Come again?
It’s true, Formula E and Tinder have officially upgraded their relationship from ‘first date’ (Tinder was, and no we’re not joking, the ‘Official Sparking Connections Partner’ of the 2026 London Formula E race earlier this year) to ‘situationship.’
Hang on, this has to be a joke, right?
No, honestly, it’s not. Tinder has become an official partner of the all-electric racing series, just as the much faster ‘Generation 4’ cars arrive in the sport, and it starts to expand beyond the current lineup of short street circuits and onto proper racing tracks.
Why is Tinder getting into Formula E?
Well, it’s down to marketing of course, but Tinder is justifying the arrangement by pointing out that Formula E’s global audience is now 49 per cent female, and that apparently, and according to Tinder itself: “Motorsport mentions on Tinder rose 1,164 per cent over the course of 2025, showing how the sport is becoming part of how people express themselves and spark connections.”
Please stop saying ‘spark’…
Make us.
Paolo Lorenzoni, Tinder’s vice president for marketing said: “We wanted to do more than simply show up in motorsport, we wanted to create something that reflected why this partnership made sense in the first place. Formula E shares Tinder’s belief that everyone should feel empowered to show up, challenge convention and make their own move. With ‘Ready. Set. Spark’, we’re putting some of the sport’s most exciting talent in the driving seat and giving people the chance to see the personalities behind the helmets. It’s a partnership about connection, self-expression and proving that there’s more than one way to take the lead.”
Is First Dates going to film at a Formula E race?
Probably not, but Tinder is going to make this more than just a stickers-and-signs relationship. The dating app has already made some content highlighting the growing number of women who are reaching the top of motorsport, and its new online series ‘Ready. Set. Spark,’ puts three of the sport’s standout drivers - Sophia Flörsch, Marta García and Abbi Pulling - “behind the wheel for high-speed, unfiltered conversations about love, life and racing. Joined by a line-up of all-women presenters, each driver will navigate high-speed corners whilst tackling candid questions about what it takes to live life in the fast lane.”
Abbi Pulling, who will be racing for Nissan in Formula E this year, said: “In motorsport, we’re so focused on performance that fans rarely get to see who we are once the helmet comes off. Partnering with Tinder for this series was a brilliant opportunity to share a different side of myself and show what life looks like beyond the track. Chatting through dating, life on the road, and everything in between while taking on high-speed corners was definitely a first for me, but such a fun experience and I can’t wait for everyone to see.”
Is Tinder the only new Formula E partner?
No, it’s certainly not. At a gala event in Rome last week, Bridgestone — the Japanese tyre giant — announced that it is now the official supplier of rubber (steady on…) to the series.
The Bridgestone announcement is also very much not just a marketing arrangement, as the latest Formula E Generation 4 cars are massively more powerful than before and require bespoke racing tyres to suit them.
How much power do the new Formula E cars have?
The latest cars, which are noticeably beefier and bigger than the outgoing Generation 3 models, have up to 835hp in qualifying mode, and will race with more than 600hp.
They’re big and fast enough to need a switch, in some cases, from Formula E’s traditional short street circuits to proper racing tracks.
For example, the UK Formula E round will switch from a go-kart style track in the London Excel exhibition centre to the famous Brands Hatch racetrack.
These new electric racers can hit 100km/h from a standing start in as little as 1.5 seconds, so to cope with that kind of performance, Bridgestone has developed a special new tyre for the series — the Potenza Gen 4, alongside a Potenza Typhoon tyre for wet conditions.
Hiroshi Imai, Bridgestone’s head of global motorsports, said: “We are truly delighted to showcase Bridgestone’s technology and passion to the world on the new stage of Formula E. In developing these tyres, we pushed the limits of our technology to fully unlock the overwhelming performance of the new cars. In particular, these tyres represent a symbolic evolution, enabling drivers to confidently take on even wet conditions. By supporting the dramatically evolved Generation 4 from the ground up, we are also advancing initiatives toward carbon neutrality and resource circulation, striving to realise sustainable motorsport. We will continue to deliver the superior quality to circuits around the world, bringing new excitement and inspiration to racing fans worldwide.”
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