Hankook anticipates its second season in Formula E at Mexico City
Vamos Formula E! This weekend, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship gets Season 10 underway at a global metropolis with a population of roughly 22 million: Mexico City.
The Hankook Mexico City E-Prix will take place on the 12th and 13th of January at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in the Mexican capital. All 22 drivers can once again rely on the strong performance of the Hankook iON Race. “Our whole team is looking forward to our second season in Formula E. After the successful first year, we are looking to back up the outstanding performance of the Hankook iON Race. The tests in the run-up to Season 10 have already shown how effectively the teams are able to use the experience they gained last year to further improve the performance of the tire,” says Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Director Motorsport.
The 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix took place in front of 40,000 passionate fans and was won by Britain’s Jake Dennis, who took the checkered flag for the Avalanche Andretti Formula E team at the wheel of a Porsche 99X Electric. “The tire worked very well – better than I expected. It was very consistent throughout the race,” said the reigning world champion after his victory at the opening round of the season and the first E-Prix with the Hankook iON Race. Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Director Motorsport, was also very satisfied: “That was a very successful premiere for the new Hankook iON Race. Our tires supported all the drivers with the anticipated level of performance, both in free practice in the morning when the temperature was just six degrees Celsius, and at 22 degrees during the race. The spectacular overtaking maneuvers towards the end of the race show how high the potential grip level of the new iON Race is, despite the diverse track conditions.”
Season 10 is Hankook’s second year in Formula E. What experience are the drivers and teams able to call upon?
“The teams have had a full season to get used to the new Formula E tire and to gain experience. Unlike in the first year, the teams have reference values for nearly all the circuits, which they are able to call upon in Season 10. Those findings will pay dividends now. The drivers and their crews know even better how to exploit the full potential of the Hankook iON Race.”
What challenges will the Hankook iON Race face in 2024?
More experience usually means more speed. I assume that the teams and drivers now understand the tires better and will push the limit more than previously. I predict that – provided the conditions are similar to last year – the lap times will be faster. That puts the tire under greater strain. However, we are ready for that.
A diverse support program, with plenty of entertainment and discoveries, awaits fans at the event site around Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. Visitors can find fascinating information and the lowdown on Hankook products at the Korean tire maker’s state-of-the-art exhibition area. Hankook recently received the award for the Best Fan Experience in Formula E, in recognition of its presentation.
This season, Hankook will again be committed to working toward gender equality in motorsport. As it did last year, the company is supporting the FIA initiative ‘Girls on Track’ with various activation elements. Young women aged between 12 and 18 years are given the opportunity at various locations to learn more about the working environment in the world of motorsport. For the first time, the program will run at all ten venues. More than 1,650 ‘Girls on Track’ are expected in Season 10. The young ladies can look forward to one special highlight: one participant will represent the program as part of the team at the podium ceremony after each race.
Last season, Hankook regularly provided a real eye-catcher at the Formula E circuits. At the season-opener in Mexico City, in Monaco, in Rome, and at the season finale in London, Hankook treated fans to the iON Race with bright tread grooves in the company’s colors of Orange and iON Blue. The three stripes are now set to become a permanent hallmark of Hankook’s premium product in Season 10: the 22 drivers will line up on the Hankook iON Race and its striking-colored grooves in all 16 races in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.