Heated battles, exciting races and the Hankook iON Race thrilled spectators, as Misano on the Adriatic coast hosted a double-header in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship for the first time. 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-kilometre 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 chequered 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 tyre was very good. We have been racing on it for one and a half years now and invest an awful lot of time in understanding the tyre and getting the most out of it. The only thing that connects the car to the ground is the tyre, 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 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 tyre is extremely consistent. I think we understand the Hankook tyre 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 tyres 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 manoeuvres in one race is something I have never seen before. That is the best possible advert for Formula E.”
