Motorsport: Marrakesh track test for Evans

Mitch Evans. Photo / Photosport.nz

Mitch Evans will have a pretty good idea if he can be a Formula E championship contender after this weekend's round in Marrakesh, Morocco.

The 23-year-old claimed his Panasonic Jaguar Racing team's maiden podium finish at the season-opening round on the streets of Hong Kong before Christmas but will run into a different track at round two.

"Hong Kong was quite an extreme circuit in terms of how narrow and tight it is, how short the lap was and how many surface changes there were," Evans told the Weekend Herald.

"Now we go to Marrakesh, which is almost a permanent circuit. On television it will look like any other street circuit but it is very much permanent in that the World Touring Cars race there and there are other championships that go there.

"It is one surface so a consistent grip level. It is long - about 3km long, where Hong Kong was 1.8km. You are almost on full throttle the whole time so it is at the other end of the scale from Hong Kong."

Evans' car was exceptionally quick with its one-lap pace but wasn't quite as dominant in race mode so he is hoping a few tweaks for Marrakesh will help improve that aspect of his car.

He's hopeful of a competitive showing in the African leg of the championship as it should bode well for the year ahead.

"The pre-season test venue in Valencia was more similar to this circuit and we were competitive," he said. "We hope we can be competitive this weekend so we know we have a well-rounded car that will work on any circuit we are going to come up on this year."