CUPRA KIRO navigates challenging Race 2 after taking consecutive Monaco E-Prix pole positions
CUPRA KIRO driver Dan Ticktum secures back-to-back pole positions at the 2026 Monaco E-Prix, with the team experiencing a challenging Race 2 in the Principality
CUPRA KIRO experienced a challenging run in Race 2 of the 2026 Monaco E-Prix, with the American squad missing out on the top 10 after securing consecutive pole positions in the Principality.
Dan stormed to his second pole of the weekend and third of his Formula E career after defeating Antonio Felix da Costa in the Qualifying Final by almost six-tenths of a second to claim the largest pole margin of the 2025/26 season to date.
Pepe Martí, who secured the first podium of his Formula E career in Race 1, narrowly missed out on the Qualifying duels by just 0.028 seconds to start 10th. The Spaniard was a consistent presence in the points after taking his first Attack Mode on lap eight but was forced to retire following contact with Nick Cassidy on lap 19.
Dan held the lead from the start and strategically fell back to third on the second lap to save energy before taking his first Attack Mode on lap 17 and working his way back to the front. The Briton activated his second Attack Mode on lap 23 but received a five-second time penalty for an overspeed under Full Course Yellow which was served during a pit stop following contact with Jake Dennis, with Dan ultimately finishing 14th.
Dan Ticktum, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“I have mixed emotions from this weekend. It was an incredible achievement from the team and myself consecutive pole positions, but the races were not ideal. It was a mixture of the car being difficult to drive when the tyres are hot and strategy decisions overall so yeah, just a mixed weekend. We need to go back to the drawing board and figure out why we struggle when the tyres are hot, but I’m very proud of everyone for the double pole and I’m looking forward to Sanya.”
Pepe Martí, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“Not a great race today. Not getting into the duels in Qualifying was sort of a missed opportunity and in the race, we were close to a good result but we struggled a lot. We struggled to move forwards, and we also struggled to save energy relative to the other drivers around us. It sucks to end the weekend with a DNF, especially after yesterday’s podium, but I went into the corner side-by-side with Nick [Cassidy] and he was in Attack Mode so I wasn’t going to defend the position too hard. We made contact, the wheels locked together, and I just couldn’t get out of it. We’ll move on to the next race in Sanya.”
Russell O’Hagan, Team Principal, CUPRA KIRO
“Today’s race is a tough one to take because based on our pace, we deserved to come away with far more than just three points. From the outset, the car was extremely competitive and Dan’s performance in Qualifying was exceptional. To have that kind of advantage over the field in Formula E, where the margins are usually minimal, is rare and underlines just how strong his pace was. Pepe was unfortunate to narrowly miss out on the duels, but starting from 10th gave us strong strategic flexibility and we were in a good position after the opening phase of the race. We used his first Attack Mode to consolidate his position, so it was a real shame to see his race end in the barriers, especially after such a competitive drive yesterday. Pepe has responded to every challenge so far this season though, and I’m confident he’ll bounce back in Sanya. With Dan, we adjusted our approach after yesterday and deliberately sacrificed track position early to build an energy buffer. He executed our planned strategy and showed his pace again by cycling back to the front with his first Attack Mode. Unfortunately, contact with Jake [Dennis] forced Dan to pit for repairs and ended any realistic chance of a strong result. We all sympathise with his current frustrations because race after race, he’s shown that he belongs at the sharp end, even if circumstances haven’t always allowed the final result to reflect that. The positive is that the pace is undeniably there. We have a short break before an intense run of flyaway races, and we want to make sure that we head to Sanya more than ready to convert our potential into the performances we know we’re capable of.”
