After switching to an all-electric motorsport series, a former Formula 1 hopeful says there’s one key thing that he doesn’t miss from the old world.
Ahead of the second race of the Formula E’s season in Mexico City this weekend, former Formula 2 challenger Jake Hughes told talkSPORT he doesn’t even notice the lack of engine noise as he’s preoccupied with the technology in the paddock.
“We got used to wearing earplugs in junior categories to dampen down the sound”, Hughes told the Hawksbee & Jacobs. “You jump into an electric car and all of a sudden, you can hear the tyre sounds and even the fans.”
Hughes spent his junior career racing against the likes of Liam Lawson and Jack Doohan, who’ll make their full season debuts in F1 in 2025.
Hughes made the switch to FE in the 2022-23 season, racing with the NEOM McLaren team. Ahead of this season he joined Maserati MSG racing, partnering 2021-22 champion Stoffel Vandoorne in a totally new-look lineup.
This weekend’s E-Prix will give fans a second opportunity to experience the newly updated ‘Attack Mode’, which debuted in São Paulo in December. The temporary energy boost for taking a wider line around the designated zone remains, with added all-wheel drive capabilities delivering a significant increase in traction.
Speaking about the changes, Hughes added: “We get a lot of overtaking. In a single lap, you could gain four or five places, then lose them again the next lap. I think the fans seem to love it.”
New Zealand driver Mitch Evans utilised his eight minutes of Attack Mode well to claim a thrilling victory from last on the grid in the season-opener in São Paulo. He bagged his third podium in as many years in Brazilian city and as a result, has an early lead in the championship. Former champion Antonio Felix Da Costa was second for Tag Heuer Porsche, ahead of the NEOM McLaren pair of Taylor Barnard and Sam Bird.
As the Formula E circus moves on to Mexico City, drivers have been calling it a “truly unique experience”.
Those, at least, are the thoughts of previous Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi, who’s been racing in the series since its inception in 2014.
“There’s lots of corners. It’s not a very long lap. The exit of the stadium is very bumpy, so you need a car with good stability,” he explained.
“Last year we had a good race, finishing second. I’ve never managed to win here so we’ll do the very best we can. We’ve looked at the data and tried to build on what we did well, but also improve what we didn’t do well.”
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez features the iconic Estadio GNP Seguros, a stadium originally built to house outdoor music concerts which remains a highlight of the season for drivers in both FE and F1.
“When you do the free practice in the morning, there’s not yet any spectators, but when you show up for the race it’s completely full, so it’s an amazing feeling, and you feel lucky to be driving there,” Buemi said.
When asked whether you can hear the crowd from inside the cockpit, the former Toro Rosso F1 driver responded: “You can! In the first few laps, you get quite shocked but it’s a nice feeling.”
In 2024, eventual series Champion Pascal Wehrlein claimed victory, one of just three on his way to the title. He finished ahead of Envision’s Buemi by just 1.1 seconds, and Jaguar TCS Racing’s New Zealand driver Nick Cassidy by two seconds.
Wehrlein comes into the race weekend ninth in the standings, having crashed in Sao Paulo last time out – but he had already claimed three points having qualified on pole position.
The German is a firm favourite for more success this weekend in Mexico – but in the unpredictable world of Formula E, anything can happen…
Listen to exclusive highlights of the Formula E Mexico City E-Prix on talkSPORT2 from 2pm on Monday 13th January and check out the talkSPORT Driving YouTube Channel for behind-the-scenes videos, driver interviews and pre and post-race analysis.