Why the Jaguar driver who didn't win in China will depart the happiest

Formula E went full circle last weekend, returning to China a decade on from when the all-electric championship was launched back in 2014 and having last raced in the country five years ago. 

Entering the Shanghai E-Prix double-header as championship leader, Nick Cassidy failed to take a win across either race, but he still came away with an extended lead in the standings – albeit having experienced a range of different emotions over the weekend.

Frustration had come in the opening contest, where the Jaguar driver had to play second fiddle to team-mate and fellow Kiwi Mitch Evans, who claimed his second victory of the season after surviving a post-race investigation.

Evans and title protagonist Pascal Wehrlein largely dominated the majority of the opening 29-lap race at the Shanghai International Circuit, each leading for large portions around the truncated grand prix layout that incorporated the opening sector before cutting back through to the start/finish straight in the middle segment.

Ahead of Formula E’s first visit to the venue, much had been made about the style of racing that was likely to take place, with presumptions that the chaotic action seen in Misano would be repeated. And while initially both races produced three-wide racing and constant pack action, track position remained a largely important strategic element, more so than at other circuits on the 2024 calendar. Perhaps even more surprisingly, the number of incidents and collisions were generally kept to a minimum as neither contest featured a safety car and only one retirement in each race.

As at previous rounds, though, all drivers generally took their two Attack Mode activations at the earliest opportunities, meaning there were no fewer than six drivers who led for at least one lap in the opening race.

Evans won the opener, in which Cassidy was asked to hold position behind his fellow Kiwi

Photo by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Images

Just past the halfway point, the true complexion of the race began to take shape when Wehrlein hit the front again after passing Evans into the Turn 6 right-hand hairpin. He noticeably upped the pace, as well as defending his position when challenged.

But with the pressure mounting, the Porsche driver made a small error into Turn 6 on lap 23, locking up and running slightly wide. That allowed Evans to pull off a neat switchback on the exit to power alongside and ahead as the race entered a critical stage.

The pair were soon side-by-side again two laps later, this time into the tight right, left, right sequence of corners that ended the lap, with Wehrlein throwing his car to the outside into the braking zone. Through the left, Wehrlein took to the grass and emerged alongside Evans again before squeezing his opponent into the final corner to move back into the lead.

"I’m quite shocked that he didn’t get a penalty for it. I’m still a bit annoyed, he deserves a penalty for that, he had a lasting advantage"
Mitch Evans

With no message from race control to suggest the incident was under investigation, Wehrlein remained at the head of the field over the following three laps. Evans looked to the outside multiple times through the long left and right sweeps of Turns 7/8 but, with no way through, Wehrlein led onto the final lap with a third victory of the season in sight.

But with a fraction more energy, Evans took the outside line into Turn 1 as Wehrlein defended and, with a daring move, swept into the lead before going on to take the chequered flag first. His celebrations were short-lived, however.

Both Evans and Wehrlein were called to see the stewards immediately after the race, with the penultimate corner incident now a point of interest for the officials. Several hours later, the stewards returned a verdict of no further action, meaning Evans kept the win from Wehrlein, but the victor was left unimpressed that no penalty was handed out for gaining an unfair advantage.

“For me, it was clear he was going to get a penalty, he even admitted to me that he gained an advantage, I gave him space,” said Evans, who would go on to take fifth the following day. “But they [the stewards] didn’t give it to him in the end.

“I then had to use energy to pass him again so I’m quite shocked that he didn’t get a penalty for it. I’m still a bit annoyed, he deserves a penalty for that, he had a lasting advantage.”

Evans took issue with Wehrlein's methods and was incredulous that the Porsche man escaped sanction

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Evans admitted that had he been unable to overtake Wehrlein on the final lap he “would be kicking off big time” in order to overturn the result. While that never came to pass, as Evans remained unchallenged to the line on the final lap, team-mate Cassidy launched his own assault on Wehrlein over the remaining corners and attempted to overtake through the final segment.

