Jaguar’s official return to motorsport gets off to a slow start in a frenetic first race of the Formula E season in Hong Kong.
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Given that premium rival Mercedes recently announced it too would be joining the Formula E grid next season, Jaguar was probably hoping its 12-year single seater hiatus would get off to a better start than it did. Adam Carroll’s ironic 12th place was the best the team could salvage from a solid if unspectacular weekend with the new I-TYPE-1.
Qualifying left both Carroll and teammate Mitch Evans in the mid-pack, the GP2 race winners narrowly avoiding being punted into the barriers at turn three after contact between Nicolas Prost and Ma Qing Hua saw the latter side-lined with broken suspension and a knackered front wing.
Evans’ race would prove eventful before his mid-race retirement, the former GP3 champion going three-wide with reigning World Touring Car Champion Jose Maria Lopez and championship runner-up Lucas di Grassi into turn three, elbows out and breath very much held. Solid running thereafter saw Evans take the flag five seconds ahead of early leader, and fellow Brit, Sam Bird, the DS Virgin Racing driver apoplectic after electrical issues cost him a shot at victory.
But hey, they can’t all be Le Mans 1988 straight out the box, can they? Let’s see what the Big Cat can pull out in Marrakesh in four weeks time.
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The Hong Kong race itself – highlights from which you can find below – brought an odd sense of déjà vu to proceedings by repeating the podium celebrations from 2015, newly crowned Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi taking victory ahead of ABT Schaeffler Audi Sport’s di Grassi and Mahindra Racing’s Nick Heidfeld. Inaugural series champion Nelson Piquet was looking good for victory before a kiss of the barrier – while attempting to avoid a broken Lopez – saw the Brazilian ultimately drop out of the points to 11th.
