Mitch Evans kicked off this season with another impressive victory at the Sao Paulo E-Prix, Brazil.
The Jaguar driver climbed from 22nd place to the top of the podium in Round 1, an unprecedented feat in Formula E, which saw him lead the standings and achieve a record-breaking score in the ABB Engineered to Outrun award.
A new era brings new opportunities, with all-wheel drive (a first for an FIA single-seater) added to the 50 kW boost of ATTACK MODE, introducing a new critical variable for drivers and engineers to tackle.
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Still, when Mitch Evans lined up in 22nd place, becoming the first winner of the series’ GEN3 Evo seemed like a distant dream.
Masterful overtakes
Just 45 minutes later, after gaining 21 positions and completing 11 competitive overtakes along the way, the New Zealander set a new record as the first driver to win from last place.
After a technical issue during qualifying forced him to stop on the track and prevented him from setting a time, the Jaguar driver started the race from the back of the grid.
To move from last to first, Evans had to navigate a Safety Car and two red flags, the latter due to a crash involving Nick Cassidy, Evans’ teammate at Jaguar, and Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche), the reigning world champion.
It was a highly dangerous incident for Wehrlein, who had secured pole, as he spun out just a few laps before the checkered flag. Fortunately, both drivers were unharmed.
Evans led only six of the 35 laps, but he moved to the front when it mattered most. A fast first lap set the tone: after gaining three positions in the opening corners, Evans made a bold move midway through the lap by committing to the outside braking line at turn 7, skimming millimeters from the wall and being rewarded for that decision by finishing the lap in 15th place.
