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Evans: FE should try 'radical' variations on attack-mode deployment

Jaguar's Mitch Evans believes ABB FIA Formula E should go "radical" in how it allows drivers to deploy attack mode in races

FE has so far used two activation periods, in which drivers are given an extra 25kW of power, that last four minutes each at each of the five races to date in the first season for its Gen2 car and attack mode.

Teams are only informed of attack mode's exact details - duration, use and activation - an hour before the start of the event in order to prevent outfits simulating the fastest approach.

While attack mode's introduction has added another layer of strategy, teams have become increasingly uniform in their use of the system and the drawback for going off-line to deploy it has yielded mixed results.

The FIA and FE have maintained their stance of being reluctant to vary the use of attack mode so far this season, but Evans argued there is merit to trying new approaches.

"I think we're still trying to find that balance of time loss, position, whether you should lose a position or not," Evans told Autosport.

"No-one really knows if we should lose a lot of places or have no time loss [when attack mode is used].

"I just hope they mix it up in terms of activations we have.

"It's been the same every race and it would be good to do something radical and see if one long eight-minute [deployment], two sets of four minutes, whatever, works."

The location of attack mode has been a talking point at each race this season, although Saudi Arabia was the only race at which the activation zone's placement has been widely criticised so far.

That choice is restricted by the nature of FE's street tracks, as corners need to allow for both a racing line and an off-line alternative through which the power boost can be activated.

Dragon's Jose Maria Lopez said the placement of the activation zone can still be improved.

"I think the position of attack mode hasn't been really great," said Lopez.

"In this race [in Hong Kong] you had to give a lot and risk getting hit in the back, like in Mexico [in the stadium section].

"We are learning from it, it's a particular track and in these conditions we ended up doing a flat-out race.

"We have been a bit lucky at the beginning of the season as the races have been very nice but I think it will be more like [Hong Kong] in some places.

"We will see what happens, every track is different and it's the first season with he attack zone.

"It's been good and not so good in some places."

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