Pole Position: Jake Hughes had a varied weekend in Misano. Image courtesy of Formula E
NEOM McLaren’s Jake Hughes revealed that the Englishman displayed impressive speed throughout the weekend, qualifying in fourth place on Saturday. However, he was disqualified from the session due to an unarmed fire extinguisher, finishing the race in 13th place.
Hughes made a comeback on Sunday, securing pole position before finishing in eighth place – although a five-second penalty hampered his performance. Unfortunately, this result did not reflect the potential that the weekend initially promised.
“As everyone says, this kind of race allows you to start from anywhere and win,” commented Hughes. “So being in pole position doesn’t automatically mean I’m expected to finish first or in the top three. Each race day is a unique challenge in itself.”
“I received a five-second penalty that, in my opinion, I didn’t deserve. However, the race was chaotic out there.”
Hughes hinted that the Misano circuit provided more chaotic races compared to last year’s Portland E-Prix due to its wider layout.
“It was worse than Portland, which was already quite extreme last year. Except for the straights, most parts of the track in Portland were two by two due to the abundance of grass. This prevented drivers from going off and expecting respect on the inside.”
“Here, there are track limits, entry limits, entry curve limits, and certain areas where you can position your car that you can’t do in many other tracks with concrete walls.”
“In my opinion, it was a bit overwhelming, but it is what it is. If the fans express the desire not to make changes, maybe we drivers need to have a discussion among ourselves. However, I’m almost certain that none of us like it.”
With Monaco as the next race, Hughes, who secured pole position there last year, hopes to be in contention again, especially with the advantage of experience.
“I did well there last year. With my current knowledge of Formula E, if I had the same opportunity last year, I would have achieved better results. However, the track should suit us well.”
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