Bridgestone's new 'Typhoon' tyre means tyres will no longer be the reason Formula E races cannot go ahead in the rain, according to series chief executive Jeff Dodds. The tyre is the all-electric championship's first purpose-built compound for racing in wet conditions, and was unveiled at the Villa Aurelia in Rome, Italy.
Wet weather has often forced races to be delayed or cancelled, frustrating fans who tend to find damp-track races the most entertaining due to the lack of grip. A recent example came at the Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, where heavy rain began falling around 40 minutes before the scheduled start and prompted race control to delay the race.
Formula E has been even more restricted in wet periods because it previously had only one tyre available. That is no longer the case with the arrival of the Typhoon tyre from new supplier Bridgestone.
Chief executive welcomes the innovation
Speaking to Express Sport at the launch, Dodds said the new tyre removes the weather variable from the equation, although other factors could still cause delays or cancellations in extreme conditions.
He said: "When we started, we barely had a wet race. The last couple of seasons, as we've shifted the calendar around but also as the global climate is changing, we're finding more and more weather disruptions. So it's really important for us that the fans are coming out for a big show, and we want to put on a show. We're delighted to be able to do that."
"The good news is, the tyre takes away the variable of the weather. If it is quite extreme wet weather, this tyre will still allow us to race. Now, if it's too much and visibility is too low for the drivers and it's too dangerous, then the FIA will not put on the race. But what it means is, providing they're able to put on a race with the other factors, the tyre will not be the reason why we can't race."
Drivers give positive feedback
Both the Typhoon and the all-weather tyres developed by Bridgestone for Formula E's new Gen4 car have been extensively tested by current drivers in the series. Dodds said the feedback from them has been "overwhelmingly positive".
Bridgestone says the tyres have been developed to deliver the full potential of the new 600kw, 800+bhp cars. Dodds added: "Bridgestone have created two tyres, the all-weather and the Typhoon tyre, and what that means is, regardless of weather conditions, we know we can put on a spectacular, exciting race. We're very excited about this. We know they've been testing it for some time, the drivers have been testing it in their Gen 4 cars and the feedback we're getting is unbelievable."
"They're super excited about the Gen 4 car, of course, because drivers love going faster! 0-60, 1.8 secs. 0-200kph in 4.2secs, something like that. So it's an incredible piece of machinery and they love that, but they love the feeling of these tyres as well. They love the fact that it really feels grounded on the track. So far, everything has been incredibly positive."
