Rome E-Prix: Evans does the double after clinching Race 2 victory
Mitch Evans sensationally captured a Rome E-Prix double, making a risky attack mode strategy work and beating Jean-Eric Vergne to clinch a second successive Formula E win.
With a single attack mode activation totalling eight minutes available, the strategic aspect of the second race was immediately different to the first, and Evans held off on taking his 250kW power mode until late on in the race.
But it was a minute away from coming undone, with the late safety car brought out on lap 18 for Alexander Sims' stranded Mahindra meaning that Evans was unable to take it - leaving the Jaguar driver relying on the new added time regulations to help him out.
With Sims' car cleared swiftly, and an extra three minutes added on in addition to an earlier 2m15 pencilled in for the first-half safety car brought out for Antonio Giovinazzi's unresponsive Dragon Penske machinery, Evans was able to collect his attack mode on the 20th lap and see out the full eight minute run-time.
But that played into his hands in the business end of the race; Evans dropped behind Vergne after taking the attack mode line at the Marconi hairpin, but re-passed the French driver and immediately caught up to the leading pack.
With Andre Lotterer leading Robin Frijns ahead on the regular race power mode, Evans was able to pick Frijns off at Turn 4 on lap 22, and immediately dispatched Lotterer on the uphill run to Turn 7 to cement the lead.
Evans was in control from there and immediately began to break-build, but a skirmish between Sam Bird and Nick Cassidy on the ante-penultimate lap at Turn 7 left the Envision driver in the wall after he'd scythed through the field and battled with the British driver for sixth place.
The Porsche Taycan safety car made its third appearance of the race, although Cassidy was eventually able to free himself from the wall to ensure a last-lap shootout between Evans and Vergne, who had been able to manoeuvre his way through Frijns and Lotterer.
Sims's crash threatened to undo Evans' strategy
Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images
But Evans had two percent more energy in his allowance for the last lap than the Techeetah driver, and thus was able to keep Vergne at bay to chalk up a second victory on the bounce.
Evans had passed polesitter Vergne earlier in the race for the lead after clearing Jake Dennis and Andre Lotterer within the first seven laps, stealing a tow after the first safety car to clear the two-time champion for the lead, but an attack mode-augmented Frijns shuffled his way past Evans.
Frijns then continued to lead the middle portion of the race, but ran out of attack mode just as Lotterer was beginning to home in, with the Porsche driver using his a minute-and-a-half advantage to clear the Dutchman.
Once the two had been cleared by Vergne, Frijns re-passed Lotterer at the start of added time to collect a second trip to the podium in Rome.
Lotterer finished fourth ahead of Stoffel Vandoorne, despite earlier confusion ahead of the last safety car where Vandoorne made his move on the German at the Marconi hairpin.
Vandoorne was instructed to give the place back, which Lotterer then held through the final lap as the Belgian had to be content with fifth.
Pascal Wehrlein finished sixth, benefitting from a five-place penalty for Lucas di Grassi - who was handed a five-second time penalty for contact with Dennis at Turn 4.
Evans won his second race of the weekend
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
Oliver Turvey bagged a hatful of points for NIO 333; the British driver was sitting around five seconds behind the leading pack of cars, but the late safety car brought him back into contention and allowed him to also benefit from di Grassi's penalty - as well as a 10-second penalty for Nyck de Vries for causing contact with Sergio Sette Camara.
Di Grassi collected eighth place to salvage something for Venturi after Edoardo Mortara retired early on having hit the wall at Turn 3, with Sebastien Buemi collecting two points for Nissan e.dams.
Oliver Askew was classified in 10th - 0.7s clear of Dan Ticktum - but a post-race five-second penalty for overtaking under the safety car demoted him to 11th.
Rome E-Prix II Results - 27 laps
Rome E-Prix: Vergne dispatches Dennis for race 2 pole
Evans "owes" second Rome E-Prix win to Jaguar Formula E team-mate Bird
Verstappen: Alonso performances a reward of self-belief, commitment to F1
Verstappen: Alonso performances a reward of self-belief, commitment to F1 Verstappen: Alonso performances a reward of self-belief, commitment to F1
F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen beats Ferraris to top FP2, Sainz crashes
F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen beats Ferraris to top FP2, Sainz crashes F1 Monaco GP: Verstappen beats Ferraris to top FP2, Sainz crashes
Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience
Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience Why the growing pains of F1’s cost-cap era require patience
DTM Oschersleben: Engelhart leads Porsche 1-2-3-4 in Sunday's race
DTM Oschersleben: Engelhart leads Porsche 1-2-3-4 in Sunday's race DTM Oschersleben: Engelhart leads Porsche 1-2-3-4 in Sunday's race
Live updates: Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix
Live updates: Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix Live updates: Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prix
Alonso: High-adrenaline qualifying shows why Monaco must stay on F1 calendar
Alonso: High-adrenaline qualifying shows why Monaco must stay on F1 calendar Alonso: High-adrenaline qualifying shows why Monaco must stay on F1 calendar
Gasly: Alpine closer to the pace in Monaco than any F1 race in 2023
Gasly: Alpine closer to the pace in Monaco than any F1 race in 2023 Gasly: Alpine closer to the pace in Monaco than any F1 race in 2023
How Cassidy earned 'Big Cat' bragging rights in tight Monaco duel
How Cassidy earned 'Big Cat' bragging rights in tight Monaco duel How Cassidy earned 'Big Cat' bragging rights in tight Monaco duel
How Kiwis stormed Berlin to put Porsche under pressure
How Kiwis stormed Berlin to put Porsche under pressure How Kiwis stormed Berlin to put Porsche under pressure
How Evans pounced for Jaguar in a Sao Paulo slipstreaming chess match
How Evans pounced for Jaguar in a Sao Paulo slipstreaming chess match How Evans pounced for Jaguar in a Sao Paulo slipstreaming chess match
The fumble that inadvertently aided da Costa in Formula E's Cape Town classic
The fumble that inadvertently aided da Costa in Formula E's Cape Town classic The fumble that inadvertently aided da Costa in Formula E's Cape Town classic
How Vergne kept his cool to triumph in spicy Indian Formula E encounter
How Vergne kept his cool to triumph in spicy Indian Formula E encounter How Vergne kept his cool to triumph in spicy Indian Formula E encounter
Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence
Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence Why the Hyderabad E-Prix is only a first step in India's motorsport emergence
The key factors behind Porsche's strong start to Formula E's new era
The key factors behind Porsche's strong start to Formula E's new era The key factors behind Porsche's strong start to Formula E's new era
How Wehrlein's Diriyah double reveals Formula E's form book shake-up
How Wehrlein's Diriyah double reveals Formula E's form book shake-up How Wehrlein's Diriyah double reveals Formula E's form book shake-up
Subscribe and access Autosport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.