Mitch Evans hopeful of Monaco boost as strange Formula E 'unknown' remains

Mitch Evans is hopeful that this weekend's Formula E double-header in Monaco will finally offer him "answers" as to why his one-lap pace has been poor this season, something which, for now, remains an "unknown".

The departing Jaguar driver has historically been one of the strongest qualifiers on the grid but has faced major issues with one-lap performance throughout 2026.

The New Zealander has made just one duel appearance this campaign, coming back in January in Mexico City, before going on to fail to score a point.

Despite his struggles over one lap, he has secured two victories from the opening eight rounds, leaving him just three points adrift of Pascal Wehrlein in the drivers' standings.

Evans does have a genuine shot at a maiden drivers' championship, although he has previously acknowledged that his qualifying struggles must be solved in order to challenge for the crown.

His hope is that the issue can be resolved at the Circuit de Monaco, where Evans secured victory two years ago in what remains arguably the biggest highlight of his decade as a Jaguar driver.

Evans has qualified in the top eight in four of the last five races in the Principality, giving him confidence that his one-lap issues can finally be solved, regardless of whether the problem persists at the iconic venue.

Asked how crucial one-lap pace is in Monaco, Evans told RacingNews365 during an interview: "Very. It's still a bit of an unknown as to why I'm lacking [one-lap pace] this year. Last year, here in FP3 before it rained, I was quickest and, on top of that, I'm always good around here, so at least I'm coming to a track that I know suits me.

"So we just need to try and understand, if it does continue this weekend, why that is. We've got last year's information. Obviously, we know what setup we ran here, so I don't think it's going to be a concern. But I've been at tracks where I'm generally strong [in the past] and I've been weak there this year.

"So until qualifying happens and we see exactly where we stack up, it's kind of hard to judge. I guess in practice we're getting a fairly good idea anyway.
"But yeah, look, I think it's going to be tight anyway. It's the fourth year of this generation of car, so I think most guys are pretty handy around here as well.

"I'll know quite early. I think this is a really good place for me in terms of understanding exactly where I'm lacking or what I need from the car. So I hope we can get some answers this weekend or fix some of the issues that I've been facing."