Formula E World Championship: Nick Cassidy’s Mistake Hands Championship Advantage to Mitch Evans
A championship mistake
New Zealander Nick Cassidy, driving for Jaguar, seemed determined to give the Formula E World Championship a thrilling finale. However, his mistake on the penultimate lap of the Portland double header handed the advantage to his teammate Mitch Evans.
Cassidy was in an unbeatable position, leading the race with a small cushion over Evans, who was unable to compete for victory due to a prior five-second penalty. Behind them, Antonio Felix Da Costa was hot on their heels, looking to complete the podium.
But Cassidy made an unusual mistake, climbing too high on one of the curbs on the permanent track in Portland, Oregon, and his Jaguar was spat off the track, causing him to crash. The spinning top relegated him to 19th position, effectively ending his chances of victory.
The error opened the doors of glory to Evans, who thus found himself with a great result in his pocket. He added three extra points from the pole and the ‘zero’ from his compatriot, putting him firmly in the fight for the championship.
Evans had been the protagonist in the opening laps of a touch with Jake Hughes (McLaren), which the stewards considered sanctionable. They gave him a five-second penalty to add to his final time, depriving him of victory.
Three out of four for Da Costa
Da Costa inherited the victory, accumulating three wins in the last four E-Prix. Robin Frinjs (Envision) and Jean-Eric Vergne (DS Penske) joined him on the podium, while Evans dropped to 8th place due to the penalty.
Despite his streak, Da Costa is far away in the World Cup overall, where his partner Pascal Wehrlein has been the most benefited. Wehrlein today discreet, has been the most benefited from Cassidy’s mistake, reducing his disadvantage from 50 points to 24.
