SÃO PAULO, Brazil — Hankook Tire & Technology Co. claims its latest Formula E race tire improves grip by 10% — shaving 1.5 seconds per lap — compared with last season's version.
The open-wheel electric race series, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, kicked off Season 11 on Dec. 7 at the Anhembi Sambadrome in Brazil and on São Paulo's street circuit.
"From a tire manufacturer's perspective, this track provides an optimal environment with its varied conditions," Mike Jiwoong Choi, Hankook Formula E tire project manager, said.
"The combination of curved track sections, surface variations and temperature changes creates an excellent proving ground for tire performance."
The all-electric Gen3 EVO race cars accelerate from 0-60 mph in 1.82 seconds and can reach speeds of over 200 mph during a race.
Formula E qualifying and races are held in one day, and two races are often held over a weekend. Each race lasts about 30-40 minutes.
Teams use only two to three sets of iON tires for a race weekend, so the tires need to be durable and adaptable to changing conditions.
"The new Season 11 tire delivers higher peak performance compared to its predecessor," driver Maximilian Günther, Team DS Penske, said. "The softer compound allows for more aggressive corner entry, particularly in corners where drivers need to brake and turn simultaneously, which adds a dynamic dimension to our racing strategy."
The GEN3 Evo iON Race uses "multi-section compounds with inner and outer layers for dry and wet performance," Choi said during a race in Portland, Ore., last season. The distinctive blue and orange stripes on the tires is a reference to this construction.
Hankook said the latest version of the tire also retains previous durability and stability metrics in addition to sustainability commitments, with 35% of materials coming from sustainable sources.
Günther said racing in Formula E racing is exciting both for the action on the track and the "pioneering work" behind the scenes. He spoke with Tire Business last June at the Hankook Portland E-Prix.
"It's fascinating for me to constantly try to explore new possibilities of how to develop and improve the car, because what we're doing here is really pioneering work," Günther said between Portland races.
He added that many advancements learned in Formula E will eventually translate to consumer vehicles.
"That's why so many big car manufacturers are involved here, not only as a commercial platform but on a technical side."
This Formula E season features 16 rounds held at 10 locations and finishes in London in late July. The series will make one U.S. stop this season on April 12 in Miami.
In the U.S., CBS and Roku have TV broadcast rights to the series.
In 2026, Bridgestone Corp. will take over as the series' designated tire supplier.