Jaguar TCS Racing driver Cassidy triumphs in Diriyah E-Prix Round 3
- 29 Jan 2024
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
Nick Cassidy of Jaguar TCS Racing claimed his first victory of season 10 in Diriyah, marking his 50th Formula E race with a confident win in Round 3 and becoming the only driver to podium in all three races so far this season in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
Cassidy started in third and maintained pace with leaders Robin Frijns (Envision Racing) and Oliver Rowland (Nissan Formula E Team), who began with pole position. Cassidy's tactical approach paid off as he navigated through the first round of ATTACK MODE activations, seizing the lead.
Once in front, Cassidy managed a 2.5-second lead, executing his second mandatory 50kW ATTACK MODE boost with precision.
Despite the relentless pursuit by Frijns and Rowland, who trailed less than a second behind in the race's final stages, Cassidy maintained his lead, crossing the finish line with confidence.
“I feel unreal. It’s an absolute dream start the season. The team has been perfect and everyone at Jaguar TCS Racing have been working so hard to give me such a quick and efficient race car. Three podiums in three races and one of them a win is such a great feeling,” said Cassidy.
Frijns's second-place finish marked a return to the podium after a hiatus since his last appearance in New York City two seasons ago. Rowland, completing the podium in third, achieved his first top-three finish since Seoul in season 8.
Notably, Jake Hughes of NEOM McLaren secured a career-best fourth place, mirroring his teammate's result from Round 2 at the same venue. Stoffel Vandoorne of DS PENSKE finished fifth, continuing his consistent performance in Diriyah.
The race saw notable efforts from Sacha Fenestraz of Nissan, Pascal Wehrlein of TAG Heuer Porsche, and double champion Jean-Éric Vergne of DS PENSKE, with Wehrlein extending his scoring streak to an unmatched 14 races. Reigning champion Jake Dennis of Andretti finished in a frustrating tenth-place, but was subsequently relegated out of the points after a five-second penalty from overtaking during a yellow flag.
Cassidy's victory propels him to an 18-point lead in the Drivers' World Championship, with Jaguar TCS Racing securing a significant lead in the teams' standings.
“A truly fantastic result from the team. That was an incredibly fast-paced race. We knew it was going to be a quick, energy rich race and it was going to come down to the attack strategy.
Nick (Cassidy) drove a brilliant race, calm, composed and absolutely peerless when he needed to be,” said James Barclay, Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal.
Meanwhile, a leading Indian IT company, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the title sponsor of the Jaguar Formula E racing team.
The collaboration demonstrates TCS' commitment to innovation and sustainability, perfectly aligned with the values of Formula E, the world's first all-electric motorsport championship.
“Over the last three seasons of the all-electric championship, the collaboration between Jaguar and Tata Consultancy Services has been characterized by the integration of cutting-edge technologies and artificial intelligence in the field of motorsport,” said Sumanta Roy, TCS’ Middle East and Africa president and regional CEO, region on the sidelines of the 2024 Diriyah E-Prix race.
At the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, the best results depend on the analysis of time-critical data.
“Technology is playing an increasingly important role in Formula E and other key industries around the world and we are at the forefront of innovation.
“For example, in one of the previous seasons in Sao Paulo, our driver Mitch (Evans) finished the qualifying round in last place. “We collected all incoming data and input via the cloud and transmitted it securely to the racing technologies. As a result, the team completely changed their strategy, which ultimately led to a victory in the next day's race within 24 hours. Roy highlighted the revolutionary impact of artificial intelligence on Formula E racing, with a particular focus on digital twin technology.
“This technology creates a virtual track simulator that replicates the real track experience for drivers,” he added.
