Ahead of the exciting Berlin E-Prix weekend, Pit Debrief sat down with CUPRA KIRO driver Pepe Martí for an exclusive interview. The Spanish driver spoke about his expectations for the weekend, the development of Formula E and GEN4, and his goals for the remainder of his rookie season.
Martí’s expectations for the Berlin E-Prix
After a solid home race in Madrid last time out, the CUPRA KIRO team head into the Berlin weekend on a bright note. Still, Martí maintains the same mindset as he would at any other weekend for the Berlin E-Prix. When asked by Pit Debrief about his expectations for the weekend, the CUPRA KIRO driver said:
“I would say it’s pretty similar to any other event. I think I’m just going to try and keep the same mentality that I’ve had for all the other races, where I mean, it’s gone quite well. There are things that I want to achieve this weekend, such as getting into the duels across one of the two races, hopefully both, in qualifying. Then, if we can aim for a slightly better result than sixth, hopefully it’s top five at some point, it would be really, really good.”
Big changes in Formula E
The latest technological advance in Formula E comes in the form of GEN4. The GEN4 will first be utilised in the next season. While Martí is still experiencing his first year in the series, the upgrade will be exciting for all.
When asked about his thoughts on the development of Formula E, the rookie reflected:
“The main thing that excites me is it’s going to be a much quicker car. That’s something I’m very much looking forward to. This car, you get a lot of detail from the technical side, but on the performance side of it, we’re maybe slightly behind other championships.
“So, it’s nice to see that the car is getting quicker, the car is also getting more efficient every year. I think it’s something that’s going to be very interesting for the championship, also for the drivers, and hopefully popularity-wise as well. Hopefully, the fans enjoy it, and more people get introduced to the sport.”
Settling into CUPRA KIRO and Formula E
Before making the move to Formula E, the Spaniard impressed in Formula 2 for two years. Prior to this, Martí spent F4 and F3 with the Spanish outfit Campos Racing. Ever since the karting days, Martí has been an impressive talent.
This time, the rookie entered the all-electric series with the British team, CUPRA KIRO. Making a move to a new category with unfamiliar faces in a new environment would be difficult for any driver. However, the 20-year-old has handled the challenge with grace. While his speed and grit have come with some chaotic mistakes, the rookie takes every learning opportunity to improve.
Asked how he is settling into the team and the move to Formula E, the rookie emphasised the importance of a good relationship with the team.
“Definitely better than I expected or anticipated. I’ve been with the same team since F4 [Campos Racing], so I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of going to a new team, a British team, so completely different to what I’m used to. Everybody has welcomed me in so well. Everybody’s been so nice to me from the very beginning. They sort of pushed to help me be as ready as I can be for any event or every weekend.
“To be fair, everyone is just doing their job so well that it makes my job easy. I just have to pull up to the race weekend, do as best as I can, and I’m 100 percent confident that the team does their job well, and that gets us good results. So, it’s honestly just a nice group of working people.”
Marti’s goals for the remainder of Season 12
After six rounds conducted, the rookie sits twelfth in the standings with 19 points. Martí has been successful thus far in his maiden season, demonstrating impressive performances and pace. His best finish yet was a P6 in Jeddah, and the rookie remains hungry for a higher one.
When asked about his goals for the remainder of the season, Martí said he hopes for a top-five result soon. With steady improvement and continuous process, Martí will likely see that top five in the near future.
“Definitely to get a top five, that’s the main goal in terms of being ambitious where I want to go, is to get a top five. Hopefully, get a podium in the future, but being honest, I’ve tried to maintain the same goal from the very first race of the season, which was I want to get 50 percent of the races in the points. That was my main goal, that was what I sort of had my mind set on.
“Now it’s being complete, I’ve scored in four out of six races, but there is still 11 more races to go. There’s still a lot more things to take into account, tough tracks like Japan, tough tracks like London, which are going to be quite harder to make up positions in the race. Not like in Sao Paulo where you could be 15th and then by the end of the race find yourself on your way up to top five. I think it’s going to be quite hard to maintain that. So, I want to maintain my expectations relatively low, average, and sort of then surprise myself because I know that we can do a good job.”
Growth as a driver for Martí in Formula E
While the Formula E season still has a long way to go, Martí has impressed so far. With solid results in the first few rounds, the CUPRA KIRO driver’s steady progress is bound to continue. When asked what his biggest area of growth as a driver has been, Martí reflected:
“Probably communication because it is very hard to express what you’re feeling in the car, and even more so here. You have so many sensors, so many systems that really reflect what’s going on in the car. Like for example, if I go into the traction control, or the way that we cut torque and stuff like that on throttle, being able to determine what causes it and find a solution for it is very, very important. The team needs good communication from the driver to be able to find the reason for it, and also to find a solution. I’d say that’s definitely the hardest thing that I’ve found in terms of team communication when I came in, and something that I’ve improved a lot since I arrived.”
With the action commencing at the Berlin E-Prix, Martì will be hoping to find himself back in the fight with higher finishes and bigger gains.
