Hankook iON Race is ready for the 10-year anniversary of Formula E in Germany’s capital

- Formula E World Championship celebrates its 10th anniversary in Berlin with races nine and ten held from May 10 to 12
- Berlin circuit has a new layout this year, making it a big challenge for the drivers; however, Hankook iON Race is expected to perform reliably since it performed very strongly in Berlin in Season 9
- Selected rookies yet to contest an E-Prix will spend an entire day testing the Gen3 Formula E cars and the Hankook iON Race

Seoul, Korea, May 7, 2024 – Berlin and the Formula E World Championship – they simply belong together. The fully-electric racing series has appeared in the German capital every year since it was launched in 2014 and now celebrates its 10th anniversary in Berlin with races nine and ten of the season from the 10th to 12th of May. The race weekend at the disused Tempelhof Airport is also a special one for Hankook, as Germany is one of the core markets in the world for the company. The circuit in the most populous city in the European Union has a new layout this year, making it a big challenge for the drivers. The 2.343-kilometer racetrack now features 15 corners. “The new layout in Berlin looks superb. As usual, the track has heavy braking zones and a number of very technical sections. The racing will definitely be spectacular again, and the fans can look forward to that. Another good thing for visitors is that overtaking is always relatively easy in Berlin. The race is obviously rather special for me, as Germany is my home. For this reason, I am particularly looking forward to the double-header in Berlin,” says Maximilian Günther from the Maserati MSG Racing team, who won this season’s race in Tokyo.

Hankook Formula E race engineer Thomas Baltes: “Although the layout is different this year, the surface is obviously the same. The concrete slabs on the apron of the disused Tempelhof Airport are very different: some with gravel, some without, and also repaired and eroded in many places. As a result, the grip level on the track changes multiple times and demands the utmost concentration from the drivers. However, our Hankook iON Race performed very strongly in Berlin in Season 9. And that, although we were driving in the rain for the first time there. On Sunday, the drivers took to the track in wet conditions for Free Practice 3 and qualifying. The drivers can rely on our tires.”

Fifth place in Monaco was sufficient for German Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein to defend his lead in the championship. The 29-year-old travels to the double-header in Berlin with 102 points to his name. Trailing him by just seven points in second place is Nick Cassidy (Jaguar TCS Racing). The New Zealander has very fond memories of the Berlin E-Prix and the performance of the Hankook iON Race, as he won the Sunday race last year: “The tire was really very consistent and I was able to push the whole time,” said the 29-year-old after his victory in 2023. Third in the table is Britain’s Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E) with 89 points.

The Formula E “youngsters” have already been out on the track once this season, and now comes another opportunity: after the free practice for the rookies in Misano, selected drivers who have yet to contest an E-Prix will be able to spend an entire day testing the Gen3 Formula E cars and the Hankook iON Race. The drivers will have two three-hour sessions to familiarise themselves with the car and get the Hankook iON Race into the optimal working window, in order to unleash the full performance of the premium tire. “The Rookie Test is a really fantastic opportunity for drivers to gain an intense impression of the car and our tires. The Hankook team will be on hand to offer plenty of support and provide reference data,” says Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsport Director.

Britain’s Oliver Rowland used the full power of his Nissan E-4ORCE 04 and the extreme amount of grip provided by the Hankook iON Race to mount an impressive fightback at the Monaco E-Prix. The 31-year-old driver from the Nissan Formula E team gained a full nine positions, equalling the record for the biggest fightback, which he now shares with Norman Nato (Andretti Formula E). Even as the race drew to an end, the impressive consistency of the Hankook iON Race still allowed Rowland to keep pushing and overtake Porsche driver Antonio Felix da Costa to take sixth place. “Looking at the race, I am very happy with our performance. That was one of my best races this season,” said Rowland.

The principality of Monaco hosted race eight of the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The 3.337-kilometer street circuit around the harbor and through the narrow streets of the glamorous Mediterranean city-state is one of the highlights on the World Championship calendar. After a superb race, Jaguar driver Mitch Evans from New Zealand took the chequered flag as the jubilant winner. He was followed home by team-mate and compatriot Nick Cassidy, ahead of Belgium’s Stoffel Vandoorne (DS Penske).

The most exciting and impressive images from Monaco are available here in the Hankook Highlight Clip.

As well as on YouTube, regular news and information on Hankook’s involvement in Formula E can also be found on X and Instagram.

You can find the current Hankook Press Kit for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, with a preview of the coming race weekend in Berlin here.