"Can't tell how sad I am" - Collision with Antonio Felix da Costa shatters Nick Cassidy's title dreams

It only took a few seconds for Nick Cassidy's world championship dream to burst like a soap bubble: entering turn 15, he was still in third place with two attack modes completed and an energy advantage. However, an unexpected crash - with Porsche driver Antonio Felix da Costa of all people - ended his title dreams and, a little later, his race as well.

Nick Cassidy undoubtedly had the best position of all three championship contenders in the final phase of Sunday's race in London. Although he was behind Mitch Evans and Pascal Wehrlein on the track, they both still had to get both attack modes. In all likelihood, this would have allowed him to overtake them again to take the race win and thus the world championship title. But suddenly he was seen crashing near the pit lane entrance. The radio message came virtually in real time: "Da Costa has crashed into me." So what had happened?

"Nick Cassidy had more energy than Pascal Wehrlein and then suffered a puncture," said Jaguar team principal James Barclay on Formula E's TV world feed shortly after the race. "We still have to work through the incident, but Antonio was seen hugging Nick after the race. So it probably looks like he took him out of the race in a championship-winning position."

Cassidy: "Completely out of my control"

In fact, it was Felix da Costa who touched Cassidy and slashed his tyre, albeit two corners earlier in turn 16. The TV picture clarified this during the race. It was minimal contact, but it was enough to damage the tyre.

The situation had a special taste to it, because after all, it was the strongest competitor of his team-mate Pascal Wehrlein, of all people, who Felix Costa had taken out. On the Portuguese driver's onboard camera, however, it looked as if Felix da Costa had simply misjudged his own duel and accidentally slid into the Jaguar. Speculation.

Absolute heartbreak for @NickCassidy_ ?

The moment the title contender was knocked out of the running for the championship.@Hankook_Sport #LondonEPrix pic.twitter.com/PhTTbbnajM

- Formula E (@FIAFormulaE) July 21, 2024

"That was completely out of my control," says a dismayed Cassidy. "I can't tell how sad I am." He did not apportion blame. Just seconds after the end of the race, the two friends Cassidy and Felix da Costa were seen standing together in the Parc Ferme, which is why it can be assumed that it was indeed an oversight on the part of the Portuguese driver, for which he immediately apologised.

Cassidy unhappy with Jaguar's attack-mode strategy

Cassidy not only blamed the collision for his retirement, but also the team that had put him in this position with its strategy. By activating both attack modes early on, he had fallen behind Wehrlein and Evans and found himself in a situation where he had to defend himself against drivers such as Felix da Costa, Oliver Rowland and Maximilian Günther. At the same time, he was also better able to save energy.

However, he did not agree with this strategy: "I said to the guys before the race that there was only one way I could not win the race, and that was the attack mode. I was told by the team that something was going to happen and I should get my attack mode." Cassidy alludes to the fact that Evans was supposed to activate his attack mode at the same time so that Cassidy would not lose a place. "But that didn't happen, and it wasn't a point in the race where I wanted to take it."

During the race, he radioed his race engineer: "I don't care who hit me, I should have led the race. I trusted your decision. Otherwise I would have stayed in front and driven at full throttle to the end. It was simple, mate. Simple. I activated attack mode to help you, not to help myself."

In the end, Cassidy came away empty-handed on Sunday, which could give the New Zealander's fans a strong case of deja vu from last season, when he also lost the title in London. Cassidy therefore ended a strong season in third place overall.