James Barclay says the Jaguar TCS Racing team did everything they could to take Mitch Evans to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship Drivers’ title during the Seoul E-Prix weekend, but it was just not enough.
The New Zealander took victory in the opening race of the weekend in South Korea but was only seventh in the second race, and with Stoffel Vandoorne finishing second on Sunday, it was the consistent Belgian who took the title.
Evans ultimately finished second in the final standings, thirty-three points adrift of Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team’s Vandoorne, while the team ended the year fourth in the Teams’ Championship.
Barclay, the Team Principal at Jaguar, says the team can still hold their heads up high after a good season that saw Evans take four race victories, including both races of the Rome E-Prix, and three further podiums amid the team’s highest points haul in Formula E.
“Today we gave everything to try and win the drivers’ title with Mitch but it was out of reach,” Barclay said on Sunday. “We raced all the way into the points and put Stoffel Vandoorne and Mercedes under pressure which is what we set out to do in Seoul. Congratulations to them on their successes after a hard fought season.
“At Jaguar TCS Racing we can celebrate a season of real highs. The double race win in Rome, winning the first ever races in Jakarta and Seoul, seven podiums and our biggest points haul in Formula E are moments to be proud of.
“I would like to thank every member of the team, our drivers Mitch, Sam [Bird], Norman [Nato], Tom [Blomqvist] and Sacha [Fenestraz] and our incredible commercial partners for their support. Mitch got to stand on the top step of the podium four times this season and has driven incredibly – he firmly deserves his runner-up place.
“Our Gen3 campaign has already begun, and we are hungry to go one step further next season.”
