for the Gen3 era.

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

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 2023 championship takes place on temporary street circuits in the centre of the world’s major cities including Mexico City, Diriyah and Rome, with new locations including Hyderabad, Cape Town, and São Paulo. The season finale plays out across a double-header race weekend in London.

In 2022, Jaguar TCS Racing finished fourth in the teams' standings with seven podiums, four wins, one pole position, one fastest lap and 231 points scored – the team’s biggest points haul to date. New Zealander, Mitch Evans finished last season as runner-up with Sam Bird finishing thirteenth overall in the drivers’ standings.

Formula E remains a key priority for Jaguar Land Rover and the company’s Reimagine strategy. As the premier all-electric world championship, Formula E allows us to test and develop new electric vehicle technologies in a high-performance environment. It continues to be the test bed for our Race to Innovate mission that will see Race to Road and Road to Race learnings that will help shape our electric future – a future that Jaguar is passionate about, and dedicated to for the benefit of our society, the changing landscape of mobility, sustainability and our clients.

Through our Race to Inspire mission, Jaguar TCS Racing are committed to inspiring the future generation by using the race programme to create a positive impact on our planet and the communities in which we race. From competing in the world’s first net carbon race car to supporting and training the next generation of engineers and motorsport professionals.

For more information, visit www.jaguar.com

 

About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)

TCS is an IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization that has been digitally transforming many of the world's largest businesses for over 50 years. A long-standing strategic technology partner of Jaguar Land Rover, TCS is committed to leveraging innovative digital technology to help the race team accelerate their electrification journey, win races, and create a more sustainable future. TCS believes that global sports sponsorships with purpose can spark change and positively impact our communities. A part of the Tata Group, TCS has more than 616,000 consultants in 55 countries.

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