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Jaguar targets 'surprise' results in debut Formula E campaign

Jaguar believes it can deliver "surprise" results in the 2016/17 Formula E season after failing to score a point in its opening two races

The British manufacturer has earned a best finish of 12th at the start of its debut season, with Adam Carroll in the Hong Kong opener, and is the only team that is pointless after two rounds.

Is Jaguar Formula E's worst team?

Team director James Barclay admitted that gaining race operations experience with Williams Advanced Engineering, and having more time to develop its own 2017/18 powertrain, meant it would not hit the front regularly until next season.

But he insisted Jaguar, which sits last in the teams' championship, had enough room to improve to join the midfield fight in the current campaign.

"It's a slow learning experience," he told Autosport.

"There'll be times where operationally we'll make some strong calls this season that help us maybe outperform ourselves, but next year we'll have experience under our belts and a year to develop a car we believe will be in a stronger group.

"From that perspective next year we know we'll be in a stronger position but with the car we've got we can still get some strong results.

"The drivers need to get how to drive these things and run the sessions optimised, and we need to get it optimised on the strategy.

"Without doubt the bigger results will be next year but as a team we want to be pushing and finding those opportunities to ultimately kind of surprise later [this season]."

Barclay said Jaguar's deficit in qualifying is its key weakness to address, as the team has been more than a second off the pace in the opening two rounds.

While it has made progress in the races, it has still finished 13 seconds from the top 10 in Hong Kong and 16s away in Marrakech.

"For us it's about making the most of qualifying," said Barclay. "Being able to get the single-lap pace and getting the car in that window quickly.

"There are some big gains [to be made], but it really is ultimately down to the single-lap pace.

"Our race pace we're in that window, there's a bit more to do, clearly, but I have absolute faith with the people we have on board. We can get there.

"If we're satisfied with where we are, it wouldn't be right. We as a team know we'll be moving forward [but] you always want to do it sooner."

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