Nick Cassidy Finds Trust in ‘Super Open’ Citroën Moment in Formula E

Formula E, Sportrik Media - Nick Cassidy has established an immediate foundation of trust with his new team after describing a “super open” mid-race discussion with Citroën during the Mexico City E-Prix, a moment that proved decisive in securing a standout victory and the early lead in the Formula E drivers’ championship.

Cassidy’s move from Jaguar TCS Racing to Citroën has delivered an exceptional start to the season. After the opening two rounds in São Paulo and Mexico City, the New Zealander sits four points clear at the top of the drivers’ standings, having claimed one podium and one victory despite joining a brand-new team and driving an unfamiliar Stellantis Gen3 Evo package.

The scale of that achievement is amplified by the context. Citroën is a new entrant to the Formula E grid, and Cassidy had never previously raced its powertrain in competitive conditions. During pre-season testing in November, Cassidy openly detailed the “mountain” he faced in adapting to a new car philosophy, energy deployment model, and operational structure. Two races into the season, that learning curve appears to have been climbed at remarkable speed.

Both races so far have followed a familiar Cassidy pattern. In São Paulo and Mexico City, he spent much of the race embedded in the midfield, prioritising energy preservation over track position before launching a decisive late attack. The approach paid off emphatically in Mexico City, where Cassidy surged from 10th to first over the final 13 laps.

Central to that result was an unconventional approach to attack mode usage. Following a full-course yellow that later escalated into a safety car, Cassidy proposed running six minutes of attack mode on his first activation, leaving just two minutes for the second. The strategy deviated from the more commonly used split, but Citroën immediately backed the idea when it was raised over the radio.

“Yeah, interesting one. I do think it was a—yeah, let’s say a typical me race, if that makes sense,” Cassidy told RacingNews365.
“It was a bit different taking the six and two [minutes of attack mode], and it was also really cool just to have the team on the same page as me.”

What made the moment particularly striking was the context in which the decision was made. The idea had not been discussed in pre-event or pre-race meetings, and the conversation took place while the field was neutralised, with rival teams able to listen in.

“We were under full-course yellow, and it wasn’t something that was discussed in our pre-event or pre-race meeting,” Cassidy explained.
“I threw the idea out there on the radio. In that situation, you’re a bit stuck, because every team tunes in to all the radios.”

Rather than hesitating, Citroën responded with openness and flexibility, quickly aligning around the proposal and refining its execution in real time.

“But our guys were super open to change and could see where I was coming from,” Cassidy said.
“They had a good idea of when that would be best to do, and we just worked together well. So yeah, let’s say a typical race—but one that I’m proud of.”

For Cassidy, that level of trust was particularly meaningful given his new environment.

“Being in a new environment and being able to make that work like that was really cool,” he added.

The significance of this dynamic becomes clearer when viewed against Cassidy’s recent past. Over the previous two seasons at Jaguar, Cassidy enjoyed considerable success but was also involved in a number of tense and, at times, fractious radio exchanges. By contrast, Citroën’s willingness to embrace in-race adaptability has created an immediate sense of alignment—an essential ingredient for a sustained title challenge.

Cassidy’s Mexico City victory was not secured through strategy alone. The closing laps demanded an exceptional defensive performance against Edoardo Mortara of Mahindra Racing, who retained attack mode after Cassidy’s had expired. Despite the extra power and four-wheel-drive advantage available to Mortara, he was unable to find a way past.

Cassidy admitted he had already accepted the likelihood of losing positions, not only to Mortara but also to Oliver Rowland and Jake Dennis, both of whom also had attack mode remaining.

“And then yeah, at the end, I was surprised to keep Mortara back,” Cassidy said.
“When I got to the last lap, and we were on the same power level, I felt a lot more confident.”

Before that point, however, the situation felt precarious.

“But when he was [in attack mode], I thought I was a sitting duck,” Cassidy admitted.
“I was quite prepared to be P4, with Dennis and a couple of others behind coming too.”

The relief was clear when the chequered flag finally fell.

“So yeah, quite relieved to hold on,” he concluded.

Two rounds into the season, Cassidy’s results have delivered more than just points. They have highlighted a rapid convergence between driver and team philosophy, built on trust, transparency, and a shared willingness to adapt under pressure. If that relationship continues to mature at this pace, the Cassidy–Citroën partnership is shaping up to be one of the defining forces of the current Formula E campaign.