Press Release

  • Motorsport

Hankook iON Race Endures Jeddah's Speed, Heat, and Night Conditions in Formula E's Double-Header

  • Pascal Wehrlein claimed victory in Round 4 and António Félix Da Costa triumphed in Round 5 as Hankook's iON Race supported competitive, strategy-driven racing as teams managed evolving track and tyre temperatures under the lights
Hankook iON Race Endures Jeddah's Speed, Heat, and Night Conditions in Formula E's Double-Header

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 19. February 2026 – As the championship’s exclusive tyre partner, premium tyre manufacturer Hankook supported the field throughout Season 12’s Saudi Arabian double-header at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. Under the circuit’s floodlights, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship delivered two nights of wheel-to-wheel races that pushed both driver skill and tyre management to the limit.

In Round 4 on 13 February, Pascal Wehrlein of Porsche Formula E Team secured victory by sustained pace and decisive positioning through Jeddah’s rapid street layout. The following night, António Félix Da Costa of Jaguar TCS Racing emerged victorious in Round 5 after drivers balanced outright speed with energy and tyre management to the finish.

Adapted to suit Formula E’s regenerative braking and energy dynamics, the Jeddah Corniche Circuit’s 3.001-kilometer, 19-turn layout combined long, fast straights with technical chicanes and heavy braking zones.

Throughout the weekend, Hankook’s iON Race tyre delivered dependable grip under high loads while maintaining consistent thermal control and optimized rolling resistance—an essential balance in Formula E, where tyre behavior is closely linked to energy efficiency and race strategy.

“Jeddah under the lights produced two demanding races with their own strategic patterns,” said Manfred Sandbichler, Senior Director of Hankook Motorsport. “Across both rounds, the iON Race demonstrated stable and consistent performance in conditions where track behavior and tyre temperatures evolved through each session. Such tyre predictability is essential in helping teams execute their strategies on such a fast and technically complex circuit, and the data gathered here will feed directly into our ongoing iON development program.”

Following the double-header, Formula E hosted the global creator invitation program EVO Sessions 2 on February 15. First launched after last season’s Miami E-Prix, the initiative generated over 280 million views across Formula E’s ecosystem digital platforms, extending global exposure for Hankook’s iON Race technology. A total of 10 international creators — including Khaby Lame, Behzinga, TheBurntChip, and presenter Izzy Hammond — took part in the session, driving the GEN3 Evo race car capable of 322 km/h and 0–100 km/h in 1.86 seconds on the official circuit. Calfreezy and Vikkstar played the roles of Team Principals at EVO Sessions 2. Throughout the program, Hankook’s iON Race delivered strong grip and handling stability, demonstrating its advanced EV tyre performance in a high-speed motorsport environment.

Formula E next moves to Round 6 in Madrid on 21 March 2026, where the championship will race at the Circuito de Madrid Jarama on a tighter, more technical permanent circuit configuration as Hankook’s iON Race remains at the center of the action—supporting competitive racing on track.

Hankook Tire manufactures innovative, high-performance tyres for passenger cars, SUVs, light trucks, RVs, trucks, buses and motorsports. With five R&D centres and eight production facilities worldwide, Hankook continuously invests in research and development to offer the highest level of quality and driving satisfaction. The company employs around 20,000 people globally and sells products in over 160 countries. Hankook Tire has been the exclusive tyre supplier for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship since 2023. Leading car manufacturers rely on Hankook tyres for original equipment. More than 38 percent of global sales are generated in Europe.

Hankook’s European headquarters are located in Neu-Isenburg, Germany. At its European Technical Centre in Hanover, Germany and its manufacturing site in Rácalmás, Hungary, Hankook develops and produces bespoke tyre solutions for the European market.

For more information please visit www.hankooktire-mediacenter.com or www.hankooktire.com

Hankook Tire Europe GmbH | Marketing Communications Europe | Siemensstr. 14, 63263 Neu-Isenburg | Germany

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Hankook iON Race Endures Jeddah's Speed, Heat, and Night Conditions in Formula E's Double-Header

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Hankook iON Race Endures Jeddah's Speed, Heat, and Night Conditions in Formula E's Double-Header

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Hankook iON Race Endures Jeddah's Speed, Heat, and Night Conditions in Formula E's Double-Header

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Contacts

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Sabine Riedel

PR Manager Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 6102 8149-178

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Lisa Schmid

PR Manager Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-172

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Julia-Larissa Büsch

PR Manager Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 160 2545279

Zoë Baldwin

Marketing Manager
Hankook Tyre UK Ltd

 +44 7948 247048

Natasha Ramos Smyth

Marketing Executive
Hankook Tyre UK Ltd

 +44 7961 601839

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