Jaguar Formula E Takes Fourth Place in Morocco

Second season continues strong start for Jaguar with more points and the fastest lap. 

Panasonic Jaguar Racing continued to make strides in the second race weekend of the 2017-2018 ABB FIA Formula E Championship season. Jaguar driver Nelson Piquet Jr. took home a fourth-place finish at the Marrakesh ePrix, which helped keep Jaguar’s I-Type fourth in both the team’s and driver’s championships.

The result in Morocco suggests the team’s strong season start in Hong Kong was no fluke. Piquet started seventh on the grid but lost two spots at the start. From that unfortunate start, he charged through the field to fourth. An incredible outside pass on Jose Maria Lopez highlighted that move forward.

Piquet finished just 0.8 second behind third-place driver Sam Bird. His late-race charge included the race’s quickest lap, which earned the Brazilian driver and Jaguar three points in the championship standings.

Early-race contact damaged teammate Mitch Evans’ steering, which put him in a tough spot for the race’s first half. He pitted a lap earlier than anticipated and an untimely yellow flag after his car change dropped Evans from the Top 10. Nevertheless, Evans showed good pace in the Jaguar with a ninth-place spot on the starting grid.

While Jaguar would have liked a second podium for the season, the team will happily take the points haul. Just three rounds into the team’s sophomore year, Jaguar has outscored their entire 2016-2017 campaign by 13 points.

The Panasonic Jaguar Racing team next races February 3 at the inaugural Santiago ePrix in Santiago, Chile.

Young Driver Tests for Jaguar

Morocco’s Marrakesh Circuit also hosted Formula E’s rookie tests for potential new drivers. Jaguar put Paul Di Resta and Pietro Fittipaldi in the I-Type for the tests.

Related: Peak behind the scenes at Panasonic Jaguar Racing on a race weekend.

Fittpaldi, the grandson of F1 champion Emerson Fittipaldi, finished the day second-quickest. That’s a major accomplishment for the 21-year-old Brazilian driver. He came to the test as the defending champion of the Formula Renault 3.5 Series.

Di Resta, an ex-Formula 1 driver and the 2010 DTM champion, came fourth-quickest in a very talented rookie field.