Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy - SUV Support Series for Formula E
With the introduction of the second generation of cars for the 2018/19 season, Formula E received its first support series: the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy. The one-make race series by the British automaker was the world's first touring car championship to use all-electric cars. The championship was introduced at the 2017 International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany.
On May 18, 2020, Jaguar Racing announced the discontinuation of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy after just two seasons, at the end of the 2019/20 season. The automaker cited a reorientation in motorsport as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason.
The Car
The race cars of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy were based on the road-going Jaguar I-Pace, the first all-electric vehicle by the British manufacturer, which was introduced in 2018. The inverter and the 90 kWh battery were taken directly from the production car.
The powertrain and chassis were modified for racing: the electric motor delivered 294 kW (400 hp) of power and nearly 700 Nm of torque in race mode. This allowed the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 kph in 4.5 seconds. In qualifying, the power output was increased to 325 kW (442 hp). To meet FIA safety standards, Jaguar equipped the driver's compartment with a roll cage. The one-make championship sourced Michelin tires, which were 22 inches in diameter.
Technology
| Performance (qualifying mode) | 325 kW |
| Performance (race mode) | 294 kW |
| Torque | 696 Nm |
| Max. Speed | 194 kph |
| Acceleration 0-100 kph | 4.5 s |
| Battery capacity | 90 kWh (lithium-ion) |
| Weight | 1,965 kg |
| Weight Battery | 610 kg |
| Motor | 2 e-motors |
| Brakes | AP Racing |
| ABS | Bosch Motorsport ABS |
| Tyres | Michelin Pilot Super Sport (265/35 R 22) |
| Wheels | 22 inch |
| Drive | 4WD |
| Size | 4,855 mm/2,145 mm/1,525 mm |
Race Format
In addition to the regular Formula E program, three sessions of the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy took place during a race weekend. These included a free practice, a qualifying session, and a 25-minute race. The session times were flexible and followed the Formula E schedule, taking place between the main series' sessions.
In the second season, the championship introduced the Attack Mode, which was already familiar from Formula E. This enabled drivers to unlock additional power for a set time determined by race control, making overtaking easier. In Attack Mode, the cars' power increased by 20 percent, which equated to a maximum power of 325 kW (442 PS), even more than the power in qualifying mode.
Points System
Drivers in the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy were divided into two classes: professionals (Pro) and semi-professionals (Pro-Am). However, the points system was the same for both classes: for a win, a driver received 20 championship points. The second-placed driver received 15 points, the third-placed driver 11. Fourth place was worth eight points, fifth place six points, and so on, with one point decrements.
Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Live Streaming
Fans could watch both the races and the qualifying sessions of the championship on the Jaguar Racing Facebook page via a live stream.
Drivers & Teams in Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy
The size of the field was already a problem for the championship in its first season. The electric series started the 2018/19 season with twelve cars and repeatedly announced that it would increase the number of drivers to 20 during the season, but it remained at twelve. In July 2019, the series once again announced that it would start the second season with 17 drivers, but it failed to achieve this goal.
Video: The Concept of Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy
Results & Standings of Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy
In the debut season 2018/19, Brazilian Sergio Jimenez was crowned champion. A year later, Simon Evans won the championship title.
Drivers' Standings of season 2018/19 (Pro class)
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sergio Jimenez | Jaguar Brasil Racing | 149 |
| 2 | Caca Bueno | Jaguar Brasil Racing | 121 |
| 3 | Bryan Sellers | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | 107 |
| 4 | Simon Evans | Team Asia New Zealand | 106 |
| 5 | Katherine Legge | Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing | 86 |
| 6 | Stefan Rzadzinski | TWR Techeetah | 43 |
| 7 | Adam Carroll | TWR Techeetah | 6 |
Drivers' Standings of season 2018/19 (Pro/Am class)
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bandar Alesayi | Saudi Racing | 155 |
| 2 | Yaqi Zhang | Jaguar China Racing | 136 |
| 3 | Ahmed Bin-Khanen | Saudi Racing | 117 |
| 4 | Celia Martin | Viessmann eTrophy Team Germany | 77 |
| 5 | Ziyi Zhang | Jaguar China Racing | 36 |
| 6 | Qi Lin | Jaguar China Racing | 11 |
| 7 | Tao Wang | Jaguar China Racing | 11 |
Drivers' Standings of season 2019/20 (Pro class)
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Simon Evans | Team Asia New Zealand | 163 |
| 2 | Sergio Jimenez | ZEG iCarros Jaguar Brazil | 162 |
| 3 | Caca Bueno | ZEG iCarros Jaguar Brazil | 111 |
| 4 | Alice Powell | Jaguar Ran Racing Team Germany | 70 |
| 5 | Nick Foster | Jaguar China Racing | 49 |
| 6 | Takuma Aoki | Team Yokohama Challenge | 42 |
| 7 | Gregory Segers | Jaguar China Racing | 42 |
| 8 | Mario Haberfeld | ZEG iCarros Jaguar Brazil | 16 |
| 9 | Manuel Cabrera | Saudi Racing | 0 |
Drivers' Standings of season 2019/20 (Pro/Am class)
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fajad Algosaibi | Saudi Racing | 171 |
| 2 | Adalberto Baptista | ZEG iCarros Jaguar Brazil | 109 |
| 3 | Paul Spooner | Saudi Racing | 87 |
| 4 | Zhang Yaqi | Jaguar China Racing | 42 |
| 5 | Chao Sun | Jaguar China Racing | 26 |
| 6 | Mashhur Bal Hejaila | Saudi Racing | 19 |
| 7 | David Cheng | Jaguar China Racing | 0 |
| 8 | Ahmed Bin-Khanen | Saudi Racing | 0 |
