Underdog Mitch Evans geared up for Formula E title fight

He may line up as an outsider to the championship crown, but New Zealander Mitch Evans remains determined to take the fight to ABB Formula E series leader Stoffel Vandoorne at the category’s championship finale this weekend.

Evans sits second in the points with two races to go, with the drama set to play out at a fresh venue; Seoul, South Korea. But although the Kiwi is best positioned to take down Vandoorne, statistics are not in his favour.

The gap between the two drivers is 36 points, with two race wins netting just 50 points. In order for Evans or Edoardo Mortara (the only other driver with a mathematical chance of victory) to beat the former Formula 1 ace, he will need to encounter significant problems.

Evans and his Jaguar TCS Racing squad are coming off a frustrating London event, where a DNF in the second race halted any opportunity to narrow the points gap.

“After the heartbreak in London, the team and I have been working hard to maximise everything we can ahead of the final two rounds in Seoul,” says Evans.

“I know how strong the pace is in the Jaguar I-TYPE 5 and I really believe in this team. In a way, the pressure is on Stoffel and Mercedes but we are not going to make it easy for them. We’ll be giving it everything next weekend.”

Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal James Barclay believes Evans is still in with a shout of title glory, adding that the team also hopes to try and improve its position in the teams standings. It currently sits fourth behind DS Techeetah, Rokit Venturi Racing, and Mercedes-EQ.

“Mitch is still in the drivers’ title fight and we want to secure the best possible result for ourselves in the teams’ standings,” says Barclay.

“Our clear objective is to go and do the best job possible and apply as much pressure as we can. If we perform at our best then anything can happen, this is Formula E after all.”

One wildcard for the weekend is Evans’ team mate. With regular offsider Sam Bird off injured, Jaguar has recruited Norman Nato to be Evans’ one-off rear gunner over the course of the two races.

For Evans, second place in the title chase would represent his strongest championship result in Formula E in six attempts. It’s noteworthy that all bar one of Evans’ campaigns in the series have seen his championship finish improve over the previous season.

Should he go one step further and win the title, it will be the 28-year-old’s first major open-wheel championship since winning the 2012 GP3 season.