The new Gen4 Formula E car is being primed for a slick tyre revolution in the second phase of its evolution in 2028, with testing of a slick tyre from Bridgestone possible as early as next year.
Formula E Notebook has learned that a pathway for Gen4 to have slick tyres for the 2028-29 season, Gen4’s third, could be developed in to an all-out plan for the cars to run on slick tyres, potentially increasing pace by a further 3-4 seconds a lap.
“There’s definitely a tyre evolution plan,” Formula E CEO, Jeff Dodds, told FEN at Goodwood last weekend.
“Remember, we’re a fully sustainable series, so the thought of flying single airplanes around the world just full of tyres is not particularly on our wish list. On the other hand, also, we want to put on races that are really exciting, and therefore you have to choose a tyre for that,” added Dodds.
Formula E has run on all-weather rubber since its very first race at Beijing in 2014, first with Michelin in the first two generations of the category and then with Hankook from the 2022-2026 period with Hankook.
Formula E utilises all-weather tyres to promote environmental sustainability, reduce the championship’s carbon footrpint, and limit logistical waste by eliminating the need to manufacturer and transport separate slick and wet compounds.
It also creates a strict cap on tyre allocations, requiring drivers to manage energy, pace, and wear across a single specification for both dry and rainy conditions.
But the drivers have consistently batted against aspects of this philosophy, maintaining that slick tyres would naturally accelerate the performance and therefore out-reach of the all-electric world championship.
“We don’t have pit stops for tyre changes, so you have to also think about having multi-compound, typhoon tyres, wet weather tyres, intermediate tyres,” added Dodds.
“So, all of a sudden you open up a whole other world when you start to go down this route.
“Saying that, part of our journey for evolution plan includes tyre evolution, so without giving too much away, you should expect to see over the life of Gen4 not just one, but probably multiple evolutions of the tyre. And it’s fair to say that those evolutions will be going more towards slicks.”
The new Bridgestone tyres that will be used from the Gen4 era onward will include two distinct specifications. A so-called primary tyre which has a high-performance treaded design to work across a variety of conditions.
Then there will be the extreme wet ‘monsoon tyre,’ a dedicated wet-weather compound to keep the cars stable in heavy rain. The composition of the new rubber will feature 65% renewable and recycled materials, aligning with the ‘100% recyclable goals of the Gen4 cars.’
Additional reporting by Anthony Rowlinson
