A maiden Formula E title after eight years and the first world championship success for Jaguar since 1991, when it achieved victory in the sportscar world, should have been the headlines from last weekend’s London E-Prix season finale.
Instead, the Big Cat ended the season with its tail somewhat between its legs having thrown away the chance of the drivers’ championship, with both Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans coming up short.
Before going any further, it’s worth pointing out that Pascal Wehrlein and Porsche’s success was completely on merit, the German taking three wins over a campaign that included only two non-scores across 16 races. A win and second place at a London venue that suited the Jaguar cars and when the pressure was at its highest means Wehrlein was worthy of his title.
Heading into the weekend, victory in the teams’ championship was the priority for Jaguar as outlined by team principal James Barclay, the prize money on offer being a crucial factor for the British manufacturer. In the end, a 36-point margin to Porsche was comfortable as Barclay was left to manage a delicate situation between the joy of winning the teams’ title while commiserating with his drivers.
There was no such PR attempt from either Evans or Cassidy.
The first-named Kiwi was furious, criticising Jaguar’s strategy and suggesting that “I feel like my own team were working against me at one point”, having lost out on the chance of a drivers’ title for the fourth year in succession. While not as vocal, a shell-shocked Cassidy also questioned the team’s tactics after dropping from the lead to third and putting himself at risk from those behind, a collision with Antonio Felix da Costa ending his title hopes.
The irony that all these comments were made while both were wearing a ‘teams’ champions’ T-shirt was not lost, and there were certainly shades of Adelaide 1986 about what happened in London. Williams duo Nigel Mansell and Nelson Piquet both missed out on F1 glory at the 1986 Australian Grand Prix to McLaren’s Alain Prost, having taken points away from each other over the campaign.
Jaguar’s policy of allowing its drivers to fight for the championship over the course of the season is one that deserves recognition. How often do motorsport enthusiasts moan when team orders are implemented in favour of one driver, often denying fans a thrilling on-track battle and championship dynamic?
The issue around Jaguar, though, stems from the fact that it has often taken something of a ‘hot and cold’ approach, team priority changing race-by-race, almost lap-by-lap.
In the opening Shanghai race in May, Cassidy had been told to sit behind Evans in the closing stages despite having more energy, so that his team-mate could attack Wehrlein, who was leading. Evans won with a last-lap overtake, but Cassidy was left in third and wondering what might have been.
There can be no denying that mismanagement from the team directly contributed to Cassidy's Portland error, as unnecessary pressure was placed on Jaguar's championship-leading driver
Earlier in the season, Cassidy had taken matters into his own hands in a bid to secure the team a 1-2 in Monaco, seemingly gifting Evans the win to ensure Jaguar came away with the best result possible despite his own title ambitions.
The biggest faux pas, though, came at the penultimate round in Portland, with Cassidy leading the opening race in the closing stages from Evans, who had a five-second penalty looming over him from an earlier collision. Both were told over the radio that they were free to race, Barclay later suggesting that the team had planned to argue against Evans’s penalty and thus the fight on-track was for genuine position.
What followed was the beginning of a nightmare, as Cassidy spun from the lead on the penultimate tour, having taken defensive lines in the proceeding laps so as not to lose position to Evans. While some criticism must be levied at Cassidy for the mistake, there can be no denying that mismanagement from the team directly contributed to the error, as unnecessary pressure was placed on its championship-leading driver.
On-the-road winner Evans kept his 5s penalty, demoting him to eighth and compounding Jaguar’s misery on a day when it could have clinched the teams’ championship.
Victory in that race would also have put Cassidy 50 points clear of Wehrlein, with a maximum of 87 available over the last three races. As it was, he entered the final round in London only 12 points ahead, which became a seven-point deficit after the first race.
Even so, leading from pole in a winner-takes-all scenario at the final race around a circuit where track position was key and his team-mate directly behind offered a path to glory…
Both drivers have demanded answers from the team and, while immediate post-race reactions might have lessened, there can be no denying that an element of trust has been lost. Jaguar heads into the off-season having finally got that first Formula E title under its belt, but the fallout from the drivers’ title implosion has created a situation that could have big ramifications down the line.
