Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing ) has finished third in the New York City E-Prix Round 12 while Antonio Felix da Costa took a lights-to-flag victory ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne. Having set fastest lap in qualifying, Saturday’s Round 11 winner Saturday Nick Cassidy finished 16th after a post-qualifying penalty relegated him to the back of the grid.
Evans held on to a mid-race half-spin as he tried to break into the top three by Alexander Sims (Mahindra Racing). The Jaguar TCS Racing driver hit a bump in the Turn 6 braking zone and caught a huge sideways slide to keep it out of the wall and drop only to fifth. By the chequered flag he’d fought his way back to third and silverware, with Sims following home in fourth for Mahindra Racing.
“When you’re in the title fight you have got to get stuck in when your back is against the wall,” commented Evans. “There was the time I got the pothole and the car went, and I thought ‘that’s it we are over’. Before that I thought it was a pretty cheap move from Nyck to try and overtake me, obviously he is trying to help his teammate but it was one of those moves where I had to get out of the way or we make contact, and he obviously hits Alexander as well.
“Anyway it is the way it is, it is all strategy and tactics at the end of the day, but its not really my taste but even after that I am pretty sure the car was damaged after the big moment, and I thought I was out to be honest. The pace was good today, and without Nyck sticking up the inside of me I thought we would have won today.
Cassidy (Envision Racing) was stripped of his Julius Baer Pole Position after his car was found to have an infringement following overnight repairs. The battery pack and the RESS radiator were changed following Round 11, and as it is the fifth RESS radiator used this year on Cassidy’s car, he received a 30-place penalty. In addition, as Cassidy could only take a 21-place drop, he was awarded a drive-through penalty for nine untaken grid places.
With just four rounds to come, Vandoorne is back at the top of the Drivers’ World Championship, with an 11-point margin to prior leader Mortara. Evans is five points further back in third with Jean-Eric Vergne unable to score again, the Frenchman sits 27 points shy of the top. Mercedes-EQ is top of the Teams’ running, seven points up on DS TECHEETAH.
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