After a challenging start to his 2024/2025 Formula E season, Nick Cassidy breathed a sigh of relief as he stood on the podium in Monte Carlo, finishing third in a wet and dramatic second race of the Monaco E-Prix doubleheader.
The Jaguar racing driver delivered a storming drive through the field, climbing 11 places in treacherous conditions and, more importantly, proving that his team’s hard work is beginning to bear fruit.
“Yeah, you’re not wrong,” Cassidy told media including FastestFormulaNews when asked to reflect on the months leading up to this result at the Monaco E-Prix. “It’s already feeling like a big weight off the back, kind of thing. I’ve gone through a run last year like Oli’s [Rowland] going through now, and honestly, it’s been a huge tricycle, being really tough events.”
Reflecting on day two of the Monaco E-Prix
The New Zealander’s start to the 2025 campaign has been riddled with self-inflicted and mechanical setbacks, making this turnaround in Monaco particularly satisfying. As rain blanketed the principality and created a race of attrition, Cassidy kept it clean and made up ground consistently, capitalising on a strong pace and smart strategy.
“We just keep working hard, though,” he continued. “I don’t think, probably Seb [Buemi] can back this up, that we’ve had probably the most competitive car this year, which has been a bit of a shock considering where we were in the last few seasons. And to kind of be in this position with our guys after things didn’t quite work out last year was pretty tough on everyone, but everyone’s kept working hard. We’re starting to show glimpses of great performance, I think.”
The second race of the Monaco E-Prix weekend was anything but straightforward. Heavy rain swept in overnight, drastically altering track conditions from Saturday’s sunny race, which had seen Oliver Rowland triumph. Sunday began with Rowland again taking pole, but Sébastien Buemi ultimately claimed victory from eighth on the grid, bringing home Envision Racing’s first win since 2023.
Redemption for Cassidy
Despite starting deep in the field, Cassidy made a decisive charge through the pack to reach the podium.
“Yeah, look, I mean, my mistake in Miami cost us four points, and that was very amateurish. That’s completely on me,” Cassidy admitted. “I did a similar mistake yesterday in the race, which I think cost us, in the end, what was the one that could be P4 or P5, starting from 19.
“I thought the strategy in the car speed yesterday was really, really good, so it was about time that I didn’t screw things up for my guys. And at the same time, saying that, it’s full credit to Seb [Buemi] and his win today. They share the same car as us.
“We obviously have full visibility of what he’s doing on setup and systems. There was no secret setup or magic bullet on his car. The difference today was Seb, so a huge respect to that.
“And honestly, I’m proud of my race, but when I look at his quality and race, it’s impressive.”
Buemi’s commanding drive was made all the more special by the difficult conditions and a field full of hungry rivals. Cassidy, though proud of his own recovery, was candid in his admiration for his colleagues’ flawless performance.
Lookout to Tokyo
Looking ahead to the Tokyo E-Prix in two weeks’ time, Cassidy remains cautiously optimistic, believing the team is edging closer to unlocking the full potential of the package.
“Like I said, I think we’ve shown that this is a performance. We’re trying to understand why, at times, we’re fighting top three, why, at times, we’re fighting P19. That’s kind of our situation with our car at the moment.
“I think we’re kind of starting to understand where we’ve gone wrong, and if we can put those pieces of the puzzle together in Tokyo, hopefully we’re fighting for them.”
After a season marred by inconsistency, Cassidy’s Monaco podium could be the turning point both he and Jaguar have been searching for. And with Tokyo around the corner, there’s now belief that this resurgence may be more than just a one-off.
