Hankook Tires: An Interview by the Overtake.
On April 12, 2025, I sat down with Thomas & Manfred to learn more about Hankook’s sustainability and tire engineering developments.
Please view the full video HERE!
FORMULA E: 2025 Miami E-Prix Preview
Who’s hot and who’s not ahead of the Miami E-Prix?
Heading into Round 5 for the inaugural race at Homestead, who is looking to come out on top? And who might be the underdog in this story?
Norman Nato (#17), Jean Eric Vergne (#25) - Portland E-Prix 2024
We have less than one month to go until the inaugural E-Prix at Homestead Miami, which falls on Saturday, April 12. Despite not being the FIRST EVER race hosted by the Magic City, it is the most recent, with the American E-Prix having been held in Portland, OR for the last two years, and New York City, NY, prior to that in Seasons 4-8. That said, Round 5 of the 2025 Championship is looking to promise great excitement - a new track for the sport which boasts prime overtaking opportune at turns 3 & 4, with long straights between turns 5 & 6, and also 7 & 8. That said, who will be looking to benefit the most from this thrilling day of action?
The Miami E-Prix will NOT be a double-header weekend, contrary to last year’s turnout at the Portland two race weekend, which means it will not be featuring the all new Pit Boost we covered in last week’s edition. The race will still feature the signature Formula E Attack Mode, meaning teams will need to navigate their energy savings to be able to fully use the extra 50kW and AWD provided.
Last time out in Jeddah for Rounds 3 & 4, we saw Nissan E-Dams driver Oliver Rowland (#23) come out strong to finish on the podium both days. Taking his first FE win last year in Tokyo, JPN for the team, his confidence seems to be on an upward trend - the British countryman now LEADS the Season 11 Championship standings. Be sure to keep an eye out on the brightly colored sakura-themed Nissan vehicle. We expect Rowland to continue his astounding performances throughout the season.
Oliver Rowland (#23) - Portland E-Prix, 2024
McLaren Rookie Taylor Barnard (#5) is also looking very strong for his inaugural season in Formula E, having set fast lap times to finish on the podium for 75% of this year’s races! The young Brit showed some incredibly skilled driving on track, and demonstrated a strong natural ability to keep his Gen 3 Evo planted on the ground. His qualifying times were FLYING with a 1:14:840 time around Jeddah in Round 4, the fastest of the weekend - and enough to secure him his FIRST Pole Position award!
Who might be a slept on choice going into Miami? Well, let’s first consider Season 9 Champion Jake Dennis (#27), who currently drives for Andretti Autosport. The fellow British driver currently sits in ninth position for Championship standings, having not finished two races out of the current season. After a very strong battle last year with (current) reigning champion Pascal Wherlein (#1), Dennis has found himself with less-than-wanted results. Let’s not count him out yet; with six wins and 21 pole positions under his belt, Dennis has the backing to win again in Season 11. The blue & white special livery Andretti will be running in Miami is sure to be an eye-pleaser, so keep yours peeled.
We should also keep an eye out on Maximillian Guenter (#7), who has moved to DS Penske for 2024 & 2025 to race alongside teammate Jean Eric Vergne (#25). Guenter, similarly to Dennis, holds six wins under his belt, including one this season out in Saudi Arabia. The two former teammates are still good contenders for this year’s championship, so keep watch on the black & gold car as well.
The wonderful thing about Formula E - it’s anybody’s game! Unlike other sports where drivers win, and win, and win again (Max Verstappen), Formula E has only ONCE had a repeat champion: Jean Eric Vergne, from 2017 to 2019. There is so much to play for when the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship RETURNS to a proper racetrack this spring! Stateside, the race will be broadcast via CBS Sports or the Roku Channel live on April 12th, 2025. Check your local listings for exact dates and times.
The #18 Pit Stall - Portland E-Prix, 2024
We cannot WAIT to see you in Miami! I’m hoping to be down there for our #shotonfilm campaign, as Lightshoot LLC is now an officially accredited media group with Formula E. If you’re there too, send us some flicks @jtlthecarguy on Instagram!
FORMULA E: What is the “Pit Boost” - Analysis
After years of teasing, prepping, and finalizing, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has introduced a state-of-the-art charging mechanism to welcome in new strategies for Season 11 - but what does it mean?
Jake Hughes (#5) - Portland E-Prix 2024
On its inaugural pilot run for the 2024-2025 season of Formula E, the brand new Pit Boost mechanism, designed in tandem with title sponsor ABB, looks to secure a brand new approach to the motorsport by allowing teams to charge their vehicles with an additional 10% of electricity throughout the headlining race. In doing so, the special feature adds to a long list of Formula E’s unique Mario Kart-esque race challenges, such as the longstanding Attack Mode first introduced seven years ago.
The Pit Boost boasts a remarkable achievement in electric vehicle technology, allowing for teams to utilize a full 600kW of power within a 30-second pit stop window. For context, the fastest charging speeds I’ve ever reached on a consumer 2023 Tesla Model 3 was 173kW, which only lasted for a mere few minutes before calming down to a general ~100kW. The DC Fast Charging mechanism for Formula E looks to provide drivers with a capped limit of 10% extra energy, tying into race strategy, tire degradation, and energy management throughout the 45 minute races.
However, the Boost does come with some notable limitations. For Season 11, the charging stops will only be used on select double-header weekends throughout the year, making an initial impact on the streets of Jeddah this past February. Even then, it may only play into the race on one of the two weekend races; forcing teams to alter their strategies between the two, and creating a more unique spectacle each day. Pit Boost is likely to return for double headers in Tokyo, Berlin, and London, although Lightshoot LLC does not currently have access to this information. There is also the concern, then, that Pit Boost is forcibly limited by the Championship to only charge an additional 10% of energy. While it’s likely that the system could charge faster, or with a greater kWh dispersion (in comparison, as if there were more gallons poured into the tank of a gas vehicle) but in the name of fairness, has been capped at 10% over 30 seconds.
