High grip levels, courtesy of the Hankook iON Race, make for two thrilling Formula E races in Italy

- In hot and summery conditions, the drivers got tires into the ideal working window and were able to take full advantage of the support provided by the Hankook iON Race allowed drivers to push to the max
- For the first time this season, rookies could take their place in the Gen3 cars used in the Formula E World Championship, and gain experience on the premium Hankook iON Race tire
- Hankook invited about 90 international guests to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and they were impressed by the commanding performance of the Hankook iON Race

Seoul, Korea, April 15, 2024 – As Misano on the Adriatic coast hosted a double-header in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for the first time, the spectators were thrilled by heated battles and exciting races made by Hankook iON Race. In perfect conditions, with glorious blue skies and roughly 25 degrees Celsius on both race days, the 22 drivers treated fans in Italy to two thrilling races at the 3.382-kilometer Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.

After 28 laps of racing and many changes of position, Porsche driver António Félix da Costa from Portugal took the checkered flag on Saturday. The 32-year-old was able to push until the finish, thanks to the high level of grip provided by the Hankook iON Race, and successfully fended off attacks from his rivals after racing into the lead from fifth place. “The tire was very good. We have been racing on it for one and a half years now and have invested an awful lot of time in understanding the tire and getting the most out of it. The only thing that connects the car to the ground is the tire, so we put a lot of energy into it. It is a challenge that you have to overcome. When it works well and you end up winning, it feels very good,” said da Costa after the race.

However, there was to be bad news for the Porsche driver: roughly five hours after the race, the Portuguese was disqualified, as the throttle damper spring on his car was found not to conform with regulations. The rest of the field was subsequently promoted to one position, leaving Oliver Rowland (Nissan Formula E Team) to inherit the victory. The Brit was also very happy with the Hankook iON Race: “As far as performance is concerned, the tire is extremely consistent. I think we understand the Hankook tire really well in the race and are able to make it last longer. If you are careful not to spin it early in the race, it continues to work very well right through to the finish.” Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E) and Maximilian Günther (Maserati MSG Racing) were promoted to second and third place respectively.

The crowds enjoyed a truly dramatic climax to Sunday's race: Rowland led going into the final lap but then ran out of energy. As he dropped back through the field, Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein came through to take victory. The German got the Hankook iON Race into the optimal temperature range and was among the leading group for all 26 laps. This was the 29-year-old's second success of the season. Dennis came home second, ahead of third-placed Nick Cassidy from the Jaguar TCS Racing team. Wehrlein and Dennis are tied at the top of the table on 89 points after seven of 16 races.

Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsport Director: “The Formula E World Championship’s first appearance in Misano was a great success. On the one hand, we were treated to two very exciting races. On the other hand, our premium product, the Hankook iON Race, exploited its strengths superbly on each day of the event. In hot, summery conditions, the drivers soon got our tires into the ideal working window and were thus able to take full advantage of the support provided by the Hankook iON Race, which allowed them to push to the max. The positive feedback from the drivers has shown once again that our product is ideally suited to Formula E and the demands of the series. More than 500 overtaking maneuvers in one race is something I have never seen before. That is the best possible advert for Formula E.”

Maserati driver Maximilian Günther accepted an invitation from Hankook to take part in the well-attended media session during the Meet the Hankook Team event in the run-up to the Misano E-Prix. Together with Motorsport Director Manfred Sandbichler and sensors expert Armin Joerß from the Texys Group, the winner of this year’s Tokyo E-Prix spoke to the many international journalists about his experiences with the Hankook iON Race: “The tire is incredibly consistent and provides us all with plenty of grip in any conditions. Our job is to keep the tire in the optimal working window at all times, then we can rely fully on the Hankook iON Race. The good performance makes it possible to keep pushing right to the end of the race,” said the 26-year-old German.

For the first time this season, rookies were able to take their place in the Gen3 cars used in the Formula E World Championship, and to gain experience on the premium Hankook iON Race tire. During Friday’s “0. Free Practice”, the focus of teams, media, and spectators was on those drivers who have not yet contested an E-Prix. The fastest lap of the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli came courtesy of Taylor Barnard from the NEOM McLaren Formula E Team. The Brit went faster than Robert Shwartzman (DS Penske) and Zane Maloney (Andretti). Rounding out the top five were Tim Tramnitz (ABT Cupra) and Porsche driver Matt Campbell.

Hankook invited about 90 international guests to the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race on the Adriatic coast. Visitors from Belgium, Italy, Croatia, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Serbia, and Slovenia enjoyed an entertaining motorsport weekend together in Misano, where they were impressed by the commanding performance of the Hankook iON Race. The visit to the Hankook stand in the Fan Village, a tour of the pit lane, and exclusive behind-the-scenes moments made the trip a unique experience.

Lights out – spotlight on: Formula E will present the new Gen3Evo car to the public ahead of the start of the Monaco E-Prix on the 25^th of April. The ceremonial unveiling will take place at Yacht Club de Monaco. The car, which will be used from Season 11, will run on modified Hankook iON Race tires, offering the drivers in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship even better performance. As well as another aerodynamics kit, the car will also have an active powertrain and additional updates.