Nick Cassidy has been confirmed as the replacement for Sam Bird at Jaguar TCS Racing for the 2024 Formula E season.
The long-rumoured departure of Bird – confirmed by Jaguar last week – sees Auckland-born Cassidy leave Envision Racing to take the second seat at Jaguar alongside fellow New Zealander, Mitch Evans.
The Season 9 (2022/23) runner up – who finished 30 points behind series winner, Jake Dennis – was also two points ahead of his new team-mate after the final round in London.
“Looking forward to having Mitch as a team-mate, we have known each other since we were kids and have raced against each other for years, so I’m proud that we will be racing together and hope to continue to put New Zealand on the map in motorsport,” said Cassidy.
“I’m very excited to be joining the Jaguar TCS Racing team for the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and I am looking forward to racing for a team like Jaguar that has such a successful motorsport history,” Cassidy said.
“This season has been my most successful to date, so I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and fight for points, podiums and wins.
Bird, who finished eighth in the Season 9 standings, was with Jaguar for three seasons, where he scored 233 points across seven podiums and two wins.
In his final season with the team, his best result was a second place in Berlin last April, against Evan’s record of four wins in each of the previous two seasons.
Cassidy also recorded four wins in 2023, following his breakthrough victory at New York in 2022.
“Since joining Formula E he [Cassidy] has gone from strength to strength and his 2023 season was very impressive. Nick was highly motivated to join the team and we are proud to welcome him into the Jaguar family,” said James Barclay, Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal
“We head into the new season with one of the strongest driver line-ups on the grid and paired with the Jaguar I-TYPE 6 and our talented team we will be looking to once again challenge for both the Drivers and Teams World Championship titles.”
The 17-round Season 10 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship begins on January 13, 2024, in Mexico City.