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SA’s Barclay on the brink of leading Jaguar to historic FE triumph

motorsport18 July 2024 13:04
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James Barclay

After a whirlwind Formula E season, which has seen records tumble, the final race weekend is here.

With two rounds of racing taking place in London this weekend on 20 and 21 July and seven drivers in the hunt for the title, there are multiple storylines to keep an eye on as Season 10 comes to an end.

Leading the charge for multiple titles is South Africa’s James Barclay, team principal of Jaguar TCS Racing. The Johannesburg-born leader pioneered the team’s entry into the sport in 2016 and is on the brink of guiding the iconic manufacturer to a maiden Team’s and Driver’s Championship.

If Barclay can lead the team over the line, he will become the first South African team principal to win a Formula E World Championship.

Speaking on the possibility of winning both championships, Barclay said: “This is now one of Jaguar's most competitive World Championship campaigns ever, and that's fantastic. We have won many races and have lots of poles and fastest laps. But what we haven't done is won a championship yet. So our goal is to absolutely win the World Championship.”

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“I am extremely proud that we go into the final race weekend of the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with Jaguar TCS Racing leading both the Teams’ and Drivers’ World Championship standings. We’ve been consistently quick this season and the whole team have worked incredibly hard to get us to this point,” stated Barclay.

On the Team’s Championship side, a strong season by New Zealand pair Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans has left Jaguar with a 33-point lead over TAG Heuer Porsche in second. The two frontrunners have been Formula E’s standout teams in Season 10, making the battle for the Team’s trophy a straight fight between the teams as DS Penske sits over 100 points behind Porsche in third.

Jaguar will be up against a resurgent Porsche that has won five of the last seven races. The German manufacturer has been spearheaded by Antonio Felix da Costa who after failing to appear on the podium in the opening nine races, has won four of the previous five races, including the last three races on the bounce.

The Driver’s Championship is a bit closer to call after championship leader Cassidy failed to score points in the Portland doubleheader. Following a disappointing weekend in the USA for Cassidy, he only leads Evans and Pascal Wehrlein (tied in second) by 12 points. Da Costa sits in fourth only 33 points behind Cassidy and if he continues on his current trajectory, he could be in the hunt for his second Formula E title.

Speaking ahead of the London season finale, Cassidy who is on the brink of claiming his first Driver’s Championship stated: “I’m looking forward to returning to London – it’s one of my favourites of the season, especially after winning there last year. Portland was tough for me but I’m feeling positive having maintained my lead in the Drivers’ World Championship.”

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