Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal James Barclay has admitted that the signing of Nick Cassidy has put the outfit in a position where they can achieve their “objective”, of winning the Formula E Constructors’ Championship.
The Coventry-based outfit were pipped to the season nine crown by customer side Envision Racing, who secured the title by just 12 points in the London E-Prix season finale. Cassidy has, of course, made the switch to Jaguar from Envision, to form an all-Kiwi partnership with long-time friend Mitch Evans.
Cassidy and Evans were both mesmeric in season nine and were both unfortunate to be beaten to the Drivers’ Championship by Jake Dennis. The duo had to settle for second and third in the standings, meaning that, on paper, Jaguar boast the strongest and most in-form driver pairing for the sport’s centurion campaign.
Jaguar are the only team on the grid who have a driver pairing that consists of two drivers who finished in the top-five of the 2022/23 standings, making them the clear favourites for the season 10 Constructors’ Championship.
Had it not been for Sam Bird – who Cassidy has replaced – colliding with Evans in Hyderabad and Jakarta, then Jaguar would potentially have gone on to win the season nine title. Formula E is so often decided by fine margins. At least for season 10, the British manufacturer have ensured that they have two powerhouse drivers should one falter.
This is by no means a criticism of Bird, who on his day remains as one of the quickest drivers on the grid; however, that version of the Briton has been seen too rarely over the last few seasons.
If Cassidy and Evans can avoid a replica of Rome race two – Evans ended up on top of his fellow New Zealander – then Jaguar could dominate the upcoming season in Red Bull-esq fashion. Because of the huge expectation though, that brings with it a lot of pressure for the side to have on their shoulders.
There is no clear number one or number two driver with both Cassidy and Evans being leaders, meaning there is every possibility that both could be fighting for the Drivers’ Championship. Should this be the case, then it’ll give Jaguar something to manage to ensure that, most importantly, an intra-team battle doesn’t impact the team’s pursuit of glory.
When fighting for a title, friendships can quickly turn sour, as most recently seen between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg at Mercedes. If Jaguar can manage their driver pairing correctly, then signing Cassidy will prove to be a work of genius. But if a feud or rivalry develops, then Jaguar could find themselves as their own worst enemy.
All will be answered when racing gets underway in January in Mexico City, but until then Barclay is confident that Cassidy can support the team’s title pursuit, something he confirmed following Jaguar’s launch of their season 10 livery.
“Everyone at Jaguar TCS Racing is hugely motivated, recharged and ready to be racing again in the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship,” said Barclay.
“Last season saw some incredibly competitive racing in the pinnacle of electric motorsport and we are all very proud of the car we produced and how we performed in what was our most successful season to date.
“As a team, we are always striving for the next step and we are incredibly motivated to once again fight for the World Championship in 2024. We have come incredibly close for the last three seasons and this consistency is testament to everyone in the organisation.
“With Nick joining the team alongside Mitch, I believe we have the driver line-up to help us with this objective. This tenth season of Formula E brings with it the addition of a new race in Tokyo, an iconic and important city that once again reinforces Formula E’s World Championship and pinnacle of electric racing status.
“We look forward to the new challenges it will bring and to seeing Japanese fans enjoying Formula E.”
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