Maserati Formula E team principal praises new signing Hughes: "Jake has particularly impressed us"

The Monegasque Formula E team Maserati MSG Racing experienced a thoroughly positive week of testing with its two new drivers in Madrid, totalling 423 laps - the fourth most of any team. While Stoffel Vandoorne finished eighth in the cumulative weekly standings, Jake Hughes came eleventh. Nevertheless, the Brit in particular left a very good impression on the team.

"Due to our previous collaboration with Stoffel (via Stellantis sister team DS Penske), he had a somewhat flatter learning curve, but Jake particularly impressed us with how quickly he got used to a completely new package," says team principal Cyril Blais. "Stoffel and Jake learnt the ropes very quickly and integrated well into the team, even though they had to learn a lot of new systems and processes."

"Of course, these are just pre-season tests, so we have to keep our feet on the ground," warns Blais. "We won't see the true result of our hard work in the off-season until Sao Paulo." Nevertheless, he draws a positive conclusion: "Our pace on one lap and in the race simulations was promising. All in all, I think we did a good job."

Hughes: "We were fast and consistent in every phase"

This impression is also shared by his drivers. "We had a really positive test this week," says Hughes. "We were fast and, above all, consistent in every phase. I enjoyed working with everyone and the team made me feel very welcome - I already feel at home. We still have a lot of data to analyse after the test, and there is still a lot to learn, refine and develop, but I'm looking forward to the season opener in Brazil."

Formula E veteran Vandoorne, who was ultimately the faster of the two Maserati drivers, had a similar view: "This was my first test with the team and it was a long but productive week. We drove a lot, covered a lot of kilometres and learned a lot from it. Part of my week was also about building my relationship with the team and my engineers, and I'm very happy with the current status," said the Belgian.

With the season opener in Sao Paulo on 7 December, the team now needs to draw the right conclusions from the experience in Madrid. This will show how well Maserati MSG Racing is really positioned with its new driver duo.