Mitch Evans believes "my own team were working against me" during the Formula E season finale in London, as both Jaguar drivers lost out to Pascal Wehrlein in the championship.
Wehrlein entered the final race of the Formula E season three points ahead of Evans in the drivers' championship and four ahead of Nick Cassidy, but started behind both of his rivals in a winner takes all showdown.
Cassidy led from pole with Evans moving up to second at the start, but the latter Kiwi was told by the Jaguar team to make a gap for his team-mate ahead early in proceedings so that Cassidy could take his first Attack Mode activation without losing position.
"I feel a bit blindsided to be honest, compared to what was discussed before the race over the last few days and to what was voiced to me was really surprising and disappointing," Evans told Motorsport.com about the strategy calls.
"I was told we could race freely but that was clearly not the case and that’s what’s cost me the world championship today.
"Obviously I didn’t want to do that but I was forced to, which was never part of any plan, so you can imagine what was going through my head. There’ll be discussions."
Cassidy eventually dropped behind Evans and Wehrlein after his second Attack Mode activation, before a collision with the second Porsche of Antonio Felix da Costa caused a puncture and his eventual retirement.
It left Evans in a direct fight with Wehrlein at the head of the field, but when taking his second Attack Mode, it failed to activate and ultimately meant he finished behind Wehrlein and race winner, Oliver Rowland.
"I felt the line was fine but the first loop didn’t activate," said Evans. "But to be honest with Rowland being there, if I finished second and Pascal third, he would have won on countback, or it would have been a fight for him to get fastest lap.
"I kinda needed to win so yeah, obviously that didn’t help but the damage was done early on in the race and I was forced to do my Attack Modes late, and it was just avoidable."
Jaguar claimed its first Formula E title with the teams' championship having gone into the final race with a 39-point margin, but Evans admitted that "it doesn't look good" that the British manufacturer was unable to seal the double.
He added: "I want to be happy for the team for winning the teams’ championship, but I feel like we’ve been off our game on this side this weekend and also yeah bit surprised at some of the calls made against me today. A lot of discussions to be held."
This is the fourth season in a row Evans has entered the final round with a shot at the title, but the Kiwi was forced to miss out on the title yet again by just seven points.
"This one was the most realistic and it was mine for a bit," he said. "I feel like my own team were working against me at one point, so that’s not nice."
