A Nick Cassidy error and time penalty for Mitch Evans meant Jaguar threw away victory within the Portland E-Prix, permitting Antonio Felix da Costa to take back-to-back System E wins.
Championship chief Cassidy was heading in the right direction to take his third win of the season and with it, put one hand on the title on the Portland Worldwide Raceway.
However on the penultimate lap and within the lead, the Kiwi ran large by way of the quick left of Flip 10, placing him offline by way of the following sweeping proper that despatched him right into a spin as he completed out of the factors.
Evans had been instantly behind his team-mate and took the chequered flag first on-the-road, however the Kiwi had been handed a five-second penalty for an earlier collision with Jake Hughes.
It meant Evans, who had began on pole, slipped right down to eighth within the closing classification as da Costa claimed one other win having secured victory final trip in Shanghai and which additionally makes it three wins from the final 4 races.
Cassidy had decisively taken the lead on lap 23 from da Costa having run beneath the radar for the opening phase as he circulated on the fringes of the highest 10 so as to save vitality.
He solely hit the entrance for the primary time on lap 12 after beginning in tenth, and instantly took his first Assault Mode earlier than taking his second activation on lap 17.
Rejoining second, the tempo of the main runners noticeably elevated as Cassidy and da Costa swapped positions a number of occasions over the next laps, with Evans conserving a watching temporary.
Phil Ingram, Head of Efficiency, Jaguar TCS Racing, Nick Cassidy, Jaguar TCS Racing
Photograph by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
However in the beginning of lap 24, Evans swept to the skin of da Costa at Flip 1 and moved forward of the eventual race winner, and now instantly behind Cassidy.
Any probability of victory for Evans, although, had all however evaporated earlier within the race after making contact with Hughes on the again straight.
The contact broken Evans’ entrance wing and led to the McLaren driver struggling a puncture as Evans was handed a five-second penalty.
Regardless of being beneath no instant risk for monitor place, Cassidy started to take defensive traces within the build-up to his mistake.
Cassidy’s error and ending place of nineteenth supplied the proper alternative for Pascal Wehrlein to shut the 25-point hole to his title rival.
However the Porsche driver did not function within the main group for a lot of the 27-lap race, turning into the ultimate driver to take each Assault Modes, and will solely end tenth to cut back Cassidy’s factors result in 24 factors.
The German additionally stays beneath investigation for an alleged collision with Maserati MSG’s Maximilian Guenther in the course of the race.
Categorised second, Robin Frijns had featured amongst the main runners for a lot of the race because the podium was accomplished by DS Penske’s Jean-Eric Vergne, who had climbed from 14th.
Mahindra’s Edoardo Mortara, Nico Muller (Abt) and Andretti’s Jake Dennis accomplished the highest six, the reigning champion having featured in direction of the entrance within the early operating earlier than slipping again within the pack.