Mitch Evans completes multi-year Opel move as frightening Formula E partnership formed

Mitch Evans has completed a multi-year deal to join Opel in Formula E as the Gen4 era awaits, forming a frighteningly talented partnership with rookie Theo Pourchaire.

The New Zealander’s move to the German manufacturer after 10 years at Jaguar was one of the worst-kept secrets during the recently completed campaign, which can now finally be officially confirmed.

Evans joins Opel on the back of missing out on the Formula E drivers’ title once again, and finds himself alongside a driver who was destined for Formula 1 after winning the 2023 Formula 2 title.

RacingNews365 attended an official press conference in Vienna where Opel unveiled Evans as its new driver. 

Team principal Jörg Schrott had outlined on several occasions that the 32-year-old was at the top of its list for an experienced driver and expects him to lead the operation.

"We have secured our dream team," said Schrott. "Mitch Evans was the preferred candidate for our Opel GSE Formula E Team from the very beginning. His commitment once again underlines the seriousness of the entire project.

"We have already met Mitch on and off the racetrack. In addition to his undisputed exceptional sporting pedigree, he also fits perfectly into our team as a person. After so many years with another manufacturer, he was deliberately looking for a new challenge.

"Now the Opel family and Mitch are taking this next step together. In doing so, we are sending a clear message: We are joining the world championship to challenge at the front."

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Evans wore his new Opel colours at the Vienna event and has already tested the team’s Gen4 race car, describing it as a "monster".

It is a move that comes at a time in Evans’ career when he is at his peak, and with several Formula E teams looking hugely unprepared for Gen4, Opel is very much the opposite.

He has moved to a team with huge ambitions and a strong desire to succeed, with its driver pairing arguably one of the most talented in Formula E history.

"I am proud to be an Opel works driver and to be part of this new chapter in Formula E," said Evans. "It’s great that we can finally make this step official. After ten years with a manufacturer, it was time for me to take on a fresh challenge.

"The leap to the Gen4 cars represents the perfect moment to start something new. I immediately felt how much energy and passion Opel is putting into the Formula E project. The team isn’t just coming into the series to compete: Opel is here to win, and that’s exactly what I aspire to."

New faces, a new culture and new colours: Opel is a brand-new challenge for Evans, who conceded how "bizarre" it felt to have different surroundings but insisted that it is a move that excites and motivates him.

"The world championship title clearly remains the big goal for me, in this respect I still have a score to settle in Formula E," added Evans. "That’s exactly why the move to Opel feels like the right new challenge for me.

"Starting a new Formula E generation with a new team and being successful right away is anything but a matter of course, but that’s exactly what appeals to me. 

"I want to contribute my experience from ten years of Formula E and play a strong role in the world championship together with Opel and Théo."