Jake Hughes' Formula E debut has been a long-time coming. The Birmingham-born racer has worked towards this moment for several years, but it was only as he walked through the McLaren Technology Centre Boulevard as a McLaren driver for the first time and saw his name branded on his 2023 challenger, that it sunk in.

Jake is no stranger to Formula E, having spent the past two seasons as the Mercedes-EQ Reserve and Development Driver, alongside his junior single-seater career in Formula 2 and Formula 3.

As a Formula E debutant, he could hardly be more prepared, with the combination of those roles giving him extensive knowledge of the series and a history of on-track success in competitive single-seater racing.

Ahead of his debut, we caught up with Jake to discuss how he earned his chance in FE, what he believes he can bring to the team and to find out what he is expecting from the Gen3 era.

You've been working towards Formula E for a long time, so how good does it feel to have a full-time professional racing drive with the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team?

Really good. I'm really proud to be here, it feels like it's been a long time coming. It has been many years of working hard, fighting, and trying to find drives that would point me in the right direction, while trying to get results along the way. To finally be here now is really exciting and something that I have looked forward to for many years.

To be in Formula E, and for it to be with McLaren, is… Yeah, I have got to pinch myself, almost a little bit. I have been a fan of McLaren since I started watching Formula 1 in 2007, when Lewis [Hamilton] was the driver… It is cool to go full circle and see our race car on the boulevard at the MTC, with my name on it.

Throughout your junior career, you've spoken about your target of reaching Formula E. What is it about the series that excites you so much?

The level of drivers and teams is extremely high. Almost every combination of driver and car can win a race on any given day. We race on some of the most challenging tracks in the world. The tracks are very bumpy, fast, and tight, and we race in some really cool cities. I think that the fact that Formula E has raced in New York and London is a big feather in its cap.

Being a part of a championship that can show that electric cars can be exciting, first and foremost, is something I've always looked at from afar. Then in the last couple of years, being a part of the team in this series in its previous guise has really strengthened the attraction of the series to me. I am really looking forward to getting going. It feels real now.

How would you describe yourself as a racing driver?

It's not a driving attribute, but the fact that I managed to get here, given the circumstances and the path I've taken. I am extremely hardworking - I wouldn't be where I am now if I wasn't. I think I'm quite personable as well, which helps me... I've created a lot of friends along the way, which has given me opportunities to show what I can go and do.

On the track, I feel like I'm a different driver to what I am off it. Drivers always say that once we put the visor down, everything changes and I feel like that's no different with me. I feel like I'm a very strong qualifier. In Formula E, you've got to manage energy in races, so I will have to get up to speed with that. I have always found that I am very competitive on street tracks, so I hope that carries over into Formula E.

Diving deeper into your journey to getting here, why do you feel you've earned this shot?

I've done all the hard miles. I've gone about it in a way that I knew this was my goal, to get to Formula E, and since 2018/19, everything I've done in terms of decision-making and the cars I've raced and the people I've been messaging - basically bombarding them, almost begging, sometimes - has all been about getting to this moment. I've done a lot of miles on the simulator and have been a sponge for the last two years in the garage with the Mercedes-EQ team and back at base, learning as much as possible. I feel more than ready for it.

It's now time to go on track and put what I've learned into practice. As a rookie, I don't think I could be any more prepared for my first Formula E season. The team here have prepared me for this moment, and it's a credit to them and to the work we've done together over the last few years.

Ian James has spoken about your work with Mercedes-EQ in the past couple of years. What do you feel you brought to that team, and what can you continue to bring in your new role?

The bulk of my work revolved around the simulator, but as my understanding of FE grew, in terms of how we prepare for race weekends, energy management, and things like that, I have been able to contribute more to the conversations – not only in the garage but in pre-events. I feel like I have become a much better driver in terms of communicating to the engineering team effectively what I need from the car and what I feel like we can improve on.

That is credit to the team ethos that we built – no question and no idea is a bad one – every idea is encouraged, and I feel like I have grown into that role and how I communicate what I believe we should be improving.

What have you been doing to prepare?

We had the test in Valencia, but mostly, it has revolved around the simulator and integrating myself into the team, showing my face around the workshop, and suggesting ideas and areas of improvement. I feel like we are ready for the first race and ready to get out on track. We'll learn lots as we go, and it's going to be a big challenge – a lot has changed in Formula E this year, so we need to be open-minded, hard-working and very quick to react.

Does it help to have a driver with the experience of René on the opposite side of the garage?

It's invaluable. In general, I have always liked the idea of having an experienced racer alongside an up-and-coming rookie. I think that team dynamic works – you've got the experienced driver who can teach the newbie, so to speak. Being that newbie, I will try and be a sponge. René has a lot of experience, and I would be silly not to tap into that. I am very motivated, and I think we should have quite a nice dynamic as teammates. From the time we have spent together so far, we get on well, which is critical, especially in these early few months.

What do you think you can achieve this season?

We'll have to wait and see. The new generation of car is such a reset that we can't know for sure where we will be. I have full belief in the team that we have built, we should be more than prepared to deal with the challenges ahead of us. I've been so impressed with how the team operates in the last few years, and I have no doubt we stand in good stead to get on top of the new car.

There are a lot of clever teams out there and a lot of clever people, so we will have to be very fluid, and we'll have to learn on the fly, very quickly. I have a feeling that we will have a good chance to fight for honours, but we will have to wait and see.

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