NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes reflects on a successful start to his rookie year in Formula E, the steps that got him there and his expectations for the rest of the season.
Currently sitting ninth in the championship, with a pole position and four points finishes to his name, the start of the Gen3 era could not have gone much better for Briton Jake Hughes, who has been one of the standout performers in the series.
Motorsport Week sat down with Hughes during Formula E’s break to discuss his season so far and the moments that got him there.
Hughes made the decision to leave the Formula 2 paddock in late August to concentrate on his duties with Mercedes EQ and securing a seat on the grid in 2023. The 28-year-old was connected with several empty seats on the grid before confirming the drive with NEOM McLaren.
Whilst having success with rookie team VAR, a positive COVID test was the catalyst that led him to the decision to leave the series.
“I think the fact that then I tested positive for COVID just after Red Bull Ring cemented it for me because I was going to have to miss the next two races in Paul Ricard and Budapest anyway,” he said.
“Then we had the summer break, but Formula E was having its last race in the second weekend of August. So, it was almost the perfect time to call it there, concentrate on going to Seoul in Formula E, chat to the necessary team bosses and get the agreement in place.”
Despite having worked with Mercedes and their customer team Venturi for the past two seasons, Hughes did not have a confirmed drive when he decided to leave Formula 2. However, his role as the team’s reserve driver kept him occupied.
“I was always extremely busy on the simulator in Formula E which was taking a lot of effort to do both programmes.
“If I was fighting for the championship and even the top five or something like that it probably might have been worth finishing.
“I was 80-90% of the way there in terms of getting on the grid in Formula E, I tested positive for Covid and it all came into one in terms of making that decision.”
Hughes has massively impressed and exceeded expectations in his first five races in the championship, putting together an impressive display for a rookie.
His strenghts have been particulary evident in qualifying, where he earned his first pole during the Round 3 Diriyah E-Prix. The Birmingham-born driver cited his success in qualifying to be a lot down to his knowledge of the McLaren package.
“When I arrive in qualifying in Formula E I feel like I know what I’ve got underneath me more than what I did in Formula 2.
Furthermore, speaking on the success of McLaren as a general after they took over from Mercedes, he said: “Being McLaren and, you know, the team is so successful in its previous guise, I was obviously hopeful that it would continue into the Gen 3 era.
“The surprise element is that we were unsure of what we would have. Gen3 is such a new set of regulations, there’s so much, in terms of setting that package up.”
“Changing from a manufacturer to being a customer team with a Nissan powertrain, we were unsure what we would have and therefore positively surprised that we’re at the front where we’re kind of used to fighting as a team”
Looking ahead to the rest of the season, Hughes said that while he is not one to set goals or expectations for himself, he is certainly looking to continue the positive form he has started the season with.
“As a bare minimum, I would like to make sure I finish in the top 10 in the Drivers’ Championship. My goal, I’d say, if I have one, is to get on the podium sooner rather than later and hopefully try and win a race.
“I know if I do that and finish in and around the top five in the Championship my first year, I’ll go into the off-season extremely happy with my first season in Formula E.
“I’m still a selfish racing driver, and I have more than enough confidence in my own ability and the team that I’m with to know that, if we manage to extract everything, we can do more. But obviously, we won’t do that unless we extract the best of ourselves.”
Formula E action returns with the inaugural Sao Paulo E-Prix on March 25.
