Ahead of Rounds 4 & 5 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Rome, we catch up with PENSKE / DRAGON AUTOSPORT driver Antonio Giovinazzi, Avalanche Andretti Formula E's Oliver Askew and Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team's Stoffel Vandoorne at the pre-race press conference. Here's what the drivers had to say.
Stoffel Vandoorne, Mercedes-EQ Formula E Team
"Rome is one of my favourite tracks. It's really the first proper street circuit that we are going to so it's quite a different way of driving around a circuit like this. There are lots of different asphalt changes and, I think especially when it's wet, it's very challenging out there.
"Historically for me, Rome has been a pretty good circuit. In my first year, I had my first podium here in Formula E. Last year, I won the second race, so it's been pretty good for us but that's no guarantee of what's to come this year, so let's wait and see.
"I'm expecting to fight at the front but you can never say that with 100% confidence. We've put in a lot of preparations in the last couple of races and now we've just got to focus on ourselves. I'm sure the others have done a very good job as well during the past two months, so we just need to maximise everything."
Antonio Giovinazzi, PENSKE / DRAGON AUTOSPORT
"I'm looking forward to trying this track for real! It's good that we have two days, so that one day I can focus more on doing the miles, and then the second day we can focus more on putting it all together.
"There will be a lot of people supporting, for sure - this is one of the closer races to where I grew up in Puglia, so it will be an intense weekend but it's always nice to have your home race.
"There will be more pressure but it's positive pressure because you want to do well. It will not be an easy one for sure but we'll see. I'm just looking forward to trying the track, to be honest.
"It's been a big jump and a big difference from last year. It's everything from the car, to the feeling, the downforce, the sound, and then, of course, racing on the streets.
"It's really difficult to adapt myself and to be more on the limit. If you want to push the limits more. It's really tough."
Oliver Askew, Avalanche Andretti Formula E
"Everyone at Andretti has been working really hard preparing me for this for this next track. So, we've had some time off now have spent a lot of time in the simulator. Of course, we could use more time - we could always use more - but I think we're as ready as we can be.
"How the simulator work has been transferring to the real track has been pretty seamless. Still, I don't think you can really feel super comfortable in this series with how competitive it is. We just have to keep pushing.
"I had an idea of how competitive it was with these big names - there's so much experience with F1 drivers, World Endurance Championship drivers - they have a tonne of experience. It's very cool to be racing against them."
Don't miss a moment of the double-header in Rome on April 9 and 10. Keep track of the best ways to tune in where you are at fiaformulae.com/watch and follow every lap from Rome as it happens in the revamped Live Hub.