Circuito Cittadino dell'EUR, Saturday 15 July - Sunday 16 July

Hear from NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers René Rast and Jake Hughes, and Team Principal Ian James after the Rome E-Prix.

Round 13

"Today was a tough day. I qualified P5, so was in a good position when starting the race. The first few laps of the race were good. I was running in P3 with good energy and a strong car. It felt like we were fighting for a podium. Then, the red flag came out, and during this time we had an issue which we couldn’t rectify in time to get back out in the race. It was a frustrating end to the day, especially since we started in such a strong position. The whole team have been working so hard and deserve a good result. Tomorrow is a new day and I hope we can come back stronger."

"It has been a frustrating day for the whole team. As is the way with Formula E, it can be fine margins between having a good day or a bad day. The team did well to correct the car balance between FP2 and qualifying. My first lap in qualifying, which was P3 at the time, felt much better and I was much happier with the car. It was a shame that we couldn’t show it for the rest of qualifying due to my crash. The track here is very bumpy, which caught us out in qualifying, and the damage meant I had to miss the race. I’m very thankful and very appreciative of team, who have been and will continue working tirelessly to fix the car ready for tomorrow."

"An absolutely chaotic day here in Rome has concluded with neither car finishing the race. While it is difficult to overstate how disappointing this is for the team, there are a number of points from which we can take comfort.

“First and foremost, despite the severity of the various incidents, Jake walked away unscathed from his shunt in qualifying and all drivers involved in the crash during the race were also unhurt.

“Secondly, the pace of the car was strong both in qualifying and in the race itself. So, although the frustration regarding the end result is palpable, we know that we have a strong package which will enable us to fight back tomorrow.

“The team is already working hard on rebuilding Jake’s car and understanding the issue we had on René’s car in order to contain it. There isn’t one individual in the garage who is dwelling on today – we’re fully focussed on tomorrow’s race."

Standings after Round 13

Round 14

"Today was another difficult day. In qualifying, things didn’t go to plan, and we didn’t make it through to the duels. I began the race in P13, and we tried to be conservative and play it safe at the start. Both Jake and I then were involved in a crash at Turn 7 involving multiple cars. I couldn’t avoid it and ended up losing my front wing. I boxed for a new wing, but by the time I went back out on track I had nearly half a lap to make up on the rest of the pack.

"Overall, it was quite frustrating, as we know the pace is there but have had some bad luck. I look forward to London in two weeks’ time, where I hope we can make it back into the points for the team’s home race."

"We had another disappointing day in Rome today. Formula E is a game of fine margins, especially where we have been this year – fighting for pole positions, but not quite having the race pace we would’ve liked. Sometimes you need a bit of luck for things to go your way in races too, which we didn’t have this weekend.

"Today, I didn’t have the smoothest qualifying, but starting P11 wasn’t too bad. After the first lap of the race, I was up to P9, but I was unfortunately involved in an incident which broke my front wing. I had to pit, ended up near the back, and from that point the race became flat out to make up positions on a track that is hard to overtake on. I finished P11, which was close to the points but not meant to be.

"However, I feel like we showed a lot more strength in our race pace compared to races of late, especially Portland. Looking ahead to London, if we can perform to the same level and have a bit more luck, we should be back in the points. Bring it on."

"The last few races have been particularly bruising for the team and today’s race in Rome has continued that trend. Following yesterday’s disappointment, we drew comfort from the fact that our pace has been strong, both in qualifying and the race. However, Rome is a “typical” Formula E circuit – which we love – but there are areas where the risk of collision is high. Unfortunately, both Jake and René were left with nowhere to go in the single main incident of the race, with the ensuing damage forcing both to pit for new front wings early in the race. From there on, the race was well-managed by both drivers and the team, but there was no further opportunity to make up significant ground.

"This is racing and these things will happen, but we need to break the run of poor results we’ve recently endured. And we will. The team know that there is nowhere else to look but within and, with that in mind, focus has already shifted to the season finale in London – a special and important race for the team for several reasons.

"A huge thank you to all our fans for the encouragement you have given us over the course of the weekend. The motivation you provide is extraordinary and I promise that your support will be rewarded soon!"

Standings after Round 14