After spending a year away from a full-time seat in Formula E, Jake Hughes returns joining CUPRA KIRO for Season 13. He aims to capitalise on this opportunity and embrace a new chapter with the team.

An Unwelcome Interruption

Jake Hughes has shown no hesitation in sharing how he has missed Formula E. For him, the year-long break from the series was an unwelcome interruption.

”My career was building very nicely, and to have that kind of put on hold for one year was not nice,” Hughes explained.

After spending several seasons competing in the all-electric championship, sitting on the sidelines was not an easy feat.

“I don’t intend to ever have that year away again,” he said. “To kind of get back on the train, so to speak, at the first possible time of asking has been very welcome.”

Returning to the grid as soon as possible has therefore been a very pleasant development, with the new season providing a new lease of life along with a return to the championship that he feels is on the verge of a great new era.

The Long-Awaited Reunion

A partnership began between the team and Hughes when he completed a shakedown for them last season. Hughes remained optimistic that the opportunity may turn into a full-time seat. In the end, the team went in a different direction, but Hughes was convinced they would meet again.

“I was kind of hopeful that would develop into the racing last year, but it didn’t and that’s absolutely fine because that’s professional sport,” he explained.

Hughes mentions a conversation with Team Principal Russel O’Hagan that had been his motivation to solidifying a partnership with the team.

“I always kind of had the feeling or the kind of hope that I would race for this team in the future,” he said.

“When we were doing this one year ago, I said, don’t worry, I still believe I’ll race for you one day.”

With the agreement finally signed, Hughes brought up the previous discussion to O’Hagan, and both laughed at the outcome.

The well-oiled team and the ease of working with them were noted by Hughes while pointing out the prospects in their collaboration with the powertrain of Porsche. To Hughes, the collaboration will be a good chance ”to showcase my talents” and prove himself.

A Year Away

Although racing in other motorsport series kept Hughes razor-sharp, it also served to highlight just what Formula E meant to him.

However, the time away came with benefits that Hughes believes will complement well in Formula E. Competing in endurance racing helped Hughes team up with some of the best drivers and face challenges in new cars.

”I think experiencing other things is always good as a racing driver. It keeps you sharp. It keeps your brain working. It stops you becoming stagnant or even lazy in terms of your work ethics,” he said.

After successful stints in endurance racing, Hughes returns with a newfound confidence in his abilities to perform. The experience has strengthened the Britons ability to adapt quickly.

”That’s added confidence internally to me to know that I can jump onto something new again and be very fast and achieve success and race wins like we’ve had done in the sports car picture.”

This confidence is coupled with an obvious personal ambition. Hughes admits that one of his goals for this season is prove to himself that he can succeed.

”I want to prove to myself that I can achieve what I know I can achieve, which is race wins and championships in the future. And I think I’ve chosen the best possible place to be in Europe for that.”

GEN4: The Fresh Start

As he had entered the series with the GEN3 car being introduced, he has been exposed to the difficulties and the potential that arise in the midst of a technological revolution. There is a similarity between that era and the present one, especially in terms of making the most out of a new kind of car.

Hughes highlights two important factors to unlocking performance: the tyres and the new race format.

”I think the fact that we’re obviously going into this new era with a new tyre as well, Bridgestone, will provide its own challenges,” he said. ”As well, getting used to the new race format, with the Unleashed race, and how generally the racing may migrate compared to what we had in GEN3 will be a key topic.”

He thinks those teams that learn to adapt themselves more successfully will enjoy a head start, and thus being flexible and ready to reconsider their approaches is crucial.

“What we knew before will in some ways still be useful, but we’ll also have to accept that we’re starting from scratch,” he said.

In the eyes of Hughes, cooperation between the driver and the performance engineer will become crucial in particular, especially concerning the car’s active differentials and their impact on the car’s behaviour.

Timing couldn’t be better for the driver who is making his comeback. Hughes will get a chance to influence his team about how it should adapt to the latest Formula E car technology.

Consistency Is Key

Hughes’s mindset is clear – winning has to be the final goal. However, Hughes gives credit to consistency. He believes it might be that key element that helps the best teams take advantage of the new era.

“I think consistency is going to be quite a key word for us this season,” he said.

Although the team has been successful in previous seasons, it is apparent that making its potential into performance will be crucial.

When asked about his feelings regarding pressure to duplicate the success of CUPRA KIRO, Hughes rejected the notion, saying that the pressure he puts on himself is already significant.

“If there wasn’t pressure, you wouldn’t be doing something worth doing,” he said. “So it makes you feel alive in that sense.”

This challenge becomes a positive from the British driver. It motives him, giving him the chance to be part of a team that has been doing well and wants to go further.

In an era that sees the birth of Gen4 in Formula E, Hughes now has a chance to make his comeback count. Having spent a season as a spectator, he is now where he belongs and intends to stay there.