Mitch Evans to spearhead Opel's maiden Formula E season in big new deal

Credit: Formula E

Mitch Evans will be swapping Jaguar colours for the first time in his Formula E career, joining the newly-formed Opel Formula E team ahead of the upcoming Gen4 era.

The New Zealander has been associated with the Big Cat all through his career, having commenced his time in Formula E when the team came into the championship back in Season 3 in 2016. In what came as a major surprise, Evans called time on his tenure at the team earlier this season, the longest of any driver in the championship.

The announcement has been a long time coming for Evans, who expressed his delight on joining the German outfit for Formula E's Season 13:

“I am proud to be an Opel works driver and to be part of this new chapter in Formula E. It’s great that we can finally make this step official.

"After ten years with a manufacturer, it was time for me to take on a fresh challenge. The leap to the GEN4 cars represents the perfect moment to start something new. I immediately felt how much energy and passion Opel is putting into the Formula E project.

"The team isn’t just coming into the series to compete: Opel is here to win, and that’s exactly what I aspire to,” Evans concluded, speaking on the announcement of his Formula E future.

Opel have been building the blocks on their Formula E project ever since their announcement earlier in the season at the Madrid E-Prix weekend.

The German marque will make its debut in open-wheel single-seater racing into the Gen4 era, following in the footsteps of fellow Stellantis-powered Citroën outfit. The team have made big steps behind the scenes, signing former Formula 3 driver Sophia Flörsch as a Development Driver shortly after this announcement.

Opel already holds a portfolio in electric racing, though, with an in-house ADAC Opel Electric Rally Cup since 2021.

They also boast history across sports car racing, dating back to the 1990s and the 2000s when the Opel Corsa cars, apart from their World Rally Championship and the Nürburgring 24 Hours victories across the decades.

However, electric racing presents a strong venture for the brand to grow its foothold in motorsport, and utilise Formula E's space as a testbed in being at the forefront of evolutions in the electric vehicle industry.

Opel team principal Jörg Schrott delivered his thoughts on the announcement, delighted to bring a driver of Evans' calibre onto the team:

“We have already met Mitch on and off the racetrack. In addition to his undisputed exceptional sporting pedigree, he also fits perfectly into our team as a person. After so many years with another manufacturer, he was deliberately looking for a new challenge," Schrott described.

"Now the Opel family and Mitch are taking this next step together. In doing so, we are sending a clear message: We are joining the World Championship to challenge at the front.”

Evans has emerged as one of the form drivers in Formula E, regularly fighting for the championship with Jaguar. However, he is yet to secure a piece of elusive championship silverware for himself, having come close on several occasions.

Season 12 presented one of the strongest opportunities to do so for the veteran driver, and he emerged as one of the strongest contenders. A victory in the wet/dry Miami E-Prix kickstarted what had been a slow start to the season.

Evans then built on this start heading into Jeddah, scoring a podium in Round 4. He would then deliver a stellar drive at the maiden Madrid E-Prix, finishing second after starting down in 16th. A win from 17th on the grid in Berlin took him up to the championship lead, and a big weekend in Tokyo helped him extend the lead.

However, a difficult showing for Evans and Jaguar in Formula E's Asian leg would see them erode the lead in the championships, with the New Zealander left trailing Jake Dennis by two points heading into the London E-Prix weekend.

Yet, despite his difficult showings, the season only served as a showcase of Evans' calibre as a Formula E driver, and gave Opel plenty of reasons for them to bring the stalwart onboard as one of their drivers for the season to come.