While Jean-Éric Vergne‘s first season with Citroën Racing has not gone to plan so far, he believes he can turn things around at the 2026 Formula E Monaco E-Prix if everything clicks into place.
The French driver has struggled with his transition to the new team, currently sitting P15 in the Drivers’ Standings with 14 points halfway through Season 12. Having only scored points in four of eight races, Vergne’s current season-best result is P8. Meanwhile, on the other side of the Citroën garage, teammate Nick Cassidy sits P6 in the standings with 69 points, having already claimed a win, a podium, and a pole position.
Vergne: “Monaco is a special place”
Speaking at the 2026 Formula E Monaco E-Prix pre-race drivers’ press conference, attended by Pit Debrief, Vergne shared his excitement for racing at the iconic Circuit de Monaco with the team for the first time.
“Yeah, definitely. Monaco is a special place to come to. I love the track and you add on top of it the historic elements of that city, it makes it an amazing weekend. Very important for us at Citroën. Obviously, it’s kind of our home race,” he noted, as Monaco is the nearest thing to a home race for the French team.
“We really want to do well here. It will be nice to have a good weekend. I’m definitely looking forward to it and I’m going to give my everything for that.”
Bouncing back from a difficult start
When asked to compare his pre-season Citroën Racing expectations with how things have actually gone after the first eight races, Vergne shared:
“Well, from the team perspective, I think we’re pretty good. We had a win, a podium, and a pole position. I’ve seen none of those things. That was more on Nick’s side, so he’s done very well. On my side, it has not been the best start of the season I’ve had, that’s for sure. But Nick shows that the car can do it, the team has been able to do it. It’s just a question of everything clicking in together.”
The two-time Formula E champion further acknowledged that he has endured a difficult run of form so far this season, but remains confident he can return to the front with the team’s support.
“Everything is so tight in that championship. I’ve been a bit in a negative spiral since the beginning of the year. I just need to get out of it. I have the full support of the team. The pace is still there.”
He added: “Every weekend is that one thing that doesn’t go right and what actually matters, I have enough experience. I’ve been in this situation before. I know I can rectify things and that we can do it as a team. I’m very happy with where we are as a team and I think everything will go back to normality.”
The Monaco experience
As one of the longest-serving Formula E drivers, Vergene has significant knowledge of the challenging Monaco circuit. The narrow 3.3km Circuit de Monaco is regarded as one of the most demanding tracks on the calendar, with its 19 tight turns, elevation changes, and unforgiving barriers.
Notably, the Frenchman claimed victory at the track in the 2018/2019 Formula E season with what was then known as the DS TECHEETAH Formula E Team. When asked about hwat it feels like to win in Monaco, Vergne briefly shared: “It was a long time ago, I forgot. So hopefully you can get to ask me the question after this weekend.”
Beyond the track, the fans in Monaco also create a unique atmosphere, particularly with the “home” support that Citroën will receive.
With this in mind, Vergne continued: “Yeah, for sure it’s nice to see. Then again, we’re in our bubble, especially for that race weekend. So much is happening around. It’s important that you close yourself a little bit from the outside world and that you stay focused on what you have to do. It’s very tempting, there are so many events, so many people, so many stuff. But as a driver, the Monaco weekend is probably the hardest in trying to stay focused. So when you’re driving, don’t really think of all of that. And in a way, it’s maybe better.”
Heading into the Monaco E-Prix double-header with confidence, Vergne jokingly shared that he does not have a post-race celebration restaurant reservation yet.
“If it comes to me, I’ll sort it out,” he concluded.
