'Great friends' Cassidy and Evans confused by rivalry claims

Jaguar Team Principal James Barclay has quashed any suggestions that Nick Cassidy and Mitch Evans are rivals, with the duo in fact being "great friends".

The claims that the pair are rivals has developed from the duo being title contenders in Season 9, whilst they also dramatically collided in Rome last summer – Evans launched over the top of Cassidy. Unsurprisingly, Cassidy switching from Envision to Jaguar was the biggest move of 'silly season'.

Theories were quickly drawn up that the move would create tensions amongst the Coventry-based team, when in actual fact, that couldn't be any further from the truth. Cassidy and Evans are good friends and have only had positive words so far regarding their partnership.

Even Cassidy's sublime start to Season 10 – he leads the championship – hasn't frustrated Evans, who has faced misfortune in every E-Prix so far this season. Of course, with the likelihood being that both drivers will be in the title fight, Barclay is aware that some things in the future might need to be managed.

For now though, all is good at Jaguar, with any comparisons to Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg in particular leaving the team confused.

Outside noise 'natural'

"First things first, we're in a really positive position," Barclay said, after being asked by RacingNews365 if he's ready to manage any potential issues between Evans and Cassidy. "To have two world class drivers in the team, we wanted a driver pairing that would give us a chance of scoring maximum points on any given weekend.

"And that's clear, in Formula E, the level is so high that you have to have two drivers of a comparative level to really put yourself in a strong position to win a world championship. And that is the fundamental goal that everyone in the team, including the drivers is working towards.

"They both absolutely know that their job is to work well together, I think there has naturally been some noise out there. But they are at the heart of it great friends, they've known each other a long time. And like I said, we're all working towards a common purpose.

"So it's no different to every driver pairing in this pit-lane is if those moments come, of course, we'll have to manage it. But yeah, I can honestly tell you the atmosphere within the team is actually fantastic. And that's really good.

"And yeah, there's almost with a lens of kind of slight confusion at times, when it's been made to be anything different. So I'm sure there'll be times when the racing drivers are frustrated if they haven't had their optimum results.

"That happens in every single direction, up and down the pit-lane. But I can honestly say they get on incredibly well, the team is working really well together. And I'd much rather have two drives of the calibre of Nick and Mitch than anything else.

"So that's something we look positively on. Like everything we'll manage anything that arises in time together as a group in the way that we always have, which is really openly, really collaboratively. And again, we're all here to put Jaguar on the top step."