Credit: LAT Images courtesy of FIA Formula E
Mitch Evans admitted that there was “definitely some disappointment” in having missed out on the Formula E World Championship yet again, following a titanic battle with Jake Dennis and Nick Cassidy.
Dennis ultimately beat Evans and Cassidy to the crown thanks to a record-breaking campaign, which saw the Avalanche Andretti driver secure 11 podiums from 16 races. It was the two New Zealanders who claimed the most victories in 2023 though, with four apiece.
Evans had to settle for third in the Drivers’ Championship after Cassidy won the final race of the season in London, a weekend which saw Evans finish first in the opening race and second in the finale.
The Jaguar TCS Racing driver has now lost out on the title at the season finale for three consecutive seasons, with three times most certainly not being the charm for Evans. Due to the fact he was in the title fight right till the end, though, it’s easy to forget that after the opening five races, he wasn’t even in the top 10 in the Drivers’ Championship.
Evans endured a miserable start to season nine, which saw him collect just 11 points from the first five events. This number would’ve been higher if he weren’t taken out by his team-mate in Hyderabad, when challenging for the podium.
The 29-year-old’s season truly came to life in São Paulo, where he clinched his first victory of the season in what was a Jaguar powertrain 1-2-3. This result finally promoted him into the top 10 in the standings, before he threw himself into title contention after winning at the following race in Berlin.
He went on to finish fourth in the second of two races in the German capital, with him boasting significant momentum. This momentum pushed him on to claim second in Monaco, behind his 2024 team-mate Cassidy.
However, his momentum and title charge was crushed somewhat in the opening race at the Jakarta double-header, after he was taken out by Sam Bird yet again. This seriously put Evans on the back foot in the championship fight, as he occupied fifth.
Fifth became fourth in the second race in Jakarta though, where he put on a strong defensive display to claim P3. His performance at the following round in Portland was arguably one of his best of 2023, as he recovered from P20 to P4 in a race which featured over 400 overtakes. However, he still found himself 32 points off the top of the championship.
At this point, Evans recognised that only perfection would win him the title, something he showed at his beloved Rome, where in the first of two races he claimed pole position, victory and the fastest lap. His hard work was undone in the second race, where he retired early on after an error saw him launch over Cassidy.
By this point, he was very much an outsider for the championship and required Dennis to falter. Unfortunately for the Kiwi, Dennis did all he needed to in London to clinch the World Championship. A fourth victory of the season and a second place was still a strong way to end the campaign for Evans, who is “proud” of his and Jaguar’s efforts.
It wasn’t just Evans who lost out, as the Jaguar factory side also missed out on the Constructors’ Championship, which went to their customer team, Envision Racing. Season nine has nevertheless been another exceptional year for Evans, who “accepted” earlier in the season that his chances of winning the title were slim.
“No, I’m definitely proud of myself. I’m proud of what the team’s done,” Evans told Motorsport Week following the final race of the season in London.
“I’m disappointed, though, four wins, many podiums, to not walk away with the title, but at one point I think I was like 80 points behind. So to come back, and I kind of lost it, not lose interest, but I kind of just accepted I probably wouldn’t be fighting for the championship.
“We turned things around massively and to come into this weekend still in the fight was strong, but, yeah, I would say there’s definitely some disappointment, but I’ve got to kind of accept that. And Jake and Nick did a great job this year.
“Every time I had a good result, they’re always there and when they had a good result, I was. It was one of those years.”
Keyword: Evans: ‘Definitely some disappointment’ amid title defeat