Jake Hughes signs for Cupra Kiro in sensational twist for Gen4 era
Cupra Kiro have announced Dan Ticktum's replacement at the squad for Formula E's upcoming season. Jake Hughes will return to the Formula E grid for Season 13, partnering the incumbent Pepe Martí at the squad for the upcoming Gen4 era.
Hughes last raced for Maserati at the end of Season 11, before stepping aside as the Italian marque left the championship. The British driver then became Mahindra's designated Formula E reserve alongside Kush Maini, ahead of Season 12.
But in Formula E's driver market, you can never count yourself out. Hughes joins the likes of Nico Müller and Max Günther on the grid as returnees, coming back to a full race seat in the championship after a season on the sidelines.
"I'm over the moon to be joining Cupra Kiro. It feels like it's been a long time coming," Hughes said, speaking on his new deal for 2027.
"The team has built the foundations of something very special and hopefully, we can kick on and bring even more success.
Hughes is no doubt delighted to return to Formula E at a time when the championship is heading into its newest regulations set, with optimism and plenty of excitement, believing the new cars had more in line with his skill sets.
"It's very exciting to be heading into a new era with the arrival of Gen4, we'll have fast cars and a lot of technology which I think will suit my driving style really well."
Hughes has good reason to believe in this. Joining McLaren's Formula E outfit for the Gen3 era in 2023, the Briton took a stellar pole position in only his third Formula E race in Diriyah. Despite immediately displaying the pace underneath, he had to wait several races until a maiden Formula E podium came his way at Shanghai in 2024.
The Briton then found a seat at Maserati for Season 11, partnering Stoffel Vandoorne in an all-new line-up for the team. He scored a podium at Jeddah, fighting for second in a last-lap squad with Taylor Barnard's McLaren along the way.
Having moved out of a full-time seat after Maserati's exit, Hughes dovetailed his current role as Mahindra reserve with a stint for Algarve Pro Racing in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) in 2026. The entry claimed victory at Silverstone, with Hughes at the wheel alongside fellow Briton Ben Barnicoat and Matthias Kaiser.
Alongside his full-time race seats, Hughes serves as a test and simulator driver for McLaren's Formula One outfit.
Hughes will partner up with Martí, the top scoring rookie from Formula E's Season 12. The Spanish driver delivered standout performances and outscored teammate Ticktum over the course of the season, with 66 points and two podium finishes to his name.
Cupra Kiro team principal Russell O'Hagan highlighted Hughes' one-lap pace as a major strength, as he replaces the outgoing Ticktum who made the duels on several occasions in Season 12.
"We’re very excited to welcome Jake to Cupra Kiro for the coming season. He brings a wealth of Formula E experience, but also a very valuable background in car development having worked closely with some of the leading teams in both Formula E and Formula 1," O'Hagan expressed.
"Jake’s one-lap pace has always been a real strength of his, and he has an instinctive feel for extracting performance from a car.
"With the arrival of GEN4, having a driver who can contribute both on track and through the development process will be invaluable, and from what we’ve seen so far, the characteristics of the GEN4 should suit Jake’s intuitive driving style very well."
Cupra Kiro have now become the sixth team to announce their driver pairing for the upcoming 2026-27 Formula E season.
Driver line-ups for Season 13 (2026-27):
Porsche - TBA, TBA
Jaguar - TBA, TBA
Mahindra Racing - Nyck de Vries, Edoardo Mortara
Andretti: Jake Dennis, Felipe Drugovich
Citroën Racing - Nick Cassidy, Jean-Éric Vergne
Nissan - Oliver Rowland, Zane Maloney
Envision Racing - Maximilian Günther, Zak O'Sullivan
Cupra Kiro - Pepe Martí, Jake Hughes
Fortescue Zero - Taylor Barnard, TBA
Lola Cars - TBA, TBA
Opel GSE Formula E Team - Mitch Evans, Théo Pourchaire
NewCo Formula E Team (Porsche 2nd team) - TBA
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