‘Vinnie Hacker isn’t just a name—it’s a collision of contradictions: gamer and model, fighter and lover, rebel and rising star.’
That’s from a recent ‘Tings Magazine’ feature on U.S influencer Vinnie Hacker. Those pretentious epithets probably scared the hell out of the DS Penske engineers and custodians of Max Guenther’s DS E-TENSE FE25 Gen3Evo Formula E car as he climbed in to it in Miami, but it ultimately turned out as well as could be expected for both parties as the black and gold came back untouched by wall or fence.
“It was something that, I kind of didn’t even hesitate on and I was like ‘I’m never going to get this opportunity again, so why not just take it.’ I’m very glad I did,” Hacker told Formula E Notebook.
“I had, prior racing experience with, cars and whatnot. But still, even though I’ve done that, it’s like learning from scratch. It’s a whole new ballgame. I mean, the whole thing was pretty surprising for me, just how quick the braking is, how quick the car is. It’s a lot to take in.”
“The training I got in a sim was super fun, but it was pretty difficult at first, but, as the laps went on I was able to adapt to it.”
Hacker was one of only two drivers to have some practical experience in a Formula E car when he tested an old Gen2 DS car at the Satory airfield in mid-February. It put him in good stead for understanding the basics of driving a Formula E car.
It certainly helped him as he ran consistently, if off the pace of the majority of other guests.
“Being in the real thing was obviously very beneficial,” he said.
“The first-time meeting Max (Guenther), I knew that he was going to be super cool, and he was going to be super supportive. We kind of built that friendship up fast and I’m very glad to have him on board.”
Deputy DS Penske team principal Phil Charles has worked with dozens of drivers in his career and is in a good place to evaluate Hacker, who brought Guenther’s Jeddah winning car home in one piece.
“He’s had a good prep with a sim day in the UK with me and he also went to Satory, the DS base, and drove a Gen 2 car,” Charles told FEN.
“He had a really good factory tour there too, and he had a really nice building experience I would say.
“He’s worked nicely with everybody that he’s interacted with, and he’s been good. He’s again super easy to work with, a really nice chap.”
Charles also reckons that the Evo Sessions was a success, despite a late confirmation of its activation.
“I think it’s been really good but he championship needed to do something like this to get us out there more,” said Charles.
“The product in Formula E has been fantastic, the racing’s been great, and I think it’s really fit in to that build-up so really good.
“In terms of the lead-up to it, when you’re pulling together something completely new like this, a kind of new entity, that’s quite a tricky thing. So, I think FEO, FIA have all done pretty well to deliver this. I really do.
“From us as a team point of view it’s something a bit different, something a bit extra. There’s a bit of working out how we do it but nothing that’s too tricky.
“Overall, I’d give it a thumbs up. It’s been something that’s been different and worth doing and returning to I think.
“To get MrBeast here is amazing and Vinnie, our content creator, has been excellent. So, it’s been a wholly positive experience for us.”
Interviews by Georgia Williams
