Lankan-flagged Team Asia races to top in Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy series

 The Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy series car driven by Simon Evans in action adorned with Sri Lankan flag and local agents Access Group branding at the Sanya, China leg of the championship

• Kiwi driver of Jaguar Team Asia Simon Evans finishes second in Sanya, China leg of world’s first all-electric production-based international race series; leads in driver standing with 6 more races to go
• Revolutionary Jaguar I-PACE adorns Sri Lanka flag with local partner Access branding at the race conducted ahead of Sanya leg of FIA Formula E championship

By Nisthar Cassim in Sanya, China

Team Asia, in the world’s first-ever all-electric production-based international race, the Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy series championship, sporting the Sri Lankan flag, on Saturday came second in the Sanya, China edition, thereby emerging overall leader with six more contests ahead.

Team Asia driver, the New Zealand-born Simon Evans, created history when he won the first-ever Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy race in Saudi Arabia in December last year and came sixth in Mexico and fourth in Hong Kong, SAR, China. With his second place win in Sanya on Saturday, Simon’s overall performance has propelled him to number one in drivers standing in the competition. 

The Sanya race was won by Jaguar Brazil team’s Caca Bueno who, however, is ranked fifth in drivers standing.

The Jaguar I-PACE eTrophy was conducted ahead of ABB FIA Formula E Championship’s sixth race in Sanya, China.

The Jaguar I-PACE eTROPHY, which began in the on-going season five of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, is the first official support race to the street racing series.

The eTrophy championship involves 20 identical I-PACEs, 10 races and one winner.

Simon Evans drives for Team Asia (dedicated to Jaguar’s markets in Sri Lanka, Singapore and New Zealand). The other teams are Jaguar Brazil, TWR Techeetah, Team Germany, Jaguar China Racing, Saudi Racing, Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, and Jaguar VIP Car. 

At the Sanya race, Jaguar gave prominence to Sri Lanka and its local agents Access Group with Evans’ I-PACE branding the Sri Lankan flag and Access logo. This gesture gave a big boost for Sri Lanka and Access Group, which is the local agent for Jaguar Land Rover. 

SML Frontier Automotive Ltd. Managing Director Theo Fernando and CEO Ravi Perera, along with JLR Sri Lanka team as well as JLR Asia Pacific Managing Director Robin Colgan Colin, were in Sanya to witness historic occasion. According to Jaguar, the I-PACE eTrophy series will become the next exciting chapter in the global brand’s ‘Race to Innovate’ commitment.

Given the fact that 20 production-based Jaguar I-PACE race cars are with identical specifications going head to head, it’s down to driver skill and team tactics to decide who will be crowned champion. 

The remaining races will be held in Rome and Paris in April, Monaco and Berlin in May, and New York in July including the final. 

With one of the richest histories in motorsport of any manufacturer, dating back to 1948, the British manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover revived its motorsport program to showcase its range of electric cars with its entry into Formula E in 2016. 

With several seasons worth of learnings from Formula E behind it, the British carmaker’s first electric car – the Jaguar I-Pace SUV – made its first production appearance at the 2017 Mexico City E-Prix, driven by Mitch Evans, whose brother is Simon, and ranks joint 10th in driver standing of the on-going ABB FIA Formula E Championship. 

The team’s efforts in the series help it to test, develop and refine the latest technology, which will filter down to the next generation of Jaguar’s all-electric cars.