Formula E's Jake Hughes on his 'love' for West Midlands home
When he was a teenager, Jake Hughes dreamed about driving really, really fast at racing tracks around the world.About 15 years later, the Formula E driver said that despite enjoying his fast-paced career, he always looked forward to returning home to the West Midlands."It is my home, it's my reference point for where things start and end. It's where I feel happy," he told BBC Radio WM.The 30-year-old, who lives in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, and was born in Birmingham, said he loved the region but rarely meets anyone from the area involved in racing.
"I spend a lot of time with racing drivers and engineers from all different walks of life, cultures and countries but don't actually meet many from Birmingham," Hughes said. "My best friend is a racing driver and we always say the same thing that not a lot of people actually visit here."Hughes currently races for the Maserati MSG Racing, having joined the team ahead of the 2024/25 season after two years with McLaren.
His Formula E stint began in 2022 after years of competing in multiple championships, including Formula 2 and the GP3 series.Hughes said he got into karting when he was about 15 or 16, after becoming a fan of supercars, Top Gear and Formula One.He described the age he got interested in motorsport as "very late" due to most drivers typically starting at about seven or eight years old."I knew already back then how cool of a job it was. Fast forward 15 or 16 years and it's basically been half my life," he added.
He said it was a "very pinch-me lifestyle", describing the nature of Formula E racing as "chaotic", which makes it difficult for him to map out his season."But I've learnt to take it day by day and give my best performance - that should be enough," he said."I feel much freer mentally than I probably used to."Hughes currently sits in 16th place in the Formula E standings with one point and is competing in rounds three and four of the series in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this weekend.
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