Michelin’s latest gen Formula E tire that was introduced at the start of the 2018/2019 season endured its most aggressive run of the championship – and of any FIA-sanctioned racing series – this weekend in Berlin.
The hallmark feature of the temporary, 10-turn, 2.375km circuit at the former Tempelhof Airport in the center of the German capital is effectively its ribbed concrete surface, which has a rasping effect on tires. That said, Berlin isn’t unchartered territory for Michelin since the city first hosted an e-prix back in May 2015, and the series has returned there three times since, although the 2016 race took place around a street circuit in the Alexander Platz district.
“After having to contend with rain in Saudi Arabia, hailstones in Paris and searing heat in Chile, the Michelin Pilot Sport faces one of its last big challenges of the campaign in Berlin,” said Serge Grisin, manager of Michelin’s Formula E program, prior to the race.
“The concrete surface of the track at the former Tempelhof Airport is the most abrasive and demanding of the calendar. On top of that, this is the first season that the drivers have just one set of tires per race following the dropping of mid-race car-swaps, so we expect to see higher wear rates. However, based on our analysis of the data we have collected concerning our latest-generation Formula E tire, we feel confident.”
