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Jaguar to evaluate four drivers ahead of debut season

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With season three testing around the corner, new team Jaguar Racing have announced four drivers who will pilot the Jaguar I-Type 1 at Donington Park, with the aim of evaluating each for a race seat.

Rumours have it that Ulsterman Adam Carroll is already signed to a race seat with the team, but Jaguar would not confirm the news, only stating that they would use testing to evaluate the drivers ahead of an official announcement on September 8. The former A1GP champion will indeed test for the team, alongside GP2 drivers Mitch Evans and Alex Lynn. English sportscar racer Harry Tincknell will also make an appearance at Donington Park.

With four drivers vying for two seats, it will be down to each individual to state their own case for competing in the all-electric series, but who are these four candidates?

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After a long period in the early years of the GP2 Series, a short spell in the United States and some British GT racing, Formula E could be a single seater revival for Adam Carroll. The 33-year-old Ulsterman took part in the first four seasons of the F1 main feeder series where he raced against current Formula E drivers such as Lucas di Grassi, Nelson Piquet Jr and newcomer José-María López.

After struggling to survive around single seaters world, he had a short spell in DTM back in 2007 and spent the last three seasons racing in British GT. His biggest achievement was the A1GP title racing for Team Ireland (ran by Status Grand Prix), facing other Formula E drivers like Nicolas Prost and Loïc Duval.

Being called up by Jaguar Racing for their electric debut, Carroll was even rumoured to be already signed by the team. His experience and his ambition to be back at top single seaters could make him a strong challenger for season three, providing Jaguar can provide him with the machinery.

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One of the latest rising starts from Oceania, Mitch Evans might be turning his target of top single seaters to electric racing. His career highlight was his GP3 Series title in 2012 by a tight margin against an experienced Formula E driver, Daniel Abt. Evans could never repeat his GP3 performance in the GP2 Series, where he has been racing since 2013 for three different teams (Arden in 2013, Russian Time in 2014 and 2015, and Pertamina Campos Racing in 2016).

Despite his skills, and being backed by Colin Giltrap, an enterpreneur who has supported other Kiwi talents like Brendon Hartley and Scott Dixon, he could never get close enough to Formula 1 and end more than 30 years without a New Zealand driver in it.

Evans seems set to open up from the way to Formula 1 and look for new challenges. Although money couldn’t take him to the top, his talent at the wheel is undoubted. Jaguar knew this and summoned him up for testing. If he can show what he can do in the car and adapts well, we may see him more often around Formula E.

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A member of the Williams F1 driver development programme, Alex Lynn looks to have been destined for a top racing seat since winning the GP3 Series in 2014. The Englishman has made no secret of the fact he wants to be in Formula 1, but with a number of other drivers also vying for the same seat with Williams, Lynn is taking a more realistic approach and evaluating his options elsewhere. A seat in Formula E has been rumoured as an alternative, with his upcoming Jaguar test a promising sign.

A former Formula Renault UK champion and Macau Grand Prix winner, Lynn announced himself to the wider motorsport community when he won three races en route to the GP3 title and graduated to GP2 the following year, winning four races while balancing his time as a test driver with the Williams F1 team.

The Essex racer’s speed is undoubted, with a mixture of youth and natural ability ideal for a new team such as Jaguar. Expect Lynn to be under serious consideration for a race seat in season three.

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Having spent recent years in sportscar racing while competing in the European Le Mans Series and World Endurance Championship, Harry Tincknell is targeting a return to single seater racing having signed up to test for Jaguar.

The Englishman has a solid record in the junior formulae, winning the Formula Renault 2.0 UK Winter Series in 2009 and finishing fifth in European Formula 3 in 2013. Sportscar racing has seen more success as Tincknell won the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 class and currently heads the standings in this year’s ELMS with G-Drive, while also competing in the WEC with Ford Chip Ganassi Racing.

A drive in Formula E would no doubt be popular amongst his many fans and make him more of a household name to motorsport enthusiasts across the world, especially if he were able to convert his sportscar success to single seaters.

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With each of the four drivers having their own impressive records, it will be very difficult to determine who will be selected by Jaguar to lead the charge in their debut season of Formula E. With not only outright speed, but also energy conservation as essential criteria for piloting a Formula E car, testing will no doubt be crucial for Carroll, Evans, Lynn and Tincknell as they set out to prove their worth to the team.

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Topher Smith and Francisco Aure | e-racing.net

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Main image courtesy of Rajan Jangda
Other images courtesy of GP2 Media

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About Topher Smith
Topher is an experienced and passionate Motorsport journalist with Formula E, Formula 1, GP2/F2, GP3 and IndyCar all on his resume. When he isn't at the trackside you can find him furthering his own capabilities and knowledge through his endless search for original ideas and material. Also plays league pool.