Despite relinquishing the lead of the Formula E World Championship after Andretti Global’s Norman Nato’s post-race penalty was overturned, Nick Cassidy leaves Japan buoyed by a resurgent Tokyo E-Prix where he climbed from 19th on the grid to finish 8th.
A technical infringement in qualifying saw the Jaguar TCS Racing’s driver’s best lap voided and relegated him from a spot in the duels to the rear of the field. Despite this, he gradually progressed through the pack to salvage points in trying circumstances.
He initially retained the championship lead by finishing seventh until Nato’s penalty was overturned, which reinstated him ahead of the Kiwi.
“The team did a really great job today, and we had a really fast car,” Cassidy said after the race. “We made it through to the Duels, but circumstances meant we couldn’t maximise it as much as we could.
“In the race, we started from the back of the grid, but we stayed calm, made a lot of progress and finished in the points which is all I could have asked for today.
“We move onto Misano now, where we will try to continue our good form and get back on the podium.”
It was a contrast of fortunes for teammate Mitch Evans, who was running in the top ten until he made contact with Envision’s Robin Frijns on Lap 15 and ran into the wall, destroying his front wing.
Evans returned to the track after stopping to cross the line in 14th.
“Today was a challenging race,” said Evans. “The type of track we had here in Tokyo meant that all of the overtakes had to be high-risk, and it’s a shame that it didn’t pay off for me today, as I think we could have finished within the points.
“We have all the ingredients to be at the front, and the team have been working incredibly hard, so we’ll come back fighting in Misano.”
The Tokyo E-Prix was Jaguar TCS Racing’s 100th Formula E start, and Evans has been with the team for each one.
While results didn’t go the way of the all-Kiwi lineup, Team Principal James Barclay recognises the significance of Cassidy’s climb into the points.
“Firstly, what an honour to be racing in Tokyo and the backdrop for us to complete our 100th race in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it was a tough day for us with a few issues. Despite having good base performance we didn’t achieve the result we think we could have today.
“It was a very impressive fight back into the points for Nick and he and the team did a great job to climb into 8th from a 19th place starting position. These points are invaluable for our championship campaign.”
Porsche’s Pascal Wehrlein now holds a two-point championship advantage over Cassidy in the driver’s standing, while Evans drops to sixth, 24 points off the lead.
The Formula E World Championship returns on April 13-14 with the Misano E-Prix double-header.
Header Image: Jaguar TCS Racing
