Mitch Evans has stressed that he is "in the fight" for the Season 10 Formula E title, following on from his statement victory last weekend in Monaco.
Ahead of the Monaco E-Prix, Evans was starting to slip out of title contention, following disappointing races in Tokyo and Misano.
His first career victory at the Circuit de Monaco could not have come at a better time, as it has elevated him to just 25 points behind championship leader Pascal Wehrlein with eight races remaining.
Evans recognises himself that his first win of 2024 could not have come at a better time especially as his season has been so mixed so far in terms of results.
"Yeah, honestly, it's come in a really crucial time," Evans told RacingNews365. "I've had a strange start to the season. I've been really quick but when it comes to in the points, I've just had certain things go wrong.
"Even when I got second in São Paulo, I left disappointed, because I felt like I should have won that race."
Had it not been for a de-rate problem on the final lap in São Paulo, then Evans' first win of the year would have come back in March.
In Formula E, claiming a victory as early as possible is vital to be in the championship fight, as outlined by Evans.
"When you're battling for the championship, the earlier you get them [wins] in the season, it kind of changes your mentality a little bit, because you kind of feel like you've got that monkey you want to get off your back, which is that first win," explained Evans.
"And the earlier you do that I think kind of takes a little bit of pressure off trying to force that result. So I hope that helps, between now and the end of the season. But yeah, just obviously now I need to be consistent."
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'Huge fight' ahead
The competition in Formula E is perhaps the highest the sport has ever seen, with drivers from four teams making up the top five in the championship.
It is not just a straight battle between Jaguar, Porsche and Andretti, as Oliver Rowland for Nissan is a real threat this year.
Evans knows that Porsche in particular has made progress but the New Zealander is aware that other teams have also caught the leading sides.
"I'm looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into the next phase of the season," continued Evans. "As a team, we're looking really good. So yeah, looking forward to seeing what it brings, but we're gonna have a huge challenge on our hands.
"The Porsche powertrain is operating better than ever. And some other teams, as I mentioned, in my previous answers, some other teams have really stepped up as well.
"So it's gonna be a huge fight between now and London to try and put ourselves in a position to clinch both championships."
The final eight races of the season will be completed in rapid fashion, as they will be completed across four doubleheaders, starting next weekend in Berlin.
Being 25 points behind Wehrlein in the championship is currently not a huge concern for Evans, although consistency is the key.
"We're in the fight," stated Evans. "That's the main thing and 25 points with eight races left is nothing."
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