Kiwi makes E-Prix history
Mitch Evans took his first win of the 2025/26 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship at the Miami E-Prix, climbing from ninth on the grid on a damp track to take a memorable victory.
It marked the Kiwi’s 15th career win in Formula E, all with Jaguar, meaning he’s now taken the most victories in the championship’s 11-year history.
The Jaguar TCS Racing driver also took the fastest lap at the Miami International Autodrome over the weekend, confirming his form in difficult conditions.
At one stage it looked likely to be a double-podium finish for the team with Antonio Felix da Costa strong at the front for much of the race. But while running in third he was hit by Andretti’s Felipe Drugovich, the resulting damage causing him to drop back and finish in eighth.
Although rain fell throughout, qualifying was dry and the two I-Type 7s placed in the top 10. Da Costa showed strong pace throughout, making it through to the duels before losing out in the semifinals meaning he lined up third. Evans, pictured above, was unfortunate to miss out on the duels stage by 0.058 seconds and started ninth.
The race got under way behind the safety car following rainfall, but after four laps the cars lined up on the grid for a standing start.
A number of drivers deployed their first attack mode early amid damp conditions to create a gap to the rest of the field. But Evans and Da Costa’s strong pace ensured they held onto the lead group during the opening stages, each with eight minutes of attack mode still to take.
From sixth, Da Costa used his first attack mode on lap 15 and moved into first over the next two laps before Evans moved up four places from seventh after taking two minutes of attack mode on lap 19.
They then battled Nico Müller for the lead, with Evans overtaking his team-mate before snatching the lead from the Porsche driver on the run out of the final corner on lap 27.
The Kiwi managed to take his second attack mode and stayed in front of Müller’s Porsche all the way to the flag, taking the fastest lap of the race en-route to his first victory of the campaign.
“It’s an incredible feeling taking this record-breaking win here in Miami,” says Evans. “To have taken the most wins in Formula E is special and to come from behind to take the win makes it even sweeter.
“In the conditions the race definitely came to us and I was able to keep the pace throughout. I hope the win kickstarts our season and the aim is to take this good form into the Jeddah double-header.”
New Zealander Nick Cassidy, who won the series’ previous round in Mexico, started from seventh on the grid in Miami but endured a difficult race before crossing the line in 16th position for Citroen Racing.
“That was a tough one,” he says. “Qualifying was quite good, so I was really looking forward to the race, but it just didn’t come together and it was a really difficult day for the team.
“We’ll move on, try to understand what happened, but not dwell on it too much.”
Cassidy has retained his lead in the drivers’ world championship after the US race and Evans is sixth. The next round in Jeddah runs from February 12-14.
