Panasonic Jaguar Racing brought their debut season in FIA Formula E to a close today in Montréal with both Jaguar I-TYPEs racing hard but ultimately missing out on further points. Mitch Evans lined up P17 and Adam Carroll P19 after a difficult qualifying session with track temperatures noticeably warmer than yesterday.
Following a strong seventh place finish on Saturday for the Kiwi, Mitch battled throughout the race to finish just outside the points in P12. Adam drove a faultless race and brought his Jaguar I-TYPE home in P14 and completed a full set of race finishes for the British driver. Both drivers made up five places during the race despite having to manage their energy carefully over 37 laps.
Racing in nine of the world’s most exciting cities including Hong Kong, Paris and New York, the all-electric Jaguar I-TYPE race cars, driven by Adam and Mitch have scored a total of 27 points for the Panasonic Jaguar Racing team in their inaugural street racing campaign.
Season three was a key learning year for Jaguar with particular highlights in Mexico with a double points finish, fastest lap for Mitch in Berlin and a season’s best qualifying in Montréal. The team will now analyze all the data and experience from their first season and come back stronger with a renewed focus.
The British team now switches focus onto season four, which begins in Hong Kong this December. The Jaguar I-TYPE 2’s development is well underway and the team will launch its new challenger in the coming months.
Mitch Evans, #20:
Today’s race was very eventful. We started in P17 and the race distance was longer by two laps. I’m pleased we made the progress we made. The first stint was tough, going a lap longer but I really enjoyed the race and had some good battles.
It’s been a solid year. It’s great to be part of the Panasonic Jaguar Racing team and I’m proud to have played a part in bringing such a famous name back to racing. We have learned a huge amount this year and just being part of this championship has been amazing.
Adam Carroll, #47:
We knew that it would be difficult today with a longer race distance and such an aggressive energy target. I came from P19 to P14, gaining a number of positions in the race. It was great to bring both cars home again and we had some really fun racing along the way.
This first season was always going to be a challenge for us, in our learning year. This is one of the most competitive championships in the world and it’s the place to be for a team like us that is racing to innovate. If any racer or manufacturer wants to prove themselves, the Formula E championship is the place to do it.
James Barclay, Team Director, Panasonic Jaguar Racing:
This weekend has been tough for us and, to be honest, we would have liked to have been further up the grid with a bigger haul of points as we end our first season. However, our expectations have always been in check and we don’t underestimate how competitive this series is.
We have learnt a huge amount in our first season in Formula E and we have really enjoyed the challenge of Jaguar’s first year of all-electric street racing. Being part of this innovative series has been rewarding and with the arrival of more manufacturers since our decision to join, we feel proud to be a part of it.
Formula E was uncharted waters for us, and our competitiveness in our first season was always going to be restricted. We only had just three months to design, build and homologate our car, with no room to develop or test during the season, under the rules. We believe there is no harder championship to join as brand new team.
We’re excited about our potential for next season. All we have learnt has gone into the design, build and development of our new Jaguar I-TYPE. Testing is going well and our focus is now very much on season four and beyond. We are looking forward to regularly competing for points next season.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been a part of the Panasonic Jaguar Racing family, as we brought the Jaguar name back to the race track. Whether you cheered for us from the factory, from the stands or from the sofa, we are thankful to have such strong support. See you in Hong Kong.
The 2017/18 FIA Formula E season begins in on December 2, with a doubleheader on the streets of Hong Kong.
Note: Press release courtesy of Jaguar USA.