Formula E’s GEN4 era will bring a dedicated heavy-wet tire: Bridgestone’s POTENZA GEN4 for TYPHOON TYRE. It is designed for rain, grip and water dispersal, but the tire’s arrival does not prove that Formula E will be the first racing series where everyone wants rain—or that wet races will automatically be faster or more exciting.
What is Formula E’s Typhoon tire?
Bridgestone becomes the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship’s sole tire supplier from the 2026/27 season, which also begins the GEN4 era. The announced range includes two tire types: an all-weather POTENZA GEN4 and a heavy-wet POTENZA GEN4 for TYPHOON TYRE. In this championship, “TYPHOON TYRE” is the FIA specification name for a heavy-wet tire.
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Bridgestone says the Typhoon version is intended for severe rain, including conditions where water accumulates on the circuit. Its stated goals are stable driving, grip and water dispersal. Those describe the tire’s intended design; they are not independently verified race results. Bridgestone’s October 1, 2026 announcement and its technical feature on the two Formula E tire types set out the specifications.
How does it differ from the all-weather tire?
| Tire | Intended conditions | Bridgestone’s stated design | Use in race strategy |
|---|---|---|---|
| POTENZA GEN4 | All-weather conditions | Uses a specially designed polymer and recovered carbon black. Bridgestone says it balances grip, treadwear and durability across temperatures and road conditions. | Specific deployment rules were not stated in the sources cited here. |
| POTENZA GEN4 for TYPHOON TYRE | Heavy-wet conditions | Uses rice-husk-derived silica and Bridgestone’s wet-grip technology. The company says its tread disperses water and maintains grip in rain that leaves puddles. | Specific deployment rules were not stated in the sources cited here. |
The material and performance descriptions are Bridgestone’s, not independent head-to-head test findings. The company reports assessing physical properties and tread patterns, then testing with actual GEN4 cars in Europe. Its development work considered tire footprint, warm-up, long-run performance changes and driver feedback.
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What could rain change in Formula E?
A tire designed for heavy rain gives teams and officials a purpose-built option for conditions the all-weather tire is not specifically described as targeting. In principle, that could make a wet race more manageable and give drivers a tire intended to retain grip while clearing standing water. Whether that changes overtaking, pace, safety or the spectacle of a race is not established by the announcement; those outcomes would depend on conditions and actual race evidence.
Formula E’s tire approach also matters. Bridgestone’s explainer on the basics of Formula E says tire selection and routine mid-race changes are generally not basic race strategies. The sources available do not specify when the Typhoon tire can or must be used, how many would be allocated, or what race-control conditions would trigger its use. It is therefore too early to describe it as a guaranteed strategic choice teams can make whenever rain arrives.
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Does this mean everyone will hope for rain?
No. “The first racing series where everyone hopes for rain” is an intriguing headline premise, not a verified fact. The official announcements establish that Formula E is introducing a dedicated heavy-wet specification; they do not compare it with every other racing series or document what fans, drivers and teams universally prefer. A wet tire may reduce one obstacle to racing in heavy rain, but it cannot make every wet-weather risk or variable disappear.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsBridgestone Executive Officer and CPO for Global Motorsports Hiroshi Imai called the new tire “a symbolic evolution for the GEN4 era,” saying it would enable drivers to “confidently take on even wet conditions.” That is the supplier’s characterization of its product, not an independent performance verdict. The Formula E announcement confirms the supplier appointment and the GEN4 context.
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What else has Bridgestone disclosed about GEN4?
Bridgestone reports more than 6,500 km of development testing with actual GEN4 vehicles in Europe. That is supplier-reported development mileage, not race mileage or an independent comparative test. The company also says every GEN4 tire receives a 65% allocation of recycled and renewable materials, including ISCC PLUS-certified resources under a mass-balance approach. “Allocation” is important: the figure should not be read as proof that each individual tire physically contains a separately measured 65% share of recycled and renewable material.
The same Bridgestone announcement describes the GEN4 car—not the tire—as producing up to 600 kW (815 bhp) and reaching a stated top speed of 335 km/h. Bridgestone Motorsport characterizes GEN4’s maximum output as 71% higher than the current generation. These figures offer context for the new car era, but do not establish how the wet tire will perform in a race.
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