January 28, 2020 |
MICHELIN Pilot Sport delivers at 2020 Santiago E-Prix
The 2020 Santiago E-Prix took place in a buzzing atmosphere, with packed grandstands despite the searing heat, which didn’t deter fans from flocking into the Chilean capital’s Parque O’Higgins, the wooded recreational park in the city centre, which hosts the circuit. A particularly popular attraction was the Allianz E-Village, which allowed spectators to follow the race on a giant screen, free of charge.
The event’s success provided further evidence of the South American public’s passion for world-class motor racing, and they were rewarded with a highly entertaining race.
The weather forecasters’ predictions of temperatures of up to 35°C proved accurate, as the mercury climbed to 34°C, while the track temperature peaked at 52°C. Although this fell slightly short of last year’s figures, when the thermometer soared to 40°C and the circuit’s asphalt reached 62°C, the 2020 Santiago E-Prix – the third to be hosted by the city – was as punishing as ever for the drivers, their cars and their tyres.
Despite these harsh conditions, lap times were significantly faster this time around and the drivers lapped the 2.3-kilometre circuit some four seconds faster on average than in previous years.
“There are a number of reasons for this, beginning with the modifications that were made to the track’s layout compared with last season, including the dropping of the chicane in the middle of the long parabolic curve,” noted Jérôme Mondain, the manager of Michelin’s Formula E programme. “But that’s not all. The performance of the current cars is clearly superior, at all the circuits visited by the championship, and this is due in part to their tyres, which have taken these improvements in their stride. On top of that, the MICHELIN Pilot Sport is exceptionally versatile. Last season, in Marrakech, we were faced with temperatures close to freezing point, just weeks after exceeding 60°C here in Santiago, but our third-generation Formula E tyre rose to the occasion and performed consistently at both venues. It really is a tyre that covers all the bases.”
The third e-prix of the 2019/2020 campaign was won by BMW i Andretti’s Maximilian Günther, ahead of Antonio Felix da Costa (DS Techeetah) and Mitch Evans (Panasonic Jaguar Racing). The next round of the 2019/2020 ABB FIA Formula E Championship will take teams to Mexico City on February 15th.
Source: Michelin
