Mitch Evans admitted winning both races of the Rome E-Prix weekend exceeded all expectations, with the New Zealander bringing himself firmly back into the championship battle thanks to his performances around the streets of the Italian capital city.
The Jaguar TCS Racing driver said it was a dream weekend in Rome as he climbed from ninth on the grid to win race one on Saturday before winning again on Sunday, this time from fourth on the grid. He used his attack mode late in the day on Sunday, which enabled him to pass Jean-Éric Vergne, Robin Frijns and André Lotterer to take over the lead and take the chequered flag first.
For Evans, it is a third victory around the Roman streets, and he is eager to carry the ‘incredible feeling’ of his double win into the next round of the 2021-22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, which takes place in Monaco at the end of April.
“This weekend has been a dream,” said Evans. “I was hoping to come to Rome and get some solid points but a double win is just incredible.
“Yesterday was amazing but I knew it would be really hard to repeat again today as these double-headers can be tricky. The Jaguar I-TYPE 5 has been just perfect.
“This is our third win here now and I’m going to take this incredible feeling and momentum into Monaco. It is time to celebrate!”
“Amazing weekend for the team” – Sam Bird
Team-mate Sam Bird was on course for a strong result himself, but late race contact with Envision Racing’s Nick Cassidy ended his day with damage.
However, the British racer was delighted to see the team come away from Rome with a good haul of points and two race wins for Evans and he is aiming for the momentum to follow them to Monaco at the end of the month.
“Amazing weekend for the team,” said Bird. “To come away with two wins with Mitch is absolutely unbelievable. The race car was fantastic, and Jaguar TCS Racing have done a stunning job in the break to transform what was a difficult start into a winning formula.
“Congratulations to every team member involved and we look forward to Monaco.”
