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Hankook Tire and Formula E Deliver a New Motorsport Experience

On January 14, 2023, the ninth season of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship kicked off at the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix. The series runs through 11 major cities around the world over the course of seven months, starting in Mexico. The partnership between Hankook Tire and Formula E is not as simple as a connection between a tire company and a racing organization. Hankook Tire and Formula E have established values that are not limited to just the motorsport arena, but rather effect and create waves within the motorsport world.

  • 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix, the prelude to Formula E Season 9 in 2023

  • HANKOOK MEXICO CITY E-PRIX site

What is 'Formula E?'

‘Formula E’ fosters growth in the electric car market

Formula E is the world’s first net zero carbon sport, befitting its title of 'pure electric car racing.' Thanks to this, players can race in city centers, which is a major difference from existing motorsport racing. Players can experience the charm of an electric car that uses an electric motor in various ways and this is naturally giving rise to a challenge within the automobile industry encouraging growth within the electric vehicle market. As a result, major electric car manufacturers and technical partners around the world participate in Formula E to compete using their own technology.

  • Cape Town E-Prix, Round 5 of Formula E Season 9. An urban circuit that passes through Green Point, the waterfront district and the beach road in Cape Town, the capital of South Africa, which has the fastest track this season.

Formula E equipped with the Hankook Tire products runs through urban circuits around the world

Even tire makers with strong connections in the motorsport market find the conditions presented by Formula E to be challenging. First of all, Formula E does not allow the change of any tire during the race, unlike other general racing competitions. This is due to the core operating philosophy of Formula E based on sustainability. Accordingly, Formula E not only very meticulously evaluates a tire’s performance and requires it to meet a wide variety of conditions, but Formula E also has high standards for the supply capacity to smoothly support world-class competitions and checks the environmental impact assessment 'Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)' to monitor the entire process from production to processing when selecting a supplier.

The fact that all race cars participating in Formula E are equipped with Hankook Tire's exclusive electric vehicle tire iON means that our tire technology, supply capabilities, and countless efforts towards sustainability have been proven in the global market.

In addition, our company’s exclusive tire supply is not the only thing Hankook Tire provides as an official partner of Formula E. Our company constantly considers and implements ways to promote Formula E to more people.

New Motorsport, New Fun

At Hankook Tire, we have focused on the fact that Formula E boasts a different charm from existing motorsport competitions, and appeals to a specific motorsport audience. Accordingly, our company has developed digital content so that anyone viewing can feel the inherent value and charm of Formula E without even visiting a stadium. The focus for the content was the consumption behavior of the MZ generation, who prefer to directly experience anything and everything, and the social atmosphere in which they are conscious of various social issues and actively participate in solving them. Meet the ‘Formula E X Hankook Tire Collaboration Project,’ which was established after such consideration.

1. ‘MONO MARS,’ a friend accompanying Formula E everywhere

Who is MONO MARS?

‘Mono Mars’ is a Mars exploration robot interested in protecting the environment on earth, as well as a digital virtual influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers. He thinks deeply about the survival of mankind and the environment, and studies various technologies to settle in space in the future. Therefore, his interest in technology and passion for learning are also high. He travels all over the world and enjoys driving as a hobby.

The intersection of ‘sustainability, technology and driving’

The world view of ‘Mono Mars’ is in line with the direction Hankook Tire pursues. Accordingly, Hankook Tire planned a project in which ‘Mono Mars’ experiences Formula E and introduces the journey to the digital world.

In the ninth season of Formula E, virtual influencer 'Mono Mars' will travel to major competition cities from Mexico City to Cape Town, Sao Paulo, Jakarta, Rome and London. He plans to experience the thrill of Formula E up close, by watching races, changing tires for competition in the pit, and learning how to charge the GEN3 electric vehicle for competition.

Sneak peek at MONO MARS Formula E journey

  • ‘MONO MARS watches the first race of the 2023 Formula E at HANKOOK MEXICO CITY E-PRIX.’

  • ‘MONO MARS heads to Cape Town, South Africa for 2023 Formula E Round 5.’

  • ‘MONO MARS prepares a special online event for motorsport fans with Hankook Tire’ in celebration of Valentine’s Day in February 2023.'

Mono Mars’ Formula E experience is shared through Hankook Tire’s global Instagram account. Through this content, our company plans to not only vividly deliver the attractions of the Formula E sites, including the ‘FE Podium Cab,' to digital spectators who cannot visit the stadium in person, but also hold online events for digital users.

2. Podium Cap in collaboration with New Era adds the values of Formula E.

The ‘Podium Cap’, designed in collaboration with Formula E and the lifestyle brand, New Era was unveiled at the 2023 Hankook Mexico City E-Prix Awards Ceremony, which marked the beginning of Formula E Season 9. A collaboration between motorsport and fashion brands in itself is attractive enough to consumers, however, the material of the cap created an additional draw. This podium cap is made of REPREVE®, a recycled functional fiber made of recycled PET bottles. Even the cap awarded to the winner at the official podium was designed with eco-friendliness in mind showing how even the smallest of details in the event is still based on the core values of Formula E, which aims to increase sustainability.

In addition to the official podium cap, Formula E will also launch five additional caps bearing the renewed Formula E identity.

3. Special Formula E on-site experience with Mono Mars

The experience of ‘Mono Mars’ is also continued in spectator-participatory content including E-village and FIA Girls on Track, which are held during the Formula E competition.

‘Allianz Fan Village,’ a participatory event that adds fun to the Formula E experience

The Allianz Fan Village is an entertainment space with exhibitions and various activities for motorsport fans. Hankook Tire provides participatory content and upcycled goods with an eco-friendly concept during the Formula E competition. In this way, our company will continue to communicate with not only global motorsport fans but also the MZ generation by increasing interest in the core values of Formula E and motorsport culture.

‘FIA Girls on Track,’ an experiential program that accelerates diversification within motorsport

‘FIA Girls on Track,’ hosted by Formula E, is a campaign prepared to expand women’s participation opportunities in the field of motorsport, where male participation is relatively high. Female leaders active on the Formula E stage provide mentoring for girls aged 12-18. Mentoring sheds light on various roles within the motorsport field and provides a vision for growth. The programme is run the day before the Formula E E-Prix providing girls the opportunity to exclusive behind the scenes access and introductions to drivers and women in the paddock. Girls are then invited to come back on race day to watch the action and use their knowledge to better understand the sport and opportunity. Accordingly, Hankook Tire participates in ‘FIA Girls on Track’ as a Presenting Partner (sponsoring the program) and helps to accelerate diversity within the motorsports field. The programme has already been successfully delivered in Mexico City, Diriyah and Sao Paulo, with Jakarta still to look forward to for the remainder of Season 9.

At Hankook Tire, we are creating a new trend in motorsport centered on the topic of ‘sustainability’ together with Formula E, and we are preparing new events that can be experienced in motorsport in line with this trend. With this process, we plan to expand the base of motorsport and help build a more sustainable society. The journey related to Formula E is accompanied by virtual influencer ‘Mono Mars.’ The experience of ‘Mono Mars’ Formula E can be found on Hankook Tire’s global Instagram account.

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