With the 2021/22 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship all wrapped up, it's time for the post-season analysis. With valiant efforts from all teams on the grid, it was Jaguar TCS Racing who put up a fight to the bitter end, while Envision Racing and Avalanche Andretti Formula E team placed better than predicted. Here we look back at the highs, lows and blows from the fourth, fifth and sixth-placed teams in Formula E.
4th - Jaguar TCS Racing
If there's ever a team in Season 8 that deserved top marks for effort, it was Jaguar TCS Racing. Fronted by Driver's Championship hopeful Mitch Evans, the Kiwi carried the team through the season while his teammate Sam Bird chipped in valuable points when needed.
Starting strong, it was Sam Bird who collected 12 points in Round 1 in Saudi Arabia with a fourth place finish while Evans picked up a point for 10th. From there, the British team's early season success ran out until Rounds 4 and 5 in Rome, where Evans pulled off a miraculous double victory over the race weekend - a performance that would put him in contention for the Driver's Championship title. With such a strong car on the technical and rough Rome circuit, Jaguar's engineering team enjoyed the spell of hard-earned success in the Eternal City.
Following on from Rome, Evans ended up second in Monaco after starting on Pole, hauling in 21 points for the team before both drivers finished the first round in Berlin within the top ten - Evans fifth and Bird seventh. Another victory for Evans followed in unfamiliar surroundings as the Championship landed in Jakarta, Indonesia, which was promptly followed by a third in Marrakesh.
With fond memories of New York City for Bird, the two rounds in the city yielded another 31 points for the team, standing them in good stead for the final stretch in London and Seoul. With Evans still in contention for the Championship title going into the final two rounds, the Kiwi put his all in and pulled off a remarkable victory in the penultimate round in Seoul, bringing in 25 points while teammate Sam Bird was out due to injury. In his place stood Norman Nato, who managed to place 13th and 14th over the two days in South Korea.
Alas, Evans best efforts were no match for Mercedes-EQ, ROKiT Venturi and former champions DS TECHEETAH as the team's title fell to Mercedes for the second year running.
5th - Envision Racing
With a strong driver line up in Robin Frijns and Nick Cassidy, the Envision Racing claimed a total of five Fastest Laps over the season - more than any other team. Securing points in all but three races, both the privateer team and drivers punched above their weight in Season 8 with one win and six podiums collected over its 2021/22 campaign.
The team scooped double figure point totals in more than half of the races, with Round 11 in New York City marking the highpoint for the UK-based team. With Cassidy taking his maiden win in a fraught first race in New York City, Frijns followed up with a third place finish making it a double podium. Despite crashing out due to a rain storm, Cassidy held on to his race victory with the result being taken from the classification one lap before the Red Flag finished the race early. For Frijns, the Dutchman managed to miss the carnage completely, controlling his car through the waterlogged track and across the line.
After Cassidy's win, the Kiwi picked up another podium with a third place finish in Round 13 in London, while both drivers brought home points in the Seoul doubleheader to finish the season - and the team's 100th race - on a high.
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6th - Avalanche Andretti Formula E
Trailing Envision Racing by 44 points was Avalanche Andretti Formula E who rounded off Season 8 with a total of 150 points - made up from one win and four podiums.
Leading the team was British driver Jake Dennis, who secured the team's only win of the season at his home race in London (Round 13) after starting on Pole and clinching the fastest lap. The Brit replicated his victory in London last season, rising to the top of the pack in London's Docklands once again in July, while his teammate Oliver Askew secured fourth - his highest finish in Formula E yet.
Carrying his fine form into the second day in London, Dennis once again secured Pole only to slip down to second during the race, in which he also secured the fastest lap. Just missing out on the Grand Slam in front of UK fans, Dennis went on to finish the season with another podium in the final round in Seoul, while Askew rounded off the season with a fifth place finish in the same race.
Had it not been for a dismal lull between Round 3 and 12, during which the team only managed to collect 22 points, Andretti could have been in with a chance of securing its first Team's Championship title. With a strong finish to Season 8 and Dennis signed up for Season 9 and beyond, time will tell if the US squad can carry its form through to the new Gen3 era.