Five minutes with Mike Conway

Replacing Jacques Villeneuve at the start of this year, FIA WEC driver Brit Mike Conway had some big boots to fill for the Venturi team.

We caught up with the rising star to see how he was finding the electric motorsport a few races in…

EV Performance: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Mike. Now, we know you’re from Sevenoaks in Kent, which is just down the road from us, so do you have a favourite place to spend time while you’re home?

Mike Conway: Hi! I can’t say I have a favourite pub, as I’m not a big drinker, but the White Hart in Brasted near Westerham is my local.
My favourite coffee shop in Sevenoaks has to be Eatnmess, though…

EV: You’ve driven in many different disciplines of motorsport in recent years. What has been the most fun for you so far?

MC: I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done, but it probably has to be when I was racing in the States. Living and racing there was fun and I have lots of good memories

EV: Buenos Aires was your first Formula E race back in February. How did you find it?

MC: It was a bit of a jump into the deep end to say the least! But qualifying went well, and the race acted as a big learning curve, so I took a lot from that weekend.

EV: How do Formula E cars compare to others you’ve driven? 

MC: It’s very different. They’re challenging cars, but being able to slide them around because of their road tyres is fun! And being so close to the top guys means that there’s plenty of good battles during every race which is enjoyable.

EV: Have you experienced a road-going EV before?

MC: My daily car is a hybrid Lexus, so I get the same sensation going 0-15mph as I do in my Formula E car, but that’s about it! But I think there’s definitely a future there and it seems to be going that way increasingly, with both cars and bikes.

EV: What are the future plans for your motorsport career?

MC: I’m racing with Toyota in the WEC this year again, which has proven very successful, and of course for Venturi in the Formula E, so it’s very busy!
Beyond that, it’s too early to say…