Hankook celebrated a victory at the Formula E World Championship thanks to the success of Maximilian Günther at the Tokyo E-Prix.
Hankook Victorious at the Formula E Tokyo Series
Hankook celebrated a victory at the Formula E World Championship after Maximilian Günther from Germany finished first at the Tokyo E-Prix on 30 March 2024.
Success in race five of the season was victory number five in the fully-electric series for the driver from the Maserati MSG Racing team. The Briton Oliver Rowland crossed the finish line in second place for the Nissan Formula E Team. He was followed in third place by his compatriot Jake Dennis (Andretti Formula E). German Pascal Wehrlein from the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team leads the overall standings after five of 16 races.
Thomas Baltes, Hankook Formula E race engineer, said, “It is always rather special to race at a circuit, with which you are not familiar – especially when it is a street circuit. Will there be different types of asphalt, are the surfaces different, how much grip will they offer? As well as the weather, all of these factors can have a big influence on the performance of the tyre.”
“However, since its Formula E debut in Mexico over a year ago, the Hankook iON Race has shown that it performs superbly on the most diverse range of surfaces and in various ambient conditions. That was once again the case on its first appearance in Japan. The drivers and teams put their faith in the Hankook iON Race when pulling off their manoeuvres, and they know nowadays exactly how to get the tyre up to the optimal working temperature. The tyre delivers a predictably high grip level and a lot of consistency on the track,” he added.
The 26-year-old Günther was also impressed by the performance of the Hankook iON Race after the Japanese premiere. “The tyre really performs at an extremely high level everywhere and has hardly any weaknesses. It is good to know, particularly at a new and unfamiliar circuit, that we drivers can rely on the quality of the tyre and focus fully on our performance on the track,” he said in an official statement.
Tokyo-Inspired Creativity
The metropolis of Tokyo also inspired plenty of creativity in Formula E. For example, Nissan lined up at its first home race – the company’s headquarters are located less than an hour from the racetrack in Tokyo – with a special livery. With the cherry blossom, for which the Japanese capital is renowned, about to bloom, the whole car was given a cherry blossom look. Furthermore, the front wing was adorned with the slogan “We Love Tokyo”.
Porsche also showed off a new design. Both Porsche 99X Electric sported a neon-pink livery – a “visual homage to Tokyo with its world-famous neon advertisements, as well as the Japanese street art and car culture”.
Japanese company Liberty Walk developed a specific chassis kit for the Gen3 show car. The firm modified the front wing and sidepods, and also designed a large rear wing for the car. The eye-catcher, obviously on the Hankook iON Race, was displayed in the Fan Village throughout the race weekend.
Formula E and Ubisoft Offer New Experience
Thanks to a collaboration between Formula E and game developer Ubisoft, gamers can now experience the fully-electric racing series and the grip of the Hankook iON Race for themselves. As of recently, the popular computer game Trackmania gives roughly ten million users access to the liveries of the eleven teams in the Formula E World Championship.
A special game format, including Attack Mode and energy management, has also been designed, while the racetracks in Tokyo, Berlin, and London are also available in Trackmania. Live races are held at these circuits, with a prize purse of €1,000 up for grabs on each occasion. The first of three races was held on the eve of the Tokyo E-Prix.
