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Monaco E-Prix: Evans leads Jaguar 1-2 after strategy masterclass

The two Kiwis dominated proceedings in Monte Carlo, with Evans winning by nearly one second having led the majority of the 31-lap contest, which was extended by two laps due to a pair of safety car periods.

Evans had shown impressive pace throughout practice on Saturday morning but errors from himself and Cassidy in their qualifying semi-final duels meant they lined up on the second row of the grid.

Polesitter Pascal Wehrlein maintained his advantage into Sainte Devote at the start with fellow front-row starter Stoffel Vandoorne keeping ahead of the squabbling Jaguars, while Evans moved ahead of Cassidy around the outside as the pair ran side-by-side.

In stark contrast to the Misano E-Prix double-header, positions remained relatively unchanged over the opening laps around the tight confines of the street circuit, but on the third tour, and at the earliest opportunity, Wehrlein took his first of two Attack Modes which dropped him to fourth.

He was soon demoted a further position by a charging Jean-Eric Vergne, though, as the DS Penske driver moved ahead of Maximilian Guenther into the Lowes Hairpin before moments later passing Wehrlein around the outside into the Nouvelle Chicane.

Vergne then set his sights on Cassidy in front, but the Kiwi put up a robust defence, noticeably at Mirabeau and into the Nouvelle Chicane.

Vergne’s charge was halted by a safety car that was called on lap five, after Edoardo Mortara was involved in a heavy crash at the Swimming Pool chicane, the Mahindra driver suffering a suspected technical issue.

Just moments before the caution period was deployed, both Vandoorne and Vergne took their first Attack Modes, with the former maintaining his lead as Vergne slipped to fifth behind Wehrlein.

Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing, Jaguar I-TYPE 6, leads Stoffel Vandoorne, DS Penske, DS E-Tense FE23, and Jean-Eric Vergne, DS Penske, DS E-Tense FE23 (Photo by: Dom Romney / Motorsport Images)

Once racing resumed on lap nine, Jaguar began to instigate its grand plan as Cassidy backed up the pack with hopes of allowing Evans to take his Attack Mode.

But it was Vandoorne who blinked first as he took his second Attack Mode on lap 10, dropping behind Evans and, more crucially, Cassidy who launched up the inside into Mirabeau.

It proved pivotal to Jaguar’s strategy as Cassidy immediately began to back the chasing pack up which was led by Vandoorne, Vergne and Wehrlein.

Evans was able to build up a sufficient advantage, not once, but twice to take both his Attack Modes on laps 11 and 13 and each time retain the lead.

Approaching the start of lap 14, the leading pair swapped positions along the start/finish straight as Evans returned the favour to his team-mate.

Just as Evans had been able to retain the lead each time, so too did Cassidy but after taking his second Attack Mode on lap 17, the latter appeared to allow his team-mate to move ahead on the run down from Casino Square.

Thereafter, Jaguar’s 1-2 looked assured as both Evans and Cassidy had more energy than the DS Penske machines immediately behind with Vandoorne still leading Vergne.

Jaguar’s win was all but assured when a second safety car was deployed on lap 25. Nico Muller’s Abt was left stranded at Rascasse after a collision with Jake Hughes, for which the McLaren driver was handed a five-second penalty.

With only five laps remaining at the restart and energy management a non-factor, Evans pulled the pin to take his first Formula E win since London last year.

Vandoorne was able to complete the podium after holding off team-mate Vergne, as Wehrlein took fifth with Porsche to retain the championship lead.

Monaco E-Prix Race Results

   
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4
   
   
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2
   
Cla Driver # Laps Time Interval km/h Points Retirement
1 New Zealand M. Evans Jaguar Racing 9 31

58'15.455

    25  
2 New Zealand N. Cassidy Jaguar Racing 37 31

+0.946

58'16.401

0.946   19  
3 Belgium S. Vandoorne DS Penske 2 31

+3.835

58'19.290

2.889   15  
4 France J. Vergne DS Penske 25 31

+4.799

58'20.254

0.964   12  
5 Germany P. Wehrlein Porsche Team 94 31

+6.378

58'21.833

1.579   13  
6 United Kingdom O. Rowland Nissan e.Dams 22 31

+6.792

58'22.247

0.414   8  
7 Portugal A. Felix da Costa Porsche Team 13 31

+7.364

58'22.819

0.572   6  
8 France S. Fenestraz Nissan e.Dams 23 31

+7.928

58'23.383

0.564   4  
9 Germany M. Gunther Maserati Racing 7 31

+8.262

58'23.717

0.334   2  
10 France N. Nato Andretti Formula E 17 31

+9.045

58'24.500

0.783   1  
11 Brazil L. di Grassi Team Abt 11 31

+9.889

58'25.344

0.844      
12 Netherlands N. de Vries Mahindra Racing 21 31

+10.183

58'25.638

0.294      
13 United Kingdom D. Ticktum ERT Formula E Team 33 31

+17.999

58'33.454

7.816      
14
T. Barnard McLaren
8 31

+18.128

58'33.583

0.129      
15 Switzerland S. Buemi Envision Racing 16 31

+18.452

58'33.907

0.324      
16 United Kingdom J. Hughes McLaren 5 31

+18.996

58'34.451

0.544      
17 Netherlands R. Frijns Envision Racing 4 31

+19.106

58'34.561

0.110      
18 India J. Daruvala Maserati Racing 18 31

+24.269

58'39.724

5.163      
19 Brazil S. Sette Camara ERT Formula E Team 3 31

+24.573

58'40.028

0.304      
20 United Kingdom J. Dennis Andretti Formula E 1 31

+32.032

58'47.487

7.459      
dnf Switzerland N. Müller Team Abt 51 23

+8 Laps

44'04.772

8 Laps     Retirement
dnf Switzerland E. Mortara Mahindra Racing 48 3

+28 Laps

5'14.161

20 Laps     Retirement
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