What brought an end to Mitch Evans’ 10-year relationship with Jaguar in Formula E?

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Mitch Evans has outlined the key reasons behind his decision to leave Jaguar and explore a new opportunity elsewhere in Formula E.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Evans will leave the British manufacturer at the end of the 2025-26 season ahead of an unexpected move to the new Opel team.

The decision will bring an end to a 10-year stint that began when Jaguar made its high-profile motorsport return towards the end of Formula E’s Gen1 era in 2016-17.

Over this period, Evans became synonymous with Jaguar’s Formula E programme, winning 15 races - the most of any driver in history - and twice finishing second in the championship.

However, his relationship with Jaguar has also been fractious at times, and he publicly criticised the team after some questionable strategic calls cost both him and team-mate Nick Cassidy the title in 2024.

There have been several changes in Jaguar’s management since then, with Ian James joining as the team principal ahead of the current season, but Evans had been considering an exit for some time.

Speaking on the eve of this weekend’s Berlin E-Prix, Evans said the introduction of the new Gen4 car in 2026-27 gave him the ideal opportunity to jump ship.

“It's been talked about for a while, [but] I decided recently to move on,” the Kiwi told Motorsport.com. “With the regulation change coming up next year, I just felt like it was the right time to do it.

“I've been with the team for a long time, 10 years. It's unusual in our sport. With the regulation change coming up, I just thought it was a good time to change.

“It was mainly down to that. I had good opportunities, good offers on the table. I just thought now was the right time.”

Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing