Rookie Jake Hughes heads into his first Jakarta E-Prix weekend looking to replicate his recent performance in Monaco, where he stormed to his second pole position of the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.
With this weekend being a double-header, Hughes will have two opportunities to claim a third pole position of the year, whilst he’s also targeting back-to-back top-five finishes. After a challenging few races, the Briton returned to his rapid ways at the Circuit de Monaco, with the aim being to potentially “bring back some silverware” in Southeast Asia.
Whilst he’s never raced in Indonesia, Hughes did attend the race last season with Mercedes-EQ, meaning he at least knows how challenging the conditions will be. The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team driver heads to Jakarta in good spirits and with the aim of making the “team proud”.
“I’m really looking forward to returning to Jakarta. I was there last year with the team and it was a really great event, especially seeing how popular Formula E is in that part of the world. The track is really special. I’m looking forward to continuing the positivity we had in Monaco, where our qualifying strength returned and we finished the race in the top five.
“To finish in the top five again is our goal, and if everything goes right, hopefully we can get on the podium. As a double header event, we have two attempts, so I’m hoping we can do the team proud and bring back some silverware.”
“I know it’ll be very warm and humid” – René Rast
René Rast is also preparing for his first trip to Indonesia, with the German “looking forward” to ticking another nation off of his list. Whilst he’s never been to Jakarta, Rast is aware how demanding the weather conditions are, with double-header set to make things that much more difficult.
Whilst Hughes was exceptional in Monaco, Rast was disappointing, with the German having finished seventeenth. He’s now gone three races without a points finish, a streak he’d like to end this weekend.
Rast is keen to “turn things around” this weekend and get his season back on-track, by scoring “some good points” in both races.
“This will be my first visit to Jakarta, I’ve never been to Indonesia before. I’m really looking forward to it, I know it’ll be very warm and humid, so we know what to expect in terms of temperatures. Our last race in Monaco wasn’t the best weekend for me, so I hope we can turn things around in Jakarta.
“The circuit is very demanding – both mentally and physically, so it will be a huge challenge for everybody, the team and the drivers. After two challenging races, I’m hoping to score some good points for the team in Jakarta.”
Credit: McLaren Media Centre