CUPRA KIRO endured a difficult Race 2 at the 2026 Monaco E-Prix, as the team left the second leg of the double-header outside the points despite another standout qualifying performance.
Dan Ticktum had put the American squad in a strong position by claiming his second pole of the weekend and the third of his Formula E career. He dominated the Qualifying Final against António Félix da Costa, taking pole by almost six-tenths in what marked the biggest pole margin of the 2025/26 season so far.
Pepe Martí also showed strong pace after scoring his maiden Formula E podium in Race 1, but missed out on the duels by just 0.028 seconds and started 10th. Both drivers ran inside or around the points during the race, yet contact and penalties derailed CUPRA KIRO’s afternoon. Martí retired after contact with Nick Cassidy, while Ticktum’s race unravelled after an overspeed penalty under Full Course Yellow and later contact with Jake Dennis, leaving him 14th at the flag.
Ticktum encouraged by Monaco qualifying highs despite race frustrations
Ticktum came away from Monaco with mixed feelings after a weekend that delivered major qualifying highs but little reward in the races. He took pride in CUPRA KIRO’s consecutive pole positions, recognising the achievement as an important step for both himself and the team, yet admitted the race performances left them with work to do.
The Briton pointed to the car becoming more difficult to manage once tyre temperatures rose, while strategy also played a part in a weekend that failed to convert its early promise fully. With Sanya up next, Ticktum said the team would need to analyse where it struggled in race conditions, but still left Monaco encouraged by the pace shown over one lap.
“I have mixed emotions from this weekend. It was an incredible achievement from the team and myself consecutive pole positions, but the races were not ideal. It was a mixture of the car being difficult to drive when the tyres are hot and strategy decisions overall so yeah, just a mixed weekend. We need to go back to the drawing board and figure out why we struggle when the tyres are hot, but I’m very proud of everyone for the double pole and I’m looking forward to Sanya.”
Martí left frustrated after Monaco Race 2 DNF despite breakthrough podium
Martí also left Race 2 of the 2026 Monaco E-Prix with CUPRA KIRO frustrated after a promising weekend ended with a retirement. After claiming his first Formula E podium in Race 1, the Spaniard felt there had been another opportunity to score strongly in Monaco, but missing out on the qualifying duels left him with more work to do from 10th on the grid.
In the race, Martí found it difficult to gain ground and struggled to match the energy saving of the surrounding cars, which limited his ability to fight forward. His afternoon ended after contact with Nick Cassidy while they ran side-by-side, with the pair locking wheels and Martí unable to recover. Despite the disappointment, he turns his focus quickly to the next round in Sanya.
“Not a great race today. Not getting into the duels in Qualifying was sort of a missed opportunity and in the race, we were close to a good result but we struggled a lot. We struggled to move forwards, and we also struggled to save energy relative to the other drivers around us. It sucks to end the weekend with a DNF, especially after yesterday’s podium, but I went into the corner side-by-side with Nick [Cassidy] and he was in Attack Mode so I wasn’t going to defend the position too hard. We made contact, the wheels locked together, and I just couldn’t get out of it. We’ll move on to the next race in Sanya“
O’Hagan rues missed Monaco opportunity despite CUPRA KIRO’s strong pace
Russell O’Hagan, Team Principal of CUPRA KIRO, felt the team had the pace to leave the 2026 Monaco E-Prix with a much stronger result, making Race 2 a difficult outcome to accept. He praised Ticktum’s qualifying performance after the Briton built a rare gap over the field in a championship usually defined by fine margins, which showed the strength of both driver and car over one lap.
O’Hagan also felt Martí had been well-placed to fight for points from 10th on the grid, with his starting position giving CUPRA KIRO useful strategic options in the early stages. The team used his first Attack Mode to protect his place in the race, but his retirement ended what had been another competitive showing after his Race 1 podium. Despite the disappointment, O’Hagan backed Martí to recover quickly and shift his focus to Sanya.
“Today’s race is a tough one to take because based on our pace, we deserved to come away with far more than just three points. From the outset, the car was extremely competitive and Dan’s performance in Qualifying was exceptional. To have that kind of advantage over the field in Formula E, where the margins are usually minimal, is rare and underlines just how strong his pace was.”
“Pepe was unfortunate to narrowly miss out on the duels, but starting from 10th gave us strong strategic flexibility and we were in a good position after the opening phase of the race. We used his first Attack Mode to consolidate his position, so it was a real shame to see his race end in the barriers, especially after such a competitive drive yesterday. Pepe has responded to every challenge so far this season though, and I’m confident he’ll bounce back in Sanya.”
Strong pace goes unrewarded after Ticktum’s Monaco race unravels
O’Hagan explained that CUPRA KIRO adjusted its approach with Dan Ticktum after Race 1, choosing to give up track position early in order to build an energy advantage for the later stages. Ticktum carried out the plan well and underlined his pace once again by returning to the lead after his first Attack Mode.
However, his race unravelled after contact with Jake Dennis forced him into the pits for repairs, removing any chance of converting that pace into a strong result. O’Hagan acknowledged Ticktum’s frustration after another race where the outcome failed to reflect his speed, but stressed that CUPRA KIRO’s performance level remained clear. With Sanya next, the team now wants to use the short break to reset and turn its potential into a stronger result.
“With Dan, we adjusted our approach after yesterday and deliberately sacrificed track position early to build an energy buffer. He executed our planned strategy and showed his pace again by cycling back to the front with his first Attack Mode. Unfortunately, contact with Jake [Dennis] forced Dan to pit for repairs and ended any realistic chance of a strong result. We all sympathise with his current frustrations because race after race, he’s shown that he belongs at the sharp end, even if circumstances haven’t always allowed the final result to reflect that. The positive is that the pace is undeniably there. We have a short break before an intense run of flyaway races, and we want to make sure that we head to Sanya more than ready to convert our potential into the performances we know we’re capable of.”
