Q&A: Lucas on Motivation and Collaboration

Q: It has been a few months since you joined the team but how are you settling in at ROKiT Venturi Racing?

“I’ve settled in very well. I live in Monaco with my family so the proximity of my home to ROKiT Venturi Racing’s headquarters helps a lot. On top of that, we have the same culture and work ethic. We are both very pragmatic and open about trying to improve so we all get along very well. Since I joined I believe the progress has been very good and we have taken a big step forward since Valencia testing in which the car already looked competitive. I’m really looking forward to the new season and I’m excited to go racing with all of Formula E’s new rules and new procedures that we have been working on for the past few months.”

Q: How is the car from your perspective?

“In a way, all cars in Formula E are very similar. The driving is similar, the margins between teams are very close and the differences between packages and powertrains are usually minimal. Coming from another team, I have discovered things that Venturi do that we didn’t do previously and at the same time, I have been fortunate to bring some knowledge from my previous experience. By combining this understanding, we have been able to generate a better package overall and have developed the car well. Working in such a collaborative environment has been very rewarding from my perspective and I believe that the steps we have taken to improve the car – in the face of the extended homologation period and technical regulations – are quite impressive and powerful. I’m expecting us to take a good step forward.”

Q: What are your personal objectives for Season 8 and what do you want to achieve?

“As a racing driver, the objective is to win every single race during the season and then ultimately win the title. Realistically though, winning every race is very unlikely but that is always our mindset - you race to win. At this stage, however, I think we are in a very good position to fight for both the Drivers’ and Teams’ World Championships. Edo is a fantastic team-mate and I believe he will push me forward and motivate me to be the best driver that I can be. He is experienced and fast, he won the vice World Championship last season and he’s also very well adapted to the team, the car, the software and he’s been at the forefront of our development. Season 8 will be a fast learning curve but I want to get consistent results as we start racing in Diriyah. If we can win one or even both championship titles, it would be an amazing year!”

Q: How will Formula E’s new sporting and technical changes impact the championship’s racing product?

“There are quite a lot of changes in the regulations for Season 8. To start, practice is now 15 minutes shorter which means we will have 20% less time to practice in comparison to other seasons. Qualifying is also completely different and instead of running a group format, we will have a duel system that is unique to the world of motorsport. This will make qualifying fairer overall because track evolution will no longer pose a problem for the top drivers in the championship and consistency will be rewarded. In the race, we also have 10% more power with 220kW in normal race modes while Attack Mode is 250kW which is the maximum power in qualifying. This means we will have higher temperatures in the battery, more stress on the powertrain and a higher energy spend which means that we will have to lift and coast more often. The difference between the race mode and Attack Mode is smaller than in Season 7 though so drivers using Attack Mode will have a smaller performance advantage. In races, energy will no longer be reduced during Full Course Yellow and Safety Car periods and instead, races can be extended by up to 10 minutes so energy usage will be more constant. I think these changes will make Season 8 very interesting and with qualifying being fairer, it will be more important to qualify well – the most consistent drivers will be the ones who fight for the title.”

Q: The 2021/22 campaign will mark your eighth season in Formula E. What is it about the series that makes you come back for more?

“The level of the competition in Formula E is amazing. We have fantastic teams, fantastic drivers, and we race in some fantastic locations. That makes the championship very rewarding. The Gen2 car is also extremely difficult to drive because it slides a lot, it’s heavy, it has very little grip and also, it’s challenging to save energy. This motivates me to become a better driver, and from my personal experiences, I haven’t experienced that in any other championship. After Formula One, Formula E is the next in line in terms of prestige and also in terms of difficulty to win. We’re also the most sustainable form of motorsport and the fact that we’re developing new technologies that bring about a better future also motivates me. The better we do and the better we evolve, the better it is for everyone and this series should be at the top of everyone’s agenda. I have said this before but my plan is to retire in Formula E. I want to do a few more seasons, win more races and hopefully, championships, but this series is so special to me.”