- Jaguar Racing driver, Sam Bird, makes history by winning the ABB New York City E-Prix for the third time in a lights-to-flag victory
- Jaguar Racing locked out the front-row in qualifying with Sam Bird taking Pole Position and Mitch Evans lining up in second
- Jaguar Racing are third in the Teams’ Standings, just five points behind Envision Virgin Racing
- GKN Automotive is the official eDrive partner of Jaguar Racing. The partnership supports the development of GKN Automotive’s world-leading eDrive systems for electric road cars
London, UK, 12 July 2021 - Sam Bird created history by winning the ABB New York City E-Prix for the third time in a lights-to-flag victory. The Brit, who drives for GKN Automotive’s partners Jaguar Racing, is the only driver to have won three times at the same circuit in Formula E history and retakes the lead of the drivers’ world championship.
For the first time in the team’s Formula E history, Jaguar Racing locked-out the front row with Sam Bird on Pole and Mitch Evans in second after both drivers made it into Super Pole on the streets of Brooklyn. After crashing in Free Practice on Saturday, Bird’s mechanics and engineers faced a race against time to rebuild his Jaguar I-TYPE 5. The Brit rewarded the team with 29 points out of a possible 30 by also topping Qualifying.
A potential double-podium finish evaporated when Mitch Evans, defending from Envision Virgin Racing’s Nick Cassidy, clipped the wall in the final couple of minutes of the race and was forced to limp the car home in thirteenth.
GKN Automotive is the official eDrive partner for Jaguar Racing in Formula E, working closely with the team to develop advanced technology for the I-TYPE 5 racer that Bird drove to victory on the streets of Brooklyn. This work feeds into the development of the company’s world-leading eDrive systems for electrified road cars.
James Barclay, Team Director Jaguar Racing, said “It has been a fantastic day at the ABB New York E-Prix. Today we made our own little bit of history by locking out the front row with Sam and Mitch. Both drivers topped their group qualifying sessions and made it into Super Pole before executing fantastic laps. The race itself was a great performance from Sam and the team completing a perfect lights-to-flag victory. Mitch was having a great race controlling the gap to Nick Cassidy behind him but unfortunately when he hit the wall it broke the rear suspension taking him out of the points when he was agonisingly close to the finish line. It’s a bitter sweet feeling but Sam is back leading the Drivers’ Championship and we’re now very much in the fight. We are going to use this momentum in London in just two weeks time and cannot wait to be racing on home soil for the first time for Jaguar Racing in Formula E.”
Sam Bird, #10 Jaguar Racing driver, said “What a day today! That’s 29 points out of a possibly 30 so I couldn’t be happier. I’m so delighted and proud of my team right now. After yesterday, this is everything we needed and it feels so good. Thank you to everyone at Jaguar Racing and I can’t wait for London.”
Mitch Evans, #20 Jaguar Racing driver, said “I’ve been waiting for a race like this for so long and I messed it up here in New York. I had a lot of front rotation and I couldn’t hang on to it in one particular lap and that’s enough to spoil your day. I’m really, really gutted and this one hurts a lot but I just want to say a huge congratulations to Sam. We’ll now look to London where I hope to score points again.”
Jaguar returns to the United Kingdom to race for the first time in 17 years, for rounds 12 and 13 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The double-header takes place in just under two weeks' time on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 July 2021.
-ENDS-
Notes to editors:
ABOUT GKN AUTOMOTIVE
GKN Automotive is the global leader in drive systems. A global automotive technology company that pioneered electric drive systems and is now driving the future of transportation. It is the trusted partner for most of the world’s automotive companies, specialising in developing, building and supplying market-leading driveline systems and advanced ePowertrain technologies.
GKN Automotive’s market-leading Driveline division demonstrates strength in depth, with an extensive portfolio of products that combine value with technical expertise. The technologies span high-volume low-cost vehicles to top end premium cars with complex all-wheel drive driving dynamics. These world-class products are being constantly refined and improved for global customers.
The ePowertrain division now offers solutions for all electrified vehicles and is a go-to technology partner, creating the ultimate electrified driving experience. Its ability to fully integrate eDrive systems derives from its all-wheel drive legacy and leadership. The first eDrive system being fitted to a production car almost 20 years ago and is now powering over 1.5 million electrified vehicles worldwide.
GKN Automotive is headquartered in the UK, operating in 21 countries and employing 27,500 people worldwide.