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Mitch Evans claims his seventh Formula E victory on the Hankook iON Race in Brazil

2023. 03. 28

- Mitch Evans from Jaguar TCS Racing won the sixth Formula E race in Season 9 in a thrilling battle with his teammates Nick Cassidy and Sam Bird.
- Pascal Wehrlein from the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team was voted "Driver of the Day" after impressively fighting back from 18th on the grid to finish seventh.
- Hankook's new iON Race tire proved to be consistent and delivered a strong performance on the challenging street circuit in São Paulo, with Sébastien Buemi setting a new all-time speed record in Friday's first free practice.


Neu-Isenburg, Germany, March 28, 2023 – What a spectacle in São Paulo – New Zealand’s Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) won the sixth Formula E race of the year at the end of a highly dramatic race that featured some thrilling scraps and many changes of position. The winner was embroiled in a fiercely-contested battle with his compatriot Nick Cassidy (Envision Racing), who finished runner-up, and his team-mate at Jaguar TCS Racing, Britain’s Sam Bird, who came home third. The race for the victory went down to the final few meters, much to the delight of the crowds in the grandstands. For Evans, who was able to push hard right through to the finish on the Hankook iON Race, this was the seventh success of his Formula E career and his first of Season 9. The race treated the fans to spectacular motorsport at its very best. With temperatures soaring above 30 degrees Celsius, the crowds witnessed exciting battles and overtaking manoeuvers aplenty throughout the 22-man field. The strategies of the drivers and teams primarily focused on energy management at the 2.933-kilometer, high-speed circuit around the Anhembi Sambadrome. In particular on the long straights, the new Gen3 racers were able to exploit their 470 hp of power. After fighting back impressively from 18th on the grid to finish seventh, the fans voted for German Pascal Wehrlein as “Driver of the Day”. The man from the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team extended his overall lead in the world championship.

Mitch Evans (Jaguar TCS Racing) – winner: “The race was really a big challenge for the Hankook tires. The circuit is extremely fast and it was very hot. For this reason, we knew that we had to find a set-up that helped the tires, and that we could not afford to push too hard. Only that way was it possible to maintain consistency throughout the whole race. We managed that well today. I am very happy.”

Stoffel Vandoorne (DS Penkse) – pole position: “We are still learning how to work with the new tire and to find the right temperature window. That worked very well today and felt good.”

With high-speed straights, technically demanding sections, different surfaces, and big bumps, the street circuit in São Paulo, a metropolis with a population of 12 million, posed quite a challenge for the 22 Formula E drivers. Roughly two thirds of the track had been resurfaced with asphalt, especially for the Brazilian round of the world championship, while other parts were concrete. Hankook Formula E race engineer Jiwoong Choi: “The Hankook iON Race mastered the challenges of this circuit without any problems. It supported the drivers on all four different surfaces with a high level of grip. Despite the very high air and track temperatures, the Hankook iON Race was still consistent and delivered its usual strong performance.”

Never before has a Formula E car been so fast. Armed with the new official Formula E tire, the Hankook iON Race, Switzerland’s Sébastien Buemi set a new all-time speed record in Friday’s first free practice in São Paulo. The Envision Racing driver clocked the fastest top speed in the history of Formula E, with a mighty 266.5 km/h.

Alex Inho Choi, President of Hankook Tire Latin America S.A., followed race six of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship with great interest from trackside. However, before the 22 drivers took to the track, Alex Inho Choi was taken for a very special lap of the 2.933-kilometer circuit as a passenger in an electric Porsche. Alex Inho Choi: “I am delighted and proud that Formula E is in Brazil together with Hankook, the official technical partner and tire supplier. The big crowds showed the immense interest that Brazilians have in the electric racing series, and made the event here in São Paulo a real sporting highlight. My lap was an amazing experience. To see the circuit from a driver’s perspective is something very special.”

For the third time this season, young girls and women at the circuit were given an impression of what it takes to work in motorsport. As official Presenting Partner of the FIA initiative Girls on Tracks, Hankook was present at multiple locations to present the different areas of motorsport in an entertaining way. Special guest was Fabiana Ecclestone, Vice President of Sport in the International Automobile Federation FIA. The wife of former Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone gave a talk to the girls, during which she offered insights into the world of motorsport. Roughly 400 participants took advantage of the offering in São Paulo. It was also possible to take part online. The final round of the initiative in Season 9 will be at the double-header in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Two former Brazilian Formula 1 drivers from São Paulo, Rubens Barrichello and Emerson Fittipaldi, took the opportunity to check out this weekend’s premiere. Both were at the circuit to watch the first Formula E race in the biggest country in South America.

There were big crowds at the Hankook stand in the Fan Village for the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Many fans learned about Hankook products and posed for photos with the official Formula E race tire, the Hankook iON Race.

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