Credit: Carl Bingham courtesy of FIA Formula E
Mitch Evans has admitted that he needs a “miracle weekend” to become the 2022/23 Formula E World Champion, at the London E-Prix season finale.
The ExCeL Centre’s unique indoor/outdoor circuit plays host to the final two rounds of season nine, with Evans very much being the title outsider.
Evans heads into the final weekend of the season 44 points behind championship leader Jake Dennis and 20 behind second-place Nick Cassidy, with 58 points up for grabs in East London.
The New Zealander would’ve been considerably closer had he not retired at the second race in Rome a fortnight ago, after locking his rears and launching over the top of Cassidy.
He knows that only a perfect weekend in London will see him clinch the championship, whilst he also recognises that he needs his title rivals to have a “nightmare”.
It’s not just the Drivers’ Championship that the Kiwi has to consider though, with Jaguar TCS Racing being very much in the fight for the Constructors’ crown.
Jaguar sit 25 points behind customer team Envision Racing and 11 behind TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, who are perhaps less suited to the indoor/outdoor circuit than the two Jaguar-powered teams.
The Teams’ Championship is the “real massive focus” for Evans and the Coventry-based outfit at their home E-Prix, as the 29-year-old is “not really expecting” to overcome his sizeable deficit in the Drivers’ Standings.
“I doubt it, it pains me to say that, but I’m just trying to be realistic,” Evans told Motorsport Week, when asked if he can become World Champion this weekend.
“Yeah, I can’t unless I have a miracle weekend where obviously I need to win both races or pretty much win both races and Jake and Nick to have a nightmare. Look, stranger things have happened, but I’m not banking on that too much.
“Obviously, we’ve got a great shot on the Teams’. That’s a real massive focus for us and more of a possibility. So, if we can come out on top of that, I’ll be happy with that, to get our first world championship.
“So, look, we’ll see what happens, but I’m in a really chilled mindset. Not really expecting it to happen, but hopefully I’m wrong.”
Evans went well in free practice 1 and ended the opening session of the season finale in fifth, ahead of Cassidy and Dennis.
Free practice 2 gets underway Saturday morning at 10:30 GMT.
Keyword: Evans needing a ‘miracle weekend’ to become World Champion