After an incredibly successful Gen2, Jaguar TCS Racing pulled out all the stops to start Gen3 in the best way possible, with a fantastic launch event at Magazine London.
There was a lot for the team to celebrate in Season Eight, with Mitch Evans having fought valiantly across the entire campaign, before just falling short of the Drivers’ Championship. The New Zealander ended last season in second place, whilst the team sealed a personal best of second in the Constructors’ Championship.
The team will be hoping to go one better in both championships for the upcoming Season Nine, the first of the Gen3 era. Jaguar’s stylish I-TYPE 6 features a brand new colour scheme for the team, one featuring of black, white, and gold. Interestingly, the two cars of Evans and Sam Bird will run asymmetric designs, meaning they ‘paint a picture’ when put alongside each other.
It is truly an exciting time for Jaguar and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with the Gen3 challengers being faster, lighter, more powerful, smaller, and more efficient than its predecessors. The cars will be capable of speeds up to 200mph, highlighting a huge increase since Gen2.
By sticking with the same line-up once again, the team take one of the most experienced partnerships into 2023, something which could prove incredibly beneficial in regard to gathering data with the new cars.
Evans was truly brilliant last season and would’ve given Stoffel Vandoorne a real moment of concern had he not retired from the second race at the London E-Prix, one that caused heartbreak.
The Jaguar driver is eager to “do one better” in Season Nine and is looking forward to the season finally getting started, following tireless work behind-the-scenes.
“Last season was my best to date, finishing runner-up in the Drivers’ World Championship, so we are determined to do one better this season.
“The new Jaguar I-TYPE 6 gives us a lot more to play with, with more power and speed, and the team and I have been working tirelessly to make sure we maximise this effectively to use it to our advantage. Formula E is such a competitive category, but I can’t wait for the season to get underway in January and fight to win both the Drivers’ and Teams’ World Championship.”
“I’m hungrier than ever” – Sam Bird
For Bird, 2023 is an opportunity to forget about 2022 and all the challenges he faced, following a season of bad luck, occasional errors, and a broken hand to seal it off.
Bird broke his hand on the opening lap of the second race in London, but astonishingly managed to finish the race. He was, however, forced to miss the season finale in Seoul, following surgery on the injured hand. The Brit did also suffer from a big crash in private testing in the I-TYPE 6; however, he was thankfully OK.
On the whole, Bird is actually very pleased with how the team’s preparation for Gen3 is going, given that there are new regulations and new rules to get the hang of.
The Formula E veteran is eager to improve in his third season for Jaguar, with Bird sending a warning to his competitors that he is “hungrier than ever to do well”.
“Last season was full of ups and downs for me, and I couldn’t finish the season due to injury. I’ve taken the off-season to reset, come back stronger and I’m hungrier than ever to do well for the team. We’ve been focusing all our efforts into the Jaguar I-TYPE 6, and I’m really looking forward to getting back out there for my third season with the team and showing everyone what we can do.”
“We are here to compete for the World Championship”- Jaguar’s James Barclay
Team Principal James Barclay echoed some of the points made by both Evans and Bird; however, the team’s boss was also eager to highlight how “incredibly proud” he is of what his team achieved last season. Season Eight was a real high for Jaguar, with Evans’ Rome E-Prix double victory having been the icing on the cake.
Barclay is “confident” in what the I-TYPE 6 is capable of, and is very much “looking forward” to the start of Gen3.
“Launch day is always a proud and exciting moment for Jaguar TCS Racing, and this year more than ever, as we head into the Gen3 era of Formula E.
“Season 9 is set to be the most competitive and thrilling season to date, with an all-new all-electric race car, the Jaguar I-TYPE 6, iconic cities added to the calendar and our new team design has transformed the car into a work of art, in harmony with our modern luxury vision for Jaguar.
“I am incredibly proud of what we achieved last season, we had our biggest points haul to date, but we know we can do better, and we are here to compete for the World Championship. We are confident in the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and in the strength of our talented team and I look forward to what this season will bring.”
