Jaguar has today announced further details of Team Asia New Zealand, who will compete in the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, the world’s first international championship for production-based electric cars. Simon Evans, brother of Panasonic Jaguar Racing driver, Mitch Evans, will compete in the championship, which begins on 15 December in Ad Diriyah, Saudi Arabia. The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY will be the official support race to ABB FIA Formula E, and will take place on the same city street circuits at 10 rounds of the championship.
SIMON EVANS TEAM ASIA NEW ZEALAND DRIVER: “My brother races in Formula E, and I’ve been following it for a few years now; it’s definitely the future, so it’s great to be involved,” says Evans, who comes from a family of pedigreed racers in New Zealand. “I am thrilled to be representing Team Asia New Zealand, and am grateful for the opportunity to be part of electric racing history.”
MARION BARNABY CHAMPIONSHIP MANAGER, JAGUAR I-PACE ETROPHY: “The calibre of the drivers entering the Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY is very strong, and it’s going to make for some great racing. We’ll be seeing experienced drivers pitted against exciting up-and-coming talent in a race that’s all down to driver ability and skill. Electric racing is attracting a huge range of drivers, sponsors and broadcasters, and this announcement is a great example of that.”
Evans attended the championship’s acclimatisation test at Silverstone, UK in September, as well as pre-season testing at Rockingham, UK in October, where he banked valuable test laps. The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY race will be 25 minutes plus one lap. This will follow two free practice sessions and a qualifying session. Each race will feature a VIP entrant, with famous faces from the world of motorsport and beyond set to take part. The prize fund for the series is in excess of £500,000 per season.
Jaguar returned to racing in October 2016, becoming the first premium manufacturer to join the all-electric ABB FIA Formula E Championship street racing series. Last season, Nelson Piquet Jr and Mitch Evans contributed to Panasonic Jaguar Racing’s most successful season to date in 2017-18, as their scored more than quadrupled the team’s points from season three. The team’s objective for Season Five is to compete as a front-running team,with regular podiums. Season Five sees the introduction of the Jaguar I-TYPE 3, with a powertrain that has been developed entirely in-house at Panasonic Jaguar Racing. The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY races will be an exciting addition to this much-anticipated race season.
Source. Jaguar
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