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THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR SAM BIRD AND JAGUAR TCS RACING’S SEVENTH PODIUM IN THE ETERNAL CITY
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THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR SAM BIRD AND JAGUAR TCS RACING’S SEVENTH PODIUM IN THE ETERNAL CITY

16 July 2023

  • Sam Bird secured a podium finish for Jaguar TCS Racing in Round 14 of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Hankook Rome E‑Prix
  • Mitch Evans had an unfortunate incident in the opening laps of the race, forcing him to retire from third position
  • Mitch remains third in the drivers’ standings, with Sam ninth
  • Jaguar TCS Racing remain third in the teams’ standings
  • The double‑header finale of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship takes place in the unique indoor/outdoor circuit at ExCeL London on the 29 and 30 July

Sam Bird secured a third‑place podium finish in Round 14 of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the Hankook Rome E‑Prix – his fourth podium and the team’s ninth podium of the season. 

Both Jaguar TCS Racing drivers, Mitch Evans and Sam Bird, made it through to the Qualifying Duels. In the quarter‑finals, Mitch and Sam went head‑to‑head for the second time this double‑header weekend. Mitch progressed through to the semi‑finals but was defeated by Nick Cassidy, eventually lining up on the grid in fourth, with Sam in fifth. 

In the first lap of the race, Mitch overtook the Nissan of Norman Nato, moving up into third. He was battling for second place with Nick Cassidy, when he made a small mistake, which resulted in a rear‑wheel lock‑up and ultimately a crash with Cassidy that brought him back into the pits. The team attempted to repair his car, and he returned to the circuit ‑ where just yesterday he was victorious for the fourth time ‑ but unfortunately had to retire his Jaguar I‑TYPE 6 due to safety concerns. 

Sam moved up to third following the accident and throughout the rest of the 24‑lap race was battling with Norman Nato and Sébastien Buemi for a podium finish. He dropped back to fourth after taking his first Attack Mode, but quickly made this position back, overtaking Buemi on the same lap. Despite Sam’s best efforts to overtake Nato, he was unable to find a route through. Sam drove a great race, and paired with the strategy of the team, was able to bring home vital team points for Jaguar TCS Racing. 

Jaguar TCS Racing remain third in the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship teams’ standings, closing the gap to the leaders. 

I’m really pleased and proud of Sam’s performance today. A podium finish after yesterday’s incident and after an incredible team effort to rebuild Sam’s car is very rewarding for the team. Sam was on top form today – both in qualifying and the race and the team executed a good strategy to achieve a third‑place podium. These are vital championship points heading into London – particularly for the teams’ championship. Unfortunately for Mitch, he was in a very strong position and a really small error had big consequences for his race result today. Those small mistakes are extremely rare for Mitch, but we’ll now regroup and are hugely motivated to fight for both championships at the final two races in London.

James Barclay
Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal

Firstly, I’m so sorry to Nick and to the Envision Racing team. The incident today all happened really quickly. I wasn’t trying to do anything silly, but I got caught by surprise and I wasn’t expecting it to be that slow at the apex. As a result, I ruined my race and I ruined Nick’s race. I haven’t made many mistakes this season, but this small error has huge consequences. It really hurts as this is a critical point in the championship and one where I needed to score good points. We’re still in the hunt for the teams’ championship and even though it will be tough for the drivers’ I’ll continue to push forward until the chequered flag falls in London.

Mitch Evans
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #9

All credit to everyone at Jaguar TCS Racing for building a new car for me today and a podium‑winning car at that. It’s been a hard run recently but today I feel relieved to have got my fourth podium of the season. In the race, the team delivered a fantastic energy strategy, but Norman placed his car very well on the track, gave a really good fight and I couldn’t find my way through. I still have the chance to score good points for the teams’ championship and I’ll be giving it everything I’ve got in London.

