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DOUBLE-POINTS FINISH AND FASTEST LAP FOR JAGUAR TCS RACING IN SECOND DIRIYAH E-PRIX
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DOUBLE-POINTS FINISH AND FASTEST LAP FOR JAGUAR TCS RACING IN SECOND DIRIYAH E-PRIX

28 January 2023

Jaguar TCS Racing achieve a double‑points finish in the 2023 Diriyah E‑Prix with Sam Bird securing the fastest lap of the race to cross the line fourth, narrowly missing out on a consecutive podium. Teammate Mitch Evans finished seventh – taking his third consecutive points finish of the season.

  • Sam Bird secured the fastest lap, finished fourth and gained 13 valuable points for Jaguar TCS Racing in the 2023 Diriyah E‑Prix
  • Mitch Evans finished seventh in the third round of the World Championship – taking his third successive points finish of the season
  • Jaguar TCS Racing remain fifth in the teams’ standings, with Sam Bird fourth and Mitch Evans moving up to ninth in the drivers’ standings
  • The fourth round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship takes place in Hyderabad, India for the first time on Saturday 11 February

Mitch Evans lined up in second place on the front row of the grid after a successful qualifying session saw him make it through to the final of the Duels. The day started well in Diriyah with Mitch topping the Free Practice 3 times and qualifying group B before defeating Eduardo Mortara and René Rast in the knock‑out stages. The Kiwi took the lead of the Diriyah E‑Prix off the start line, getting in front of the McLaren of Jake Hughes after the first corner. The 28‑year‑old led the race for five laps before taking his ATTACK MODE and losing two places to the two McLarens. He dropped back down the pack after over consuming energy while leading the race. Running in sixth position, Mitch was up on energy on the cars ahead but Hughes’ ran out of energy in the final corner, blocking the Jaguar driver at the chequered flag allowing Buemi to overtake, leaving Mitch to take seventh.

Sam Bird narrowly missed out on the Duels and lined up in ninth position in the second Saudi night race. In the action‑packed Diriyah E‑Prix, Sam carved his way through the pack, showing his talent and experience in Formula E and making four impressive overtakes. With an energy rich Jaguar I‑TYPE 6 and a great race strategy from the team, Sam had the potential to move further forward but a late safety car halted his progress. Sam battled with René Rast but narrowly missed out on the final podium place. He secured an additional point for taking the fastest lap of the E‑Prix.

Sam Bird is fourth in the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship drivers’ standings, while Mitch Evans moves up to ninth.

Heading into the fourth round of the World Championship, Jaguar TCS Racing remain fifth in the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship teams’ standings.  

Firstly well done to Sam on a great weekend, he is back on the form we know he is capable of. A podium yesterday, fourth today and the fastest lap shows his talent but also the pace and efficiency of the Jaguar I‑TYPE 6. Mitch demonstrated he is getting to grips with the Gen3 car with fantastic Practice and Qualifying sessions. Together we had high expectations for the race but leading the pack isn’t always the best place to be in Diriyah and towing the rest of the field around cost us energy which meant we had to drop back to try and regain. The result wasn’t a fair reflection of Mitch and our car’s pace and getting caught behind the McLaren running out of energy in the last two corners was the last of a series of unfortunate circumstances. As a team we learn on the harder days and today we have some things to improve on and homework to take away. We know we have strong pace, a fast race car and great efficiency and we aim to build on this for Hyderabad.

James Barclay
Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal

I had a good start on both days and have had good pace all weekend but it still hasn’t worked out the way we wanted it to. It’s not flowed for me this weekend and I have often been in the wrong place at the wrong time. We’ll go away, look at the data and move onto the next race.

Mitch Evans
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #9

I’m incredibly happy with the pace of the car and that I was able to secure the fastest lap in Diriyah but there was a podium on offer today. We had great efficiency but after the safety car, the race became a flat‑out sprint which makes it really challenging to overtake. We’ve learned a lot this weekend and now onto one of our home races in Hyderabad.

Sam Bird
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #10

The fourth round of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship takes place in Hyderabad, India for the first time on Saturday 11 February.

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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