Into the now infamous penultimate turn, Cassidy showed his nose to the inside and, as Wehrlein turned in, the pair made contact. Wehrlein remained ahead and was seemingly unscathed, but Cassidy’s front wing became dislodged. As he struggled for control, Nissan’s Oliver Rowland threatened to snatch third away on the run to the line – the pair separated by just 0.245 seconds.

Only several laps earlier, Cassidy had seemingly been the best placed to take victory, having saved almost 2% more energy than Evans and Wehrlein in front, even after climbing from the lower reaches of the top 10 at one stage. But, having jumped up to third just five laps from home, any further progress was halted.

A request from his team over the radio came to hold position, with Evans directly in front and pressuring Wehrlein for the win, much to Cassidy’s annoyance in the heat of the moment. And another potential opportunity for Cassidy to win disappeared in Sunday’s sequel. Fourth was the best he could manage, but it was still enough to finish ahead of all his main rivals in the title battle.

With the race distance one lap shorter and ambient heat much higher, the race turned into a somewhat processional affair over the second half as drivers and teams largely struggled to stay on top of rising battery temperatures. Not so for Antonio Felix da Costa, however.

He suffered no such problems, having decided with his Porsche team pre-race that leading as much as possible to keep in cooler air was the right strategy. And so it proved to be, with the Portuguese leading 14 of the 28 laps.

He started third with a point to prove, having lost his fifth place from the opening race when the stewards deemed he pushed Jean-Eric Vergne off track and handed him a 5s penalty. After diving up the inside of Andretti’s Norman Nato at Turn 1 on lap 16, da Costa was never headed as he took his third on-the-road win of the season, with the appeal for his stripped victory in Misano for a technical breach due to be heard next month.

“Managing my temperatures [was key], so there was a lot of communication with the team going back and forth,” said da Costa. “At some point there was a sneaky radio message there as well, which was more for Andretti. I was trying to secretly tell them what the game plan was and I think they understood.”

Nato led in race two, as 'sneaky' messages from Da Costa helped both men work together

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Nato had led for 11 laps and claimed his first podium with Porsche customer team Andretti, but it was on the final step of the rostrum having lost out to polesitter Jakes Hughes. The McLaren driver also hit a milestone, this being his maiden Formula E podium, having aggressively overtaken Nato through Turn 7 with 10 laps remaining but proved unable to launch any assault against da Costa.

The Briton had earlier been involved in contact with Cassidy at the opening bend that damaged the latter’s front wing, and which was left in a precarious position for the remainder of proceedings. While Cassidy had been very fortunate that his front wing survived, his main rival for the championship Wehrlein was not so lucky after the smallest of touches from Sam Bird punctured his left-rear tyre.

Prior to the pitstop for a new wheel, Wehrlein had been on the fringes of the top 10 after qualifying down the order, his car suffering a mechanical issue related to the collision the previous day with Cassidy. But Wehrlein was not the only Porsche powertrain user to non-score in the second race.

"I’m a bit disappointed the championship is over, but they’ve just done a better job than us – we haven’t been quick enough"
Jake Dennis

Reigning champion Jake Dennis conceded that “for sure I’m out of the championship now”, having finished in 11th after a lacklustre race that leaves him 54 points behind Cassidy. The Briton struggled with balance throughout the race, particularly oversteer, which left him with no pace. He barely breached the top 10 at any point, having once again struggled in qualifying.

“I’m a bit disappointed the championship is over, but they’ve just done a better job than us – we haven’t been quick enough,” said Dennis, who had salvaged fifth from the opening race having never really featured in the lead battle.

Wehrlein still remains Cassidy’s closest challenger in the championship but, with a 25-point margin – the same as a race win – and only four races left, Cassidy’s consistency has put him in prime position for his maiden Formula E title.

Cassidy lost out in his battle with Hughes, who took maiden podium, but the Jaguar man has healthy points lead

Photo by: Alastair Staley / Motorsport Images