Sam Bird
Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #10
THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR SAM BIRD AND JAGUAR TCS RACING’S SEVENTH PODIUM IN THE ETERNAL CITY
THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR SAM BIRD AND JAGUAR TCS RACING’S SEVENTH PODIUM IN THE ETERNAL CITY
THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR SAM BIRD AND JAGUAR TCS RACING’S SEVENTH PODIUM IN THE ETERNAL CITY
THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR SAM BIRD AND JAGUAR TCS RACING’S SEVENTH PODIUM IN THE ETERNAL CITY
THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR SAM BIRD AND JAGUAR TCS RACING’S SEVENTH PODIUM IN THE ETERNAL CITY
THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR SAM BIRD AND JAGUAR TCS RACING’S SEVENTH PODIUM IN THE ETERNAL CITY

Further information

For further information about Jaguar TCS Racing, please contact:   

Ella Seager, Senior PR and Communications Officer, Jaguar TCS Racing   

Tel: (+44) 7764 377554  

Email: eseager@jaguarlandrover.com 

  

Emily Hogg, Global PR and Communications Manager, Jaguar TCS Racing  

Tel: +44 (0) 7384 532 605  

Email: ehogg2@jaguarlandrover.com   

Notes to Editors

ABOUT JAGUAR TCS RACING  

Jaguar returned to racing in October 2016, becoming the first luxury manufacturer to join the all‑electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship street racing series. In season eight, Mitch Evans finished as runner‑up in the drivers’ standings – his most successful result in Jaguar TCS Racing’s Formula E campaign.  

Formula E is a real‑world test bed for Jaguar with its journey to becoming an all‑electric luxury brand from 2025. Jaguar TCS Racing’s goal is to ‘Reimagine Racing’ and together the team will test, develop, learn and collaborate, sharing insights across JLR which will benefit future road car development. Specifically, learnings and technology transfer from Formula E will help ‘Reimagine” the Jaguar brand coinciding with the company’s commitment to the Gen3 era of Formula E.  

2023 is the first year for the teams to be racing with the Gen3 car, the world’s first net zero race car.   

As an official manufacturer team in Formula E, Jaguar TCS Racing designs its own powertrain, which includes the motor, transmission, inverter, and rear suspension. Jaguar, via its long‑term Formula E technical partner Williams Advanced Engineering, will supply Envision Racing with its powertrain for the Gen3 era.  

To control costs, the carbon fibre chassis and battery are common components and the same for all eleven teams. This allows the focus to be on developing efficient and lightweight electric vehicle powertrains which will improve the performance and range of future JLR electric vehicles.  

Teams have two race cars, one per driver, which will be used for the full race distance.   

Beyond its all‑electric concept, Formula E is unique in the world of motorsport for its choice of venues. The 2023 championship takes place on temporary street circuits in the centre of the world’s major cities including Mexico City, Diriyah and Rome, with new locations including Hyderabad, Cape Town, and São Paulo. The season finale plays out across a double‑header race weekend in London.   

In 2022, Jaguar TCS Racing finished fourth in the teams' standings with seven podiums, four wins, one pole position, one fastest lap and 231 points scored – the team’s biggest points haul to date. New Zealander, Mitch Evans finished last season as runner‑up with Sam Bird finishing thirteenth overall in the drivers’ standings.  

Formula E remains a key priority for JLR and the company’s Reimagine strategy. As the premier all‑electric world championship, Formula E allows us to test and develop new electric vehicle technologies in a high‑performance environment. It continues to be the test bed for our Race to Innovate mission that will see Race to Road and Road to Race learnings that will help shape our electric future – a future that Jaguar is passionate about, and dedicated to for the benefit of our society, the changing landscape of mobility, sustainability and our clients.   

Through our Race to Inspire mission, Jaguar TCS Racing are committed to inspiring the future generation by using the race programme to create a positive impact on our planet and the communities in which we race. From competing in the world’s first net carbon race car to supporting and training the next generation of engineers and motorsport professionals.   

For more information, visit www.jaguar.com   

About Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)  

TCS is an IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization that has been digitally transforming many of the world's largest businesses for over 50 years. A long‑standing strategic technology partner of Jaguar Land Rover, TCS is committed to leveraging innovative digital technology to help the race team accelerate their electrification journey, win races, and create a more sustainable future. TCS believes that global sports sponsorships with purpose can spark change and positively impact our communities. A part of the Tata Group, TCS has more than 616,000 consultants in 55 countries.  

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