Envision Racing Team Principal Sylvain Filippi admitted after Sunday’s season finale that winning the Constructors’ Championship is an “incredible feeling”.
Nick Cassidy’s victory in the second race of last weekend’s London E-Prix was enough to secure Envision the Teams’ Championship, marking their first title in nine years.
The Silverstone-based team have come close to the championship before, but have always fallen at the final hurdle. After the first race at the ExCeL Centre, it was starting to look like they were going to buckle under the pressure once again.
Envision entered the final weekend of the 2022/23 Formula E season with a 14-point lead over TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team, who offered little competition in London. The side’s biggest threat came from Jaguar TCS Racing, whom they receive their powertrains from.
Jaguar sat 25 points behind Envision ahead of race one, but suddenly found themselves level on points after Cassidy and Sébastian Buemi collided. Miscommunication by the outfit resulted in an intra-team collision, which ended Cassidy’s title hopes after he was forced to retire.
Jaguar pounced on Envision’s error, with Mitch Evans having stormed to race one victory. It meant the title was wide-open between the two Jaguar-powered teams ahead of the final day of the season.
A Cassidy masterclass on his final day for the team was enough to seal the title for Envision though, after he converted his first outright pole position of the season into a fourth win of the campaign.
As Cassidy crossed the line at a wet ExCeL Centre, an outpour of emotion was seen in every corner of the team’s garage. It was the team boss himself who represented the side on the podium.
Filippi has done an incredible job at Envision, who are deserving World Champions, with the Team Principal having stressed afterwards that he’s “so proud” of the entire team for having claimed their first Formula E championship.
“Thank you. It took us nine years and it’s an incredible feeling,” revealed Filippi.
“It’s been an incredible season, it’s all been so close. An incredible job from the team and as you know we were in very close competition with Jaguar TCS Racing but we’ve had the most amazing car. It’s fast and it’s got us where we are today.
“We issued a team pep talk and chat late last night to regroup everyone. But ultimately our team is very strong and that is why I am so proud of them.”
