La Rascasse, Casino Square and Grand Hotel Hairpin – the mere mention of these corners is enough to set the pulse of any motorsport fan racing. For the Hankook iON Race – the official Formula E tyre – and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, this is the next highlight of Season 9. On 6th May, the principality of Monaco hosts the ninth Formula E race of this year. After the Vatican, Monaco is the second smallest country on earth. However, it is one of the most densely populated countries in the world. The 3.337-kilometre track winds its way through 19 corners as the drivers negotiate some narrow roads in the city state on the French Mediterranean coast. The racetrack in Monte Carlo takes roughly seven weeks to set up. “The circuit in Monaco does not have a particularly aggressive asphalt surface. The layout, with its many corners, means the average speed is not so high and the surface of the Hankook iON Race is not put under so much strain,” explains Hankook’s Formula E race engineer Thomas Baltes.
Germany’s Pascal Wehrlein (TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team) travels to the Monaco E-Prix as the championship leader. Lurking just four points behind him in second place is Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing). The New Zealander won the Sunday race in Berlin to significantly reduce the deficit. Frenchman Jean Éric Vergne (DS Penske) lies third with 81 points.
Three weeks after hosting Formula E, the temporary racetrack will be the venue for this year’s Monaco Grand Prix in Formula 1.
