“If Alonso had had Hamilton’s Mercedes or Verstappen’s Red Bull, I think he would have had five or six world championships easily”

Jake Hughes (Birmingham, England, United Kingdom1994) has ridden in all types of cars. Before becoming a test pilot McLaren and to drive the MCL60 of Formula 1 in ‘tests’ with the team Britishwas a member of the grill of the Formula E from 2023 to 2025.

Likewise, he is a reserve pilot for Mahindra in the electrical category. With the team he has tested the long-awaited Generation 4 of FE cars. Hughes defines said car as “very impressive” and states that “It is not far from F1 in terms of G forces when braking“.

He currently combines these roles with his participation in the European Le Mans Seriessupport category of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. In fact, the Englishman debuted this year in the legendary endurance race.

Before your ELMS weekend in Spa-Francorchamps (Belgium) with the team Algarve Pro RacingHughes spoke with M.D. about his sporting career and Formula 1 in recent years, including his work in different teams.

​The driver who helps Norris win

After two seasons in Formula E with McLaren, in 2025 he made the jump to the Formula 1 team, as a simulator and test driver. That year, with the help of Lando NorrisMcLaren managed to win the constructors’ and drivers’ titles. They had not done it in the same season since 1999 with Mika Häkkinen.

“I work very closely with Oscar (Piastri) and with Lando. I’ve already been on the track with them and I have done a test to experience how the equipment works,” says Hughes.

“It is to know what they need and what they feel is the difference between the real car and the simulator“continues the structure partner of the current world champion. “Obviously that is what we always seek to improve.”

The new rules and the role of the simulator

Starting in 2026, new rules have been introduced that have revolutionized Formula 1. According to Jake, this also greatly affects his role behind closed doors.

“The new engine regulations have opened a new range of possibilities for someone like me, a simulator and development driver, to help the team.“Before, or even last year, with the previous generation of cars, the workload was very focused on balance. You were commenting on understeer, oversteer, high and low speed, corner entry and exit, that sort of thing.”

“It’s not that it was everything,” clarifies the Briton. But that represented 80% to 90% of what they needed from you. Whereas now, they need you to provide much more information about the performance of the hybrid systemhow to manage the battery, how to plan overtaking, how to use the boost button, how to set up a qualifying lap to get the most out of the battery and the motor.

“There are many things to do as a simulator pilot and they require opinions and comments from a human being. Therefore, It is increasingly important for simulator drivers to be closely linked to racing drivers to understand what they feel and what they need.

“This way, we can go back to the simulator, improve and give them a better car for next time,” emphasizes Hughes. “I can’t say exactly what we do with Oscar and Lando, because I would get in trouble if I did. But the simulator is becoming more and more important“.

“What we have at McLaren is very impressive. Now The simulator is a very powerful tool for Formula 1 teams, especially with the new engine regulations. “So the drivers and the people that these F1 teams have to run the simulators are becoming more and more important.”

“They have to trust what you say and your comments. You directly influence its developmentin how they drive with the real car and in how they approach the preparation,” he emphasizes. “So it is a fundamental role.”

What is it like to drive an F1?

Jake Hughes has not only driven virtual Formula 1 cars. The Briton has climbed into the 2023 McLaren MCL60 on up to three occasions: twice in the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and another in the Paul Ricard Circuit, formerly home to the Grand Prix of France.

“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to drive an F1 and I am very aware of it,” declares the Englishman. “I know how difficult and how expensive it is to drive those cars nowadays.”

“They give us the opportunity to drive that car, take care of it, avoid damaging it and drive it faster. As well as giving the engineers and mechanics something to improve. It is a great responsibility and I feel very proud that they have given me that trust,” insists Hughes.

“The car itself is impressive. The F1 is like nothing I’ve driven before. Everyone has always told me that the power is impressive, but What is most surprising is the braking. “The braking performance of the car is simply incredible.”

“I wish I could almost bottle the sensations experienced when braking in an F1 and let someone experience them during braking, because it is incredible what they can do,” emphasizes the Birmingham-born driver. “It almost doesn’t seem real. So yeah, it’s an amazing experience, and I hope to be able to drive it again soon.”

His previous role at Aston Martin and Mercedes

Jake Hughes’ experience in Formula 1 didn’t start last year. The British, who was also a reserve pilot for Mercedes EQ In the 2021-22 Formula E season, he joined the team mercedes of Formula 1 in 2021 as a simulator driver. In 2022, he combined two roles in the premier category by also being a simulator pilot in Aston Martin F1.

“I worked for Aston Martin and Mercedes at the same time,” he recalls. “There was a very close relationship in those years between the two teams. They shared, for example, the wind tunnel in Brackley. “They transmitted a lot of information.”

Hughes emphasizes the role of simulators. “Even in the last 10 years, they have come a long way. The technology involved and the progress of simulators in this time is impressive. In fact, Looking back on what I tried at Aston Martin and Mercedes, I’m sure they have improved a lot“.

​His opinion on Alonso and Verstappen

Who is now at Aston Martin is Fernando Alonsowho entered as a starter in 2023 and is the only driver to have achieved multiple podiums in the British team’s Formula 1 history. Hughes, a member of a different F1 team, praises the two-time world champion.

“In a way, one can’t help but feel that it’s a shame that Alonso doesn’t have more victories and more trophies to go with his talent.. If I had the cars that Lewis hamilton had in Mercedes or the Red Bull by Max Verstappen“I think Alonso would easily be a five or six-time world champion right now.”

Hughes also praises the Dutch. “I remember going to my first test Formula Renault and I think he was there for his too. Even back then, I was very impressed“he says about the now four-time world champion.

The price of motorsport

The economic factor is a topic that has always been the subject of discussion in the motor world. Jake, for his part, would like the price to drop. “Motorsport is too expensive. Hypothetically, it would be great if that price dropped. I’m not going to say I have the solution, but I know what the problem is.“.

“Maybe talent isn’t everything? That has always been the case in motorsports and probably always will be.because it is probably the most expensive sport on the planet. “It’s not just putting on some football boots.”

“Unfortunately, if you look at some F1 teams or even other manufacturer teams in other categories, you will see that They fight tooth and nail sometimes to avoid losing money. Some even accept losses and invest that way. “And who am I to say, in that case, that they shouldn’t hire someone with a few million pounds to help them stay afloat and pay salaries?”

“Unfortunately, there is an economy within this sport,” he continues. “But if the sport were less expensive, especially in the lower categories, we would see more drivers demonstrate their talent. “So I think, therefore, teams would see the benefit of hiring more and more of those running backs.”