New Zealand Formula E drivers Mitch Evans and Nick Cassidy endured a frustrating afternoon in China after both were classified as non-finishers in a dramatic and incident-filled Sanya E-Prix.
The return of Formula E to Sanya for the first time in seven years produced one of the most unpredictable races of the season, with soaring temperatures, complex energy-saving strategies, a red flag and multiple Full Course Yellow interruptions creating chaos throughout the field.
While Evans and Cassidy both showed promising pace at various stages of the race, neither Kiwi was able to convert that speed into a result.
Cassidy started from sixth on the grid and quickly established himself as a contender near the front of the field. The Citroën Racing Formula E Team driver executed his strategy effectively during the opening stages and used Attack Mode to perfection, climbing through the order and spending three laps leading the race.
The New Zealander remained firmly in the fight for a strong finish as the race approached its midway point, but his fortunes changed following a red flag period caused by a multi-car incident.
After the restart, Cassidy began experiencing braking issues, which forced him to return to the pit lane. Matters worsened when he was handed a speeding penalty while in the pits, leaving him unable to recover. He eventually retired in the closing stages and was classified as a DNF despite showing podium-contending pace earlier in the race.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t score any points today and wasn’t classified at the finish,” Cassidy said.
“A lot of things went wrong during the race, which is disappointing because we showed good potential in the first half and were running at the front for a period.
“There are still positives to take away from the weekend, and we’ve learned a lot. I’ve enjoyed being back in China, and now the focus is on taking those lessons into Shanghai.”
For championship leader Evans, the turning point came in the middle stages of the race.
After running inside the leading group for much of the afternoon, the Jaguar TCS Racing driver became involved in a clash with Lola Yamaha ABT’s Zane Maloney at the hairpin. The incident blocked the circuit and triggered a red flag, bringing the race to a halt.
Although Jaguar was able to repair Evans’ car during the stoppage and send him back out for the restart, the damage to his race had already been done. The Kiwi ultimately failed to reach the finish and joined Cassidy on the DNF list.
Despite the setback, Evans remains in control of the Formula E Drivers’ Championship after several of his closest rivals also failed to capitalise. Nissan’s Oliver Rowland looked set for a strong points haul before crashing late in the race, while both Edoardo Mortara and Pascal Wehrlein also left Sanya empty-handed.
At the front, Andretti initially celebrated a historic one-two finish after Jake Dennis led teammate Felipe Drugovich across the line. However, post-race penalties reshuffled the order, with Drugovich receiving a five-second penalty for avoidable contact with Wehrlein.
The sanction dropped the Brazilian from second to fifth, promoting CUPRA KIRO driver Pepe Marti to a career-best runner-up finish and elevating Mahindra Racing’s Nyck de Vries onto the podium in third.
Formula E now heads to Shanghai for the next double-header event of the season, where Evans will look to strengthen his championship lead and Cassidy will aim to bounce back from a frustrating weekend in Sanya.
Header Image: Simon Galloway/LAT Images
