Jaguar TCS Racing drivers "excited by the prospect of a new track" at Hyderabad Formula E Prix
Jaguar TCS Racing Formula E team drivers Mitch Evans and Sam Bird are looking forward to the Hyderabad E-Prix event in India, which is a home race for their team.
After a decent performance in the last two rounds in Diriyah, the duo are optimistic to continue their momentum in the fourth round of the season.
Speaking ahead of the Hyderabad Formula E race, Evans said:
“I’m always excited by the prospect of a new track, and Hyderabad is no exception. While new surfaces and new climates are always a challenge for us, we’ve had lots of success in the past when we’ve raced at new tracks."
"Last year was the first time I’d raced in Jakarta and Seoul, and I won both races, so if we could replicate our winning streak at Hyderabad this weekend, then we can secure some solid points on the table.”
Evans spoke to Sportskeeda in Mexico, expressing his eagerness to experience India as a destination and its culture in an exclusive interview. Speaking after two rounds at the Saudi Arabian venue Diriyah, Evans believes that new venues can be a challenge but is looking forward to continuing the solid points scoring momentum in India.
Bird was third in the second round and fourth in the third round of the Formula E event at the Saudi venue. He also had the fastest lap of the race last weekend and is motivated to continue the streak in India.
Commenting on his performances in Diriyah and looking forward to Hyderabad, Bird said:
“I am really pleased with my performance in Diriyah, securing a podium and the fastest lap across the double-header weekend. I’m taking that confidence and channelling it into motivation to do even better in round four in India. Hyderabad is going to be such a big race for the whole team and I’m ready to put on a show.”
Jaguar TCS Formula E team technical director believes the Hyderabad E Prix circuit is a complex one
Jaguar TCS Formula E team technical director Phil Charles believes the Indian circuit will be a challenging one with a complex combination of corners. With corners comprising of tricky entry and exit points, the Jaguar chief feels Hyderabad E Prix could produce some overtaking in the Gen3 cars, despite its challenges.
Speaking ahead of the Hyderabad Formula E event, Charles said:
“The team has spent valuable time working on the simulator to familiarise ourselves with this new track. It looks fantastic: it has decent tarmac with just a few bumps from the start/finish line on the way up to T1. There is a complex and interesting entry to T3, and several corners have tricky combined entries and exits."
"On top of that, we will experience ambient temperatures of around 30 degrees so it will be a challenge for the drivers. With a high average power duty cycle around the lap, it will also be hard on the tyres and car mechanicals. Overtaking looks possible into T3 and T6 so it should be an exciting race.”
Hyderabad also hosted the Indian Racing League event in December 2022, to test the circuit. While the narrow, tricky circuit spans alongside the scenic Hussain Sagar lake, the success of the Formula E event will be a litmus test for the future of global motorsport events in the country.