Jose Maria Lopez has been the man in demand throughout the Buenos Aires weekend so far. The pressure that comes with being the host nation’s leading racing star have left him with little time to stop in recent days.

“It’s quite a mad week for me,” Lopez told Current E today. “But I’m happy for that. It’s my hometown, my home city. It’s where I wished to come and wish to deliver a good result for the people.”

Home pride is a big thing in Argentina. Lopez is the man of the hour, adorning posters throughout the city promoting the race and facing pressure to deliver a big result. Coming into Formula E off the back of three WTCC titles, much was expected of the Argentine, with the hype only growing when he qualified third on debut in Hong Kong. Hopes of a big result were dashed by a suspension issue that caused Lopez to crash out, while Marrakesh was a tricky weekend that yielded just one point in P10.

The fact is that Lopez is still very much in a learning phase. With testing limited in Formula E (read: no in-season testing. At all) and races having such big gaps in the calendar, there is no chance to put in lap after lap in a Formula E car. As a result, it will take some time before Pechito is up to speed.

“I’m still not 100% with the car,” Lopez admitted. “I showed in Hong Kong that I have the speed to be with these guys, that’s important. All the things now are not coming naturally to me, I’m having to think a lot about how to regen and how to be efficient. It’s not like the rest of my career where it’s been ‘go quicker’, I try to brake later, carry more speed, accelerate earlier. But by doing that I just use more energy. It’s unnatural. That’s why I think it takes a bit longer. Also I haven’t been driving a single-seater for 10 years. It’s a bit of a mix.”

He may still be learning, but Lopez is confident that his home race weekend will be his best yet in Formula E.

“I’m sure this is the best race for me,” he said. “I’ve been in two races, I’ve got more experience, I know how it works. I’m much more prepared. My expectations are just to get the best result in the race for me.”

Should Pechito do exactly that, we imagine the Quilmes will be flowing in the grandstands as Argentina toasts its home hero. The great thing about racing here, however, is that the crowds treat every race as the finest spectacle of the year, regardless of the winners and losers on track. Whatever the result tomorrow, Lopez epitomises the spirit of the place.

Luke Smith