Evans charges from 17th to win second Berlin E-Prix

Mitch Evans completed a perfectly executed strategic drive to win the second race of the Berlin E-Prix from 17th on the grid.

The Jaguar TCS Racing driver’s low starting position was a result of using older tires in qualifying, saving a newer set for the race. And with Berlin races typically energy sensitive, he used his time in the midst of the pack to save energy for a late-race push forwards.

As well as saving energy, Evans opted for an alternate Attack Mode strategy – while most opted for two uses of four minutes, Evans went for six in his first use in order to gain ground.

It worked: By lap 24, three laps after that first Attack Mode activation, he was in the top 10, and three laps later he had the lead.

At the start of lap 31 Evans' lead was around two second, but the hard charging Porsche of Pascal Wehrlein, by then using his second Attack Mode, sliced it down to just over seven tenths by the end of lap. Knowing by that point Wehrlein had only a minute of his second four minute Attack Mode use remaining, Evans went for his second use on lap 32 – this time two minutes of his total eight. It only dropped him to second, and having more of the additional power and four-wheel-drive available compared to Wehrlein, it wasn't long before he retook the lead.

Nissan’s Oliver Rowland finished second after a similar run on fresh tires from near the back of the field, but his race had a disastrous start after a minor issue left him with no power as he pulled away. He dropped to the back but immediately settled into an energy saving race in the pack.

That early saving allowed him to mount a charge forwards – he was up into the top 10 by lap 12 then challenged for the podium places two laps later. He took the lead from Sebastien Buemi on lap 17 – the Envision Racing driver was another who surged forward from far back, but that had left him down on energy compared to the more measured Rowland.

After getting up among the leaders, the only time Rowland dropped back was to take Attack Mode. He was helped in his run by teammate Norman Nato, who'd enjoyed a run in the top two but with an energy deficit to Rowland, let the reigning champion by on lap 29. At that point Evans' lead was just over 1.6s and while Rowland was able to half the gap, Evans' somewhat mirrored strategy meant that Rowland was unable to overhaul him.

Wehrlein eventually finished third, with Buemi joining the podium fight on the last lap but eventually settling for fourth.

Nato finished fifth, ahead of Andretti's Jake Dennis, while Edoardo Mortara faded from an early victory challenge to finish seventh for Mahindra.

Jean-Eric Vergne (Citroen), Felipe Drugovich (Andretti) and Joel Eriksson (Envision) – who fell back after missing an Attack Mode loop, then being caught out by a full course yellow while using the additional power and four-wheel-drive late on. DS Penske’s Taylor Barnard was another early frontrunner – having started second on the grid – to drop late on, finishing 11th.

Saturday race winner Nico Mueller also finished outside the points for Porsche after contact with Jaguar’s Antonio Felix da Costa, the damage from which caused the aforementioned FCY. Da Costa was the last of the finishers in 18th.

Both Nick Cassidy and Nyck de Vries retired after contact. Both came together at Turn 6 on lap three as they went four-wide with Buemi and Mortara with Mahindra driver de Vries coming off worst with suspension damage. Cassidy continued for another 30 laps but eventually retired with damage to his Citroen after a later clash with Buemi.

Evans' win for Jaguar, in his final season with the team after a decade-long stay, means that the British organization is the only team to win a race in Berlin during every season of the GEN3 era. It also extends Evans' record as the driver with the most race victories in Formula E to 16, and makes him one of only two drivers – along with teammate da Costa – to win multiple races so far this season.

Wehrlein’s podium and pole moves him back into the championship lead after Mortara moved ahead of him following Saturday’s race, while Evans’ win moves him from fourth to second, three points behind Wehrlein with Mortara slipping to third, a further five points back.

Rowland's second place allowed him to make a sizable lead from seventh to fourth in the standings, with Mueller's non-score relegating him to fifth.

Porsche still maintains a lead in both the teams' and manufacturers' standings, holding a 13- and 14-point lead over Jaguar in both tables.

The Formula E season continues in two weeks' time with its crown jewel event, a doubleheader in Monaco.

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