Rookie Jake Hughes is delighted to be back in the car this weekend at the inaugural São Paulo E-Prix, after the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship took a four week break following the most recent round in Cape Town.
This weekend’s inaugural race in Brazil is the third consecutive new venue, meaning Hughes will enter the sixth round of the season with as much experience of the circuit as everyone else. The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team driver has been one of the stars of the season so far, with the rookie having often been towards the front of the field. So far this year he’s finished in the points at four of the five completed races, with his only retirement having come in India.
The new venues haven’t been too kind to Hughes in the last two rounds, with the Briton having crashed in India following a bizarre incident, before hitting a wall during qualifying in Cape Town. Hitting the wall at the opening corner in South Africa somewhat ruined his weekend, as he struggled to climb any higher than tenth. The four week break will have likely been a blessing for the rookie, who admitted ahead of this weekend that “everyone needed the break”.
With Hughes having had plenty of time to rest and reflect on the start of the season, the British driver is “feeling quite confident” heading into Brazil, a country he’s “always wanted to visit”.
“I’m really looking forward to getting back in the car after a month off. I feel like everyone needed the break after such a hectic first two months of the year. Looking back at those first five races it’s been very positive overall, although you can always do better. The key thing has been our performance so far this year, both from the team and myself. It’s been very strong and we’ve attacked everything with the right work ethic.
“If we keep doing that I’m sure we will capitalise more and more throughout the season. The track in Brazil looks very different to what we had previously in Cape Town, and it will be a challenge. I’m feeling quite confident going there. I’ve always wanted to visit Brazil, so getting the opportunity to race there in front fans will be very special.”
“We have good momentum going into this weekend” – René Rast
On the other side of the McLaren garage, René Rast enters São Paulo on the back of a strong performance in South Africa, where he finished fourth despite having started tenth.
The German has shown rapid pace at the vast majority of the races this season, with him currently sitting seventh in the Drivers’ Championship as a result. A strong weekend in Brazil could see the McLaren driver elevate well into the top five in the standings, given that he’s currently only twelve points behind Jean-Éric Vergne in third.
His return to Formula E has so far gone very well this campaign, with Rast having finished in the top five at the three races he’s finished. Another strong race this weekend will likely see the McLaren driver tipped as a title outsider, something which actually might work in the German’s favour.
Looking ahead to this weekend, Rast is just as excited to be visiting Brazil as Hughes is, with the German admitting that he feels “very fortunate” to be able to race this weekend in a city with “so much legacy”. He’s confident that McLaren should have pace this weekend given that he’s built some “good momentum”, something he’s looking to further build upon in South America.
“I’m really looking forward to racing in Brazil. I’ve never been there before, and I’m very excited to see the country and São Paulo. There is a lot of history of motorsport in the city, Formula 1 has raced there for many years, so I feel very fortunate to be competing in a place with so much legacy.
“I think we have good momentum going into the weekend, and have been quite strong during the last few races. We have good pace in Qualifying and the race, which is very promising. Hopefully, we can collect some more points there.”
