Jaguar has returned to motor racing in the Formula E Championship
Jaguar has returned to motor racing in the Formula E Championship, with its first race in Hong Kong delivering a 12th place finish in the ePrix.
Expectation probably weighed heavily on Jaguar’s new Formula E team, with outside expectations doubtless far greater than the team’s own, and in the end a credible performance saw one of Jaguar’s two cars finish, but in a lowly 12th place. But that really doesn’t matter.
It doesn’t matter because this is Jaguar’s first outing, the first time Jaguar and its drivers – Adam Carroll and Mitch Evans – had been on a Formula E circuit and, most importantly, this inaugural outing for Jaguar was all about working as a proper team. And that they achieved.
James Barclay, Jaguar Team Director, said:
Panasonic Jaguar Racing can take away many positives from our Formula E debut in Hong Kong. The team and drivers have not raced before in Formula E and we have bedded in as a team, gelled well and learned a huge amount.
Our energy conservation in the race was second to none and we have been encouraged by our consistent race pace which saw us move forward through the field. There is good baseline on which to build, and we look forward to Marrakesh and continuing our development.
And Jaguar will build rapidly on the experience of Hong Kong because the development feedback for JLR in Formula E has huge potential, and can transfer to road cars more quickly than even its 1950s racing experience did, as electric cars – hybrid and BEV – are arguably about to tip in to the mainstream of sales. And the more Jaguar can learn, and apply, from its Formula E exploits to its road cars, the better.
Let’s hope the lessons learnt in Hong Kong make for a better performance at the next outing in Marrakesh.
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