Mitch Evans has addressed the problem that saw him fail to start the second race of Formula E's Shanghai E-Prix double-header, with his China "kick in the teeth" continuing.
The New Zealander entered the weekend with a 19-point advantage in the drivers' championship but leaves the Shanghai International Circuit nine points adrift of Pascal Wehrlein.
He qualified second for the opening race on Saturday but slipped backwards to finish eighth, largely due to being convinced there was an issue of some sort that resulted in a complete lack of grip.
Sunday was significantly worse for the 32-year-old, who qualified 14th in wet conditions before failing to start the race.
Ahead of going to the grid on his reconnaissance lap, Evans suffered "a suspected DC/DC issue – a championship specification component as used by all teams."
Explaining what happened, Evans told RacingNews365: "So it was basically when I was strapped into the car that I started noticing, while doing some power cycles, that it was taking more than a couple. I was like, 'Okay, something's a bit off or not right.'
"And then, yeah, it was basically when trying to go to the grid, so I had no idea until I was strapped into the car. So I got out. We were hoping it was just the DC/DC, but it can have a knock-on effect on the battery, so that's unfortunately what happened."
The three rounds in China – with the Sanya E-Prix having taken place a fortnight ago – have been shocking for Evans, who has seen all his momentum completely wiped away.
It has been a stark reminder of how quickly things can change in the all-electric series, with Evans eager to get things back on track in Tokyo in a fortnight.
"Antonio had the same problem in practice in Mexico – identical," added Evans. "When it happens before the race, yeah, I don't know...
"This whole China [weekend] has been brutal for me, and I haven't really done anything wrong. Apart from the wet today, I've actually been pretty quick.
"It's just been a bit of a kick in the teeth, so we're still in it, but obviously the momentum has stopped on our side. We've got to try to turn that around and pick it back up."
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