Antonio Felix da Costa's (#13) Gen 3 Porsche Charger, Portland E-Prix 2024
So how will this affect the race? Well, the name of the game will be (as we saw in Round 4 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia) the race off of pit road. As each driver is required to take his 30-second stop, all drivers and teams are equal on the front of whether they pit or not. However, WHEN you pit will be the great decider. Drivers who pit earlier may be able to pull off an undercut on the frontrunners; i.e., if Driver 3 were to pit three laps earlier than Driver 1, and if he reentered from his pit stop with LESS THAN a 30-second (or more, given time to get to/leave the pit box) gap to Driver 1, it is likely that when 1 pitted, 3 would take over the position where 1 previously sat.
We saw this previously in Round 4 of the Championship’s 11th Season from Nissan driver Oliver Rowland (#23). The Brit was able to successfully work his way back up to the front via a well-timed pit stop, which saw him take the lead over the front runners, and take the top step of the podium that night. What is also very interesting to pay attention to, will be the combination of Pit Boost and Attack Mode. The former, allowing drivers more energy. The latter, providing greater wheel power, but rather detracting from the usable energy by giving drivers AWD and an additional 50kW of power for a total of eight minutes. Drivers who utilize the Attack Mode early in the race may be able to take advantage of their increased power and work their way towards the front of the grid, before building a larger time-gap to the other cars to take his Pit Boost. Keep an eye out on Andretti’s Jake Dennis (#27) who was also to recuperate a recovery drive in Round 4 by burning up his rubber on the Attack Mode.
Overall, Formula E’s newest addition to the paddock looks to spice things up on Double Header weekends - and hopefully to more races in the season later on. The last time any sort of pitstops were seen in the series was in its infancy; during Gen 1, teams held two cars per driver in their pit. During a stop, drivers would swap over to a second car to finish the race, as the charging technology didn’t exist over a decade ago. Thanks to ABB and the Formula E Championship pioneering sustainability and EV technology, one can hope that this 600kW powerhouse charger may soon see consumer vehicles in production.
The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship continues in one month’s time for Round 5 in Miami, Florida! We hope to see you there and keep updated coverage on the Season 11 progress.
Lightshoot LLC is an Official Media Organization permitted coverage of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. All photos used are property of the LLC, and all information taken from official sources with www.fiaformulae.com.
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INDYCAR: Who to watch after St. Pete
The 2025 season gets underway with some surprises - and some less shocking.
The NTT IndyCar Series on Fox got underway last week on the streets of St. Petersburg, and tensions were tight going into Round 1! Here’s our opinions on who’s hot and who’s not after the opening round of the 17 race championship.
Christian Lundgaard (#45), Alex Palou (#10), Josef Newgarden (#2) - Detroit Grand Prix, 2024
Starting from pole position, Team Penske’s own Scott McLaughlin looked to be a strong contender throughout the weekend. The #3 Chevrolet has always had good pace, taking the NTT P1 award in Indianapolis last year, starting the front row alongside his teammates in Josef Newgarden (#2) and Will Power (#12). Unfortunately for Scotty Mac, the New Zealander couldn’t convert his eighth win quite yet, finishing 4th in Florida. Keep an eye out on the Dex Imaging Chevrolet for the rest of the season.
The Chip Ganassi drivers took the top steps of the podium; Alex Palou (#10) and Scott Dixon (#9) finishing first and second, respectively. Dixon, without a radio for the ENTIRETY of the 100 laps around West Florida, worked his way up from the back of the grid to P2. This shouldn’t be any surprise - the IndyCar veteran is a master of saving fuel, running strategy, and maximizing his off days. The Spaniard Palou as well, no surprise victory from the three time NTT IndyCar Series Champion.
Fan favorite Pato O’ Ward in the #5 McLaren Chevrolet worked his way back up from a frustrating qualifying; starting 23rd, the fast hands from Monterrey, Mexico finished 11th, working his way into the points. A driver searching for the illustrious victory of the Indianapolis 500 after a crushing second place finish in 2024, expect O’Ward to drive his way back to the front.
Pato O’Ward (#5) - Detroit Grand Prix 2024
An unfortunate early retirement found Will Power (#12) and Nolan Siegel (#6), as they collided on turn one, lap one.
Who are the underrated drivers for 2025? Keep an eye out on Christian Lundgaard (#7), who took his maiden win in Toronto last year. Now driving for McLaren, he’s keeping it steady, and led a considerable number of laps in St. Pete. The Meyer Shank Racing cars, Felix Rosenqvist (#60) and Marcus Armstrong (#66) found themselves running in the top ranks too - running off strategy, but making up time on the pit stops to undercut other teams.
Lastly, the A.J. Foyt drivers in Santino Ferrucci (#14) and David Malukas (#4) - paired with their new partnership with Team Penske - are hungry for a win. They’ll be driving aggressively all season, so keep an eye out for the American underdogs.
It’s too early to determine who has “fallen off” this season - let’s wait until May to give you the best odds on your Grid Rival parlay.
The NTT IndyCar Series returns on March 23rd at the Thermal Club! We’ll be taking deeper dives into the engineering, strategy, and drives throughout the season, so please consider joining the Lightshoot LLC mailing list so you stay up-to-date with the Team 27 weekly discussions.