New Zealand’s Formula E stars Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans endured a turbulent Jakarta E-Prix, battling through collisions, penalties, safety cars, and squandered attack modes in one of the most unpredictable races of the season.
Despite the mayhem, Cassidy came home fifth while Evans narrowly missed the points in 12th, just a week after Cassidy had delivered a sensational victory in Shanghai.
Shanghai: Cassidy’s Masterclass
The Kiwi duo entered Jakarta with vastly different momentum. In Shanghai, Cassidy produced one of the drives of the season, mastering torrential conditions from pole to win the race in dominant fashion. It was a clinical lights-to-flag victory and a clear reminder of the Jaguar TCS Racing driver’s world-class pedigree.
Evans, meanwhile, fought hard in the same Shanghai downpour, but a difficult qualifying session left him mired in traffic. Despite showing a strong pace, he could only recover to 14th, leaving him hungry for redemption in Indonesia.
Promising Qualifying Sets the Scene
Both drivers bounced back with solid performances in Jakarta qualifying. Cassidy advanced to the semi-finals of the duels and secured P4 on the grid, while Evans slotted in 10th after a gritty run in his group.
The front row was locked out by Jake Dennis (Andretti) and Taylor Barnard (NEOM McLaren), with Nyck de Vries (Mahindra) joining Cassidy on row two. It was clear from the start that both Kiwis would be in for a strategic and physical scrap across the 38-lap race.
Off the line, Dennis led comfortably into Turn 1 while De Vries muscled past Barnard to claim second. Cassidy lost a place to Dan Ticktum and settled into fifth, while Evans was pushed down to 11th after being overtaken by Sam Bird on Lap 1.
While Cassidy began harrying Ticktum, Evans found himself in a midfield dogfight that would define his day. The Kiwi was holding firm until Lap 3, when Jean-Éric Vergne attempted an aggressive dive into Turn 13. The DS Penske driver rear-ended Evans, damaging both cars.
While Vergne pitted for a new front wing and received a 5-second penalty, Evans continued with reported rear wing damage, his pace compromised but his determination undiminished.
Elsewhere, chaos struck early. Maximilian Günther (DS Penske) was the first retirement after making contact with Oliver Rowland and the wall on Lap 7. Rowland was handed a penalty later for the incident, adding to the growing list of infractions.
Evans briefly regained 10th after Sam Bird missed the attack mode activation zone on Lap 15 but was passed again soon after by drivers running with attack mode boosts. The back-and-forth was constant, and strategy was evolving by the lap.
Cassidy, meanwhile, remained in the top five, shadowing Ticktum and fending off Sébastien Buemi and Edoardo Mortara. The Kiwi resisted the urge to activate his own attack mode early, biding his time as others cycled through theirs.
The pivotal moment of the race arrived on Lap 22. De Vries, in second, went wheel-to-wheel with Dennis for the lead down the front straight.
The Mahindra driver made a bold overtake but veered back into the racing line too soon, colliding heavily with Dennis. The contact tore off De Vries’ front wing and scattered debris across the track.
Both drivers would ultimately retire, and the incident triggered a full-course yellow, just as Cassidy had activated his first attack mode. It was a frustrating blow for the Kiwi, who rejoined in seventh and lost any chance to take advantage of his attack mode due to the neutralised conditions.
On Lap 26, as the race restarted, Cassidy and António Félix da Costa made contact while fighting for position into Turn 1. Cassidy, still trying to use the tail end of his attack mode, clipped the rear of Da Costa and lost momentum.
Evans activated the second phase of his attack mode (6 minutes) on Lap 30 while running in 14th, but with the pack so tightly bunched and yellow flags looming, overtaking opportunities were scarce.
Within a single lap, three cars, including Stoffel Vandoorne (crashed), De Vries (mechanical), and Dennis (collision fallout), retired, bringing out another full-course yellow.
Cassidy had just activated his second and final attack mode, but once again, it was neutralised by race control. In total, the Kiwi was robbed of nearly all his attack mode benefits across two interruptions, an enormous tactical disadvantage.
Evans, too, had attack mode active during one of the neutralised periods and lost precious time and energy deployment options, capping off a frustrating strategic day for both Kiwis.
The race resumed with four laps remaining. Up front, Ticktum led a tight pack ahead of Mortara and Buemi, while Cassidy sat sixth and Evans hovered on the fringe of the top ten.
Despite his setbacks, Cassidy kept his cool and stayed in the hunt. He gained a place when Buemi’s five-second penalty was applied post-race, promoting him to fifth.
Evans, still battling on despite earlier contact and damage, was passed late by Pascal Wehrlein and classified 12th, just two places short of the points-paying positions.
Ticktum held on under immense pressure to claim his maiden Formula E victory and Cupra Kiro’s first win since the inaugural season, a full decade ago.
“I’ve been waiting a long time for this,” said an emotional Ticktum post-race.
“Now I’ve got the car underneath me, and I’m ready to show what I can do.”
Cassidy’s fifth-place finish, while not what he hoped for after his Shanghai heroics, was a testament to his perseverance and racecraft amid chaotic conditions. Evans’ 12th-place result didn’t reflect the tenacity he showed while managing damage and misfortune throughout the race.
Championship Standings: Tight at the Top
Oliver Rowland (Nissan) remains atop the Drivers’ Championship with 172 points despite retiring in Jakarta. TAG Heuer Porsche still leads the Teams’ standings with 203 points, with Nissan close behind with 191. In the Manufacturers’ standings, Nissan holds a narrow edge over Porsche, 303 to 299.
Cassidy’s consistent points haul keeps him firmly in the title conversation, while Evans continues to play a critical role in Jaguar TCS Racing’s team ambitions.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship resumes with a double-header in Berlin on July 12–13 before the season finale in London on July 26-27.
Header Image: Alastair Staley/LAT Images
