The GEN3 Evo era and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship 2024/25 began spectacularly in Brazil, featuring one of the most thrilling races ever. Mitch Evans, racing for Jaguar TCS Racing, made history by climbing from last on the grid to take the checkered flag.
The action-packed day at the Sambadrome Anhembi Circuit in São Paulo saw five different race leaders and 111 overtakes in the debut of the new GEN3 Evo race car. Evans masterfully navigated a Safety Car period and two Red Flags to claim victory.
No driver in the previous 10 seasons of Formula E had ever won a race starting lower than 15th on the grid. However, an enhanced ATTACK MODE, featuring all-wheel drive and an additional 50 kW of power, introduced a strategic layer that proved pivotal.
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Incredible Overtake
The Jaguar duo of Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans rose to the front late in the race, having started in 10th and 22nd positions, respectively. Meanwhile, race leader Oliver Rowland (Nissan) suffered a late drive-through penalty, robbing the Yorkshire driver of a potential win after a strong performance.
Rowland had initially overtaken Wehrlein off the grid and led at various stages, with Antonio Felix da Costa also taking the lead in his Porsche towards the end. However, the Portuguese driver couldn’t surpass Evans after the final restart, finishing just three-tenths of a second behind the winner. Evans, meanwhile, had impressively gained five positions right at the start of Round 1.
The NEOM McLaren pair of Taylor Barnard and Sam Bird also had a remarkable day, climbing from 17th and 16th on the grid to finish third and fourth. Despite their strong finishes, both drivers ended the race with some unused energy, suggesting they could have pressured the leaders more as the laps progressed.
Nevertheless, it was a standout performance for the British team. Taylor Barnard made history by becoming the youngest driver ever to podium in Formula E at just 20 years and 189 days, surpassing Daniel Abt’s record of 22 years set in Miami 2015.
