Sam Bird is hoping to “put on a show” this weekend at the first ever ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race in India, the Hyderabad E-Prix. It is an especially big weekend for Jaguar TCS Racing, given that their title sponsor, TCS, are based in Mumbai, making it somewhat of a home weekend for the British outfit.
Bird’s season came to life at the recent Diriyah E-Prix double-header, with the Formula E veteran having claimed a third and fourth place finish, more than making up for his retirement at the season opener. The Brit showed very strong pace in Saudi Arabia and will likely be many people’s favourites for a podium this weekend, with his energy management in particular having been exceptional.
Bird is aiming to take the “confidence” he gained at the recent double-header and use it to push himself on this weekend, where he’s targeting another strong result.
“I am really pleased with my performance in Diriyah, securing a podium and the fastest lap across the double-header weekend. I’m taking that confidence and channelling it into motivation to do even better in round four in India. Hyderabad is going to be such a big race for the whole team and I’m ready to put on a show.”
Mitch Evans “excited by the prospect of a new track”
On the other side of the Jaguar garage, Mitch Evans is equally as “excited” for what is a new venue for the all-electric series, with the New Zealander having an excellent track-record at new hosts.
Evans managed to win at two new venues last season in Jakarta and Seoul, suggesting that the Season Eight runner-up is one of the best when it comes to learning a new circuit. He comes into the fourth round of the championship on the back of three consecutive points finishes; however, none of his results have seen him feature in the top six.
He showed strong pace at the start of the second race in Diriyah before falling off, despite this, though, he’s hopeful that he can “secure some solid points” for his team this weekend.
“I’m always excited by the prospect of a new track, and Hyderabad is no exception. While new surfaces and new climates are always a challenge for us, we’ve had lots of success in the past when we’ve raced at new tracks. Last year was the first time I’d raced in Jakarta and Seoul, and I won both races, so if we could replicate our winning streak at Hyderabad this weekend, then we can secure some solid points on the table.”
