Saturday, 13 April 2024

Hear from NEOM McLaren Formula E Team drivers Jake Hughes, Sam Bird, and Team Principal Ian James after Round 6 in Misano.

Free Practice 2	1:17.502	P2
Qualifying	1:17.425	P22*
Race		P15

*Jake initially qualified P4 but started the race from the back of the grid following a disqualification from the session, due to his car not being in compliance with the Technical Regulations.

“What could have been a very positive day, unfortunately ended on a little bit of a sour note. I didn’t manage to execute the lap I wanted in the semi-final, and then the disqualification put me at the back of the grid, was difficult. The race itself had a lot of pack-racing, and you have a lot of winners and losers in these types of races. Starting from the back of the grid trying to get through means you have a high chance of picking up damage, which is how my race ended up. The team did a mega job giving me a car that was good enough to be in a position to qualify well and it’s a new day tomorrow. We have a car good enough to get to the front of the grid, so I’m looking forward to making that become reality.”

Free Practice 2	1:17.975	P9
Qualifying	1:17.731	P6
Race		DNF

“Today was unfortunate for me, I had a puncture on the rear left tyre which I couldn't do much about, and it ended my race. I was leading in parts and at points I thought being in the top 5 would have been on the cards, but it was a different type of racing out there today with lots of contact. Sometimes, motorsport can be that way. We’re looking ahead to tomorrow now. We’ve got a good car and the team have already been working hard to get ready.”

“The first race in the double-header weekend here in Misano has been one of the most difficult for the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. This was despite a particularly strong qualifying performance today, which saw both cars make it into the duels. From here, we should have been in a position to capitalise on the performance. However, through an error which resulted in Jake starting from the back of the grid, and later on the chaos of the race itself, we have failed to bring either car home in the points.  

“As a team, we will not look for excuses, but learn from this experience and put measures in place to ensure that we can deliver the targeted results in the future, as early as tomorrow’s race. The next opportunity comes tomorrow, with the second race here in Misano. A shorter race distance will result in a different race profile compared to today’s, but many of the challenges remain the same. To this end, the hard work has already started in the pursuit of a much more positive outcome.”

Championship Standings

NEOM McLaren Formula E Team: P7 (55 points)

Sam Bird: P9 (37 points)

Jake Hughes: P14 (8 points)