JAGUAR TCS RACING OPEN GEN3 ERA OF FORMULA E WITH POINTS IN MEXICO CITY

15 January 2023

The opening round of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship saw Jaguar TCS Racing score points in Mexico City after two interrupted Free Practice sessions which hindered preparations. In front of a sold-out crowd, Jaguar’s lightest, fastest, most efficient electric race car ever debuted the new Gen3 era of Formula E in the Mexican capital.

  • Jaguar TCS Racing scored points in Mexico City in the opening round of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship
  • Mitch Evans finished eighth in the first race of the Gen3 era
  • Three Jaguar-powered cars in the top ten in season opener
  • Teammate Sam Bird was forced to retire on the fifth lap of the Mexico City E-Prix
  • Jaguar TCS Racing sit sixth in the teams’ standings after round one
  • Racing resumes with a double-header night race in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on 27 and 28 January

Mitch Evans lined up tenth on the grid after narrowly missing out on the qualifying Duels by five hundredths of a second. The safety car-filled race made it challenging for the Kiwi to find overtaking opportunities. When racing resumed in the new lap-based format, Evans made progress, climbing his way through the field in his Jaguar I-TYPE 6. A number of safety cars resulted in five laps being added to the 36-lap race. A late ATTACK MODE activation in the final lap allowed Mitch to secure an eighth-place finish at the famous Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez circuit.

Teammate, Sam Bird lined up twenty-first on the grid after he had a compromising qualifying session following an issue in Free Practice 2. The Brit’s bad luck continued when an outbound drive shaft failure on the fifth lap of the race forced him to retire from the first race of the new season.

Both customer Envision Racing Jaguars finished inside the top ten to make it three in total for the I-TYPE 6’s race debut.

Jaguar TCS Racing sit sixth in the teams’ standings after the first round of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

MEXICO CITY E-PRIX - 2023 ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MEXICO CITY E-PRIX - 2023 ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MEXICO CITY E-PRIX - 2023 ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MEXICO CITY E-PRIX - 2023 ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MEXICO CITY E-PRIX - 2023 ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
MEXICO CITY E-PRIX - 2023 ABB FIA FORMULA E WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

It’s been a mixed race for us here in Mexico City with some positives but also some areas we need to address. The Jaguar I-TYPE 6 has demonstrated it has strong performance both in one lap, race pace and efficiency. This was evident with three Jaguar powered cars in the top ten points scoring positions. We experienced some issues which we will work hard to address ahead of the next race in Saudi Arabia to keep making progress.

James Barclay
Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal

I was hoping for a little more today as my Jaguar I-TYPE 6 had great efficiency which is really promising. I lacked a little balance which meant I couldn’t do as much with the energy advantage as I would have liked. I made some positions and scored some points today and we needed that as a team. We’ll come back stronger over the next few races.

Mitch Evans
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #9

It’s a big shame for everybody here at Jaguar TCS Racing because they have put in so much hard work and this weekend hasn’t gone to plan. I know that we’ve got a good package with our Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and we just need to make sure as a team that we minimise mistakes and iron out the issues that held us back here in Mexico. We will be able to bounce back and be ready to race again in Diriyah.

Sam Bird
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #10

Jaguar TCS Racing will compete in the second and third round of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on 27 and 28 January.

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.