McLaren’s Ian James Aware ‘Improvements to be Made’ Despite Return to Form

The NEOM McLaren Formula E Team are targeting a strong haul of points this weekend as the 2022/23 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship heads to Indonesia, for the Jakarta E-Prix double-header.

Rounds ten and eleven are likely to be the most physically demanding of the season, with the heat and humidity set to make life difficult for the entire Woking-based team. They at least head to Southeast Asia having returned to form in Monaco, with rookie Jake Hughes having claimed his second pole position of the season. He backed it up with fifth in the race, marking the team’s first top-five since Cape Town.

René Rast wasn’t quite as strong in Monaco, with the German having finished seventeenth. Hughes at least showed that the British team do have a competitive car; however, Team Principal Ian James did admit ahead of this weekend that there are “still improvements to be made” to exploit its full potential.

“It’s great to return to Jakarta after a few weeks since our last race in Monaco. The fans in Indonesia are hugely passionate and I hope we can put on a good show for them. 

“In Monaco, we secured our first pole position since Diriyah, which was a fantastic boost for the team. However, there are still improvements to be made as we aim to convert our qualifying performance into race pace and podium finishes. 

“This will be our second time racing in Indonesia, and our first in Gen3 machinery. I can’t wait to get back on track!”