Driver Line-up Revolution for Maserati: Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Hughes Replace Gunther and Daruvala.
The news had been in the air for days, but we certainly didn’t expect an official announcement so quickly: Stoffel Vandoorne and Jake Hughes will form Maserati’s line-up for Season 11! This is a radical change for the Monegasque team, the successor of the Venturi team, which has decided to replace both drivers who raced with the Tipo Folgore last season, Maximilian Gunther and Jehan Daruvala.
Stoffel Vandoorne will compete in his seventh season in Formula E and will remain in the Stellantis family, as he has left DS Penske to join Maserati. The Belgian driver made his debut in 2018 at the wheel of HWA Racelab, immediately securing a podium in Rome. In 2019, he moved to the Mercedes team, also taking on the role of reserve driver for the Formula 1 team. This move was decisive for Stoffel Vandoorne’s career, as he finished second in the championship in 2020, behind Antonio Felix Da Costa, and won the title in 2022 thanks to incredible consistency.
Due to Mercedes’ withdrawal at the end of 2022, Vandoorne moved to the DS Penske team, where he was unable to replicate the good results he achieved with the German team. From there came the announcement of his separation from the Franco-American team before the last London E-Prix, and his move to Maserati for 2025. The Monegasque team thus secures the performances of a highly experienced driver who has competed in 87 Formula E races, securing 8 pole positions, 3 victories, and 16 podiums, with the world championship title in the 2021-2022 season.
Alongside the Belgian driver, Jake Hughes will join him, competing in his third season in Formula E after two seasons with NEOM McLaren. The English driver was a pleasant surprise in the debut season of the Gen 3, and has confirmed his performance in this Season 10. He has indeed shown tremendous qualifying speed, securing 4 pole positions, while often being in the leading groups during races, but falling short of delivering the “final blow.” In the final rounds of Season 10, he managed to secure his first podium in the category, with a second-place finish at the Shanghai E-Prix.
However, Hughes has been present in the Formula E paddock since 2020, when he participated in the Marrakech Rookie Test driving for Mercedes. In the following season, he was a reserve driver for Maserati, albeit under the guise of the Venturi team. Therefore, Jake Hughes is a familiar face within the Monegasque team and will return to where it all began in the upcoming season.
Vandoorne and Hughes at Maserati: Here’s What the Two Drivers Had to Say
Both drivers, in the official statement from the Monegasque team, expressed great enthusiasm and determination to embark on this new adventure. “I am very happy to join Maserati MSG Racing next season and I am proud to be associated with such an iconic name in motorsport as Maserati,” says Vandoorne. “I am excited to start working with the team: although I have never worked directly with them before, I know the team well, both from my time at DS Penske and also from my time with Mercedes, when we shared the powertrain with Venturi.”
“I’m over the moon to be joining Maserati MSG Racing,” says Jake Hughes. “The success that the team has had, as one of the founding teams in Formula E, speaks for itself. n a personal level, I have worked with the team previously so I know them well and I’m genuinely looking forward to going back.
“I know that the season has only just finished but I honestly can’t wait to get over to the headquarter in Monaco and start working with the engineers, get on the simulator and really get cracking with our prep for Season 11. This marks the start of an exciting new chapter in my career, and I know that the best is yet to come.”
The Maserati team principal, Jose Aznar, is also very satisfied and stated: “Since joining Formula E in 2018, and as the world champion of Season 8, Stoffel is undeniably one of the best drivers on the grid right now.” “His speed and experience will play a crucial role in our future development and growth, and by joining forces with Jake, we are confident that we will have one of the strongest line-ups on the grid in 2025.”
PHOTO: ABB FIA Formula E, Stoffel Vandoorne, Jake Hughes.
