"The stewards sometimes decide this way, sometimes that way" - Mitch Evans frustrated after losing Formula E victory in Portland

McLaren driver Jake Hughes and Mitch Evans from Jaguar collided in the early stages of Saturday's Formula E race in Portland. The consequences for both were immense: Hughes had to pit with a puncture and lost any chance of scoring points. Although Evans crossed the finish line in first place, he received a five-second penalty for the incident and thus lost the victory. After the race, Evans did not agree with the penalty.

The collision occurred on lap 5 in the area of turn 9. Hughes had previously activated his attack mode while in second position and dropped back, immediately in front of Evans. The Jaguar driver got the better exit out of the corner and wanted to position himself on the inside. Although there is little space there, Hughes decided to close the door. Evans touched the McLaren's right rear tyre.

The consequences: Damage to the New Zealander's front wing, but it only affected him slightly. Hughes, on the other hand, quickly faced bigger problems - a puncture. He lost the car as early as turn 11 and had to take the long way round through the grass. On the following lap, he drove into the pits to change his tyres. The race stewards investigated the incident and found Evans to be at fault.

Evans doubts the race stewards' standards, Bird stands by him

In an interview after the race, Evans was frustrated: "It's disgracefull, absolute disgracefull. The stewards sometimes decide this way, sometimes that." The New Zealander had previously spoken to Hughes' team-mate Sam Bird in the Drivers' Room. Bird agrees with Evans and compares the situation with Shanghai, where he touched Pascal Wehrlein: "The stewards shouldn't look at the consequences, they should just take the action and decide. Otherwise it's not fair. I also touched his rear wheel in Shanghai and didn't get a penalty."

If Mitch Evans had not been penalised, he would have won the race ahead of Antonio Felix da Costa and Robin Frijns. This is a bitter blow for the number 9 driver. As he took both the fastest lap and pole, he would have scored the maximum points haul of 29 points. As a result, he would only be six points behind Cassidy in the championship battle. With the penalty, the gap now stands at 27 points.

Hughes relies on the pace of the McLaren for the second Portland race

The McLaren driver has also lost some potentially important points in the championship fight. A good result could have further secured the British team against Maserati and Envision. "Unfortunately, I was hit and that resulted in a puncture, which effectively ended my race," Hughes said in the McLaren press release.

Jake Hughes spent most of the rest of the race almost a whole lap behind the field. A safety car would have brought him back into contention, but he wasn't that lucky. He wants to score points today: "I was competitive at the front of the field, so I'll take that with me for tomorrow." The last Formula E Portland E-Prix for the time being starts at 11 pm CEST.