The 2026 Monaco E-Prix marks Joel Eriksson’s first time racing on the Monte Carlo streets. Having previously been a test and reserve driver in Formula E, Eriksson is very familiar with electric cars, even if he is not familiar with racing on the streets of Monaco.
A childhood dream to race in Monaco
Speaking with Pit Debrief in the media pen ahead of the weekend, the Swede shared his thoughts on taking on the challenge of Monaco for the first time.
“It’s going to be very hard, it’s going to be very tricky. I’ve done a lot of simulator, but a simulator is never really the same thing as the actual car. We’ve done what we could to be as prepared as possible. There is no secret that it’s going to be a very hard and tricky weekend for us. I mean, it’s going to be fun at the same time.
“Obviously, it’s been a dream to race here since I was a kid. I will do what I can to be as quick as possible, but at the same time it’s kind of a, tick the box off, that you’ve raced here and whatever comes out, comes out. Just try to make the best out of it.”
Indeed, Monaco is an immensely special track that racing drivers grow up dreaming about. The legendary Monte Carlo streets require grit and precision as they do not allow for mistakes. Even the slightest error can be detrimental, making it all the more of a challenge, as bravery is rewarded around here.
Envision with a different approach ahead of the weekend
As the Envision driver mentioned spending much time in the simulator, Pit Debrief continued to expand on if the focus in preparation for the track was mostly simulator work.
“Yeah, quite some sim work, but also a lot of information from the team. All kinds of different information really, like driving style and all that kind of things. It’s a little bit of a different mentality here, as everybody is so focused on the qualifying, and the one lap pace of the car instead of focusing on a strong car in the race.
“The whole thing in preparation and mentality is quite a bit different. It’s not only because it’s Monaco, it’s just that the track itself is very hard to overtake. It makes the team look at it in a different way. It’s very hard to overtake, but it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
Monaco is known as a hard track to overtake on across several motorsport categories. Qualifying in the front becomes immensely important and a focus for many. As Eriksson said, the mentality ahead of the weekend shifts. Still, if Envision manage to have a strong Qualifying and good pace throughout the race, they could be in for a great weekend.
Eriksson with strong momentum ahead of the Monaco E-Prix
The Envision driver showed a strong performance at the Berlin E-Prix last time out. Tempelhof saw the Swede with an amazing performance in the second Qualifying and Race 2. After starting on the second row, he demonstrated both speed and precision, even leading the race at one point. He ended the race in P10 and stands twelfth in the Driver Standings.
Pit Debrief asked him about his expectations for the Monaco E-Prix after such a solid weekend.
“I won’t have them too high, to be honest. I know how hard it is for the first time around Monaco and everybody is just telling me not to expect anything. Monaco is such a special track, with all the walls being on both sides, there is no room for any mistakes and it’s a very special place. So expectations, I wouldn’t say they are very high. If we are top five, I mean I don’t think we will be in the top five but if we are further up, that’s awesome.
“But for me, it’s more about being in the top ten when I come to a new track. We all know how tough Formula E championship are and how strong everyone is as well. So end of the day, you need to have both feet on the ground and be realistic, and just try to score as many points as possible because I think that’s a big achievement in a championship like this.”
Although Eriksson’s hopes are not too high, he will put his best foot forward to help the team secure valuable points. The challenge of Monaco might be difficult, however, with talent and effort, the Swede will hope for a top ten finish.
