As of this season, Hankook Tire is exclusive tyre partner of the FIA Junior European Rally Championship, a series for highly-talented young rally drivers held as part of the FIA European Rally Championship. All cars in the Rally4 category will compete on Hankook Ventus Z215 and Dynapro R211 tyres.
The FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) will include four tyre manufacturers in 2023, following the announcement that Hankook is producing a tyre range homologated for the series. The ERC sees the addition of Hankook tyres alongside those from Michelin, MRF and Pirelli as a move that “reinforces the strength” of the championship.
If asked which tyres are worn by cars competing in Lamborghini Super Trofeo races, you may be tempted to name an Italian brand starting with ‘P’ – but you’d be wrong. As of the 2023 season, Hankook Tire is now official technical partner and exclusive tyre supplier to all three series of the one-make cup. It has also developed a new, high-performance race tyre for this engagement, the Hankook Ventus Race, a product specifically tailored to the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo Evo2 racing car.
Hankook Tire, new official technical partner and tyre supplier of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and title sponsor of the current season’s opening race, says it is “prepared and ready” for its engagement in the all-electric race series. The Hankook Mexico City E-Prix takes place on 14 January and is the first of eleven race weekends around the world this year that will host a total of 16 races.
The 2022 DTM Trophy gets underway this weekend at the Lausitzring, with Hankook supplying its high-end Ventus Race tyres, as it has since the series’ inception in 2020. The “talent factory” for touring car racing will feature seven rounds. Hankook says the series continues its commitment to youth development, an important element of its motorsport commitments. Drivers from 11 countries will compete in 20 production-based GT sports cars from the opening round of the 2022 DTM Trophy in Lower Lusatia (20-22 May). Manufacturers include Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Mercedes-AMG, Porsche and Toyota. Among the racers is sole female entrant, Sophie Hofmann from Waldenburg; the 23-year-old made her DTM Trophy debut last year. Hankook also supplies the single-seater all-female W Series.
Hankook will supply its Ventus Race tyre to the W Series for the third season in 2022, beginning 6-8 May in Miami, USA. The world’s only all-female single-seater series will race on Hankook tyres at eight Formula 1 weekends. The tyre manufacturer has partnered the series since its inaugural season in 2019. Hankook says the series demonstrates its motorsport philosophy of providing targeted support to motor racing drivers – in the case of W Series, this means the opportunity for female racers to gather experience in a professional environment at some historic circuits. It says the consistency and predictability of the Ventus Race, as well as its own support, are a key factor in drivers’ development processes.
Jamie Chadwick has once again been crowned champion of the Hankook-shod W Series. With a commanding double win on the final stop of the eight-race tour, at the Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas, the British driver successfully defended her title with a fourth win for the season.
Hankook will serve as exclusive tyre partner to the relaunched Deutsche Tourenwagen Challenge (DTC), a German motorsport series aimed at young and amateur drivers and contested by affordable cars with a maximum engine capacity of 1.65 litres such as the Ford Fiesta ST, Hyundai i20 N, Peugeot 208, Renault Clio Cup or Toyota Yaris. All vehicles will compete on Hankook Ventus Race tyres when the series gets underway next year.
Hankook and German touring car series DTM are marking a decade-long partnership this season. The manufacturer has supplied tyres at more than 150 races, with the Hankook Ventus Race demonstrating its quality in a diverse range of conditions. Following its DTM debut in 2011, Hankook has developed the tyre in four phases to tackle new developments in the series.
Formula Renault Eurocup exclusive tyre supplier Hankook is looking forward to the second half of the 2020 series, describing it as “one of the strongest Formula series in the world.” Supplying its Ventus Race tyre since 2019, Hankook visited Zandvoort, Netherlands to mark the halfway point in the delayed 2020 season – the first time Formula Renault Eurocup has raced at the circuit since 2000. Victor Martins enjoyed three successful days at the circuit in the dunes on the Dutch coast, consolidating his position at the top of the overall standings, courtesy of a victory and a second place.
Audi announced its withdrawal from the German Touring Car Masters (DTM), effective at the end of the 2020 season. As things stand, BMW will be the only remianing factory team at the beginning of 2021; R-Motorsport dropped out earlier in the year. Audi wants to concentrate on Formula E and customer sport in the future according to a statement from Ingolstadt. The 2020 season of DTM has yet to start, due to the Coronavirus pandemic. DTM has not started its 2020 series yet due to the Coronavirus crisis, but has announced a new Esports series with Hankook a founding partner.
Long-standing tyre partner to DTM, Hankook is entering virtual motorsport with the German touring car series. The tyre manufacturer has become a founding partner of the DTM Esports Classic Challenge. The newly created race series brings together 15 current and former drivers of the DTM and the DTM Trophy. It is also adding a further five participants from the RaceRoom community of Esports racers. These challengers will be selected from the top 100 fastest racers, who proved themselves in a qualification round for the first race which started on 27 April. Professionally commentaters will provide race summaries in English.
Hankook Tire has become a sponsor of the Nürburgring Endurance Series, the race event at the renown German circuit that previously went by the name VLN Endurance Championship and billed as the largest motorsport championship in the world. The tyre maker hopes this new tie-up will be the start of a “long term partnership” with the retitled, open tyre supply motorsport series.
Hankook has extended its partnership with European touring cars, with another partnership with a promising new racing series. The new DTM Trophy will run on the Ventus Race tyre, with on-site support from the tyre manufacturer from the 2020 season. Hankook has signed a four-year contract with DTM umbrella organisation ITR, which will promote the new GT series. The new series will run as part of the support programme at seven rounds of the popular DTM series, which Hankook has supported as exclusive tyre partner since 2011.
René Rast claimed his fifth win of the season in the 500th DTM at Lausitzring and extended his lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Behind Rast, second to fifth places went to fellow Audi racers Nico Müller, Mike Rockenfeller, Jamie Green and Robin Frijns as the Ingolstadt carmaker secured early confirmation of victory in the Manufacturers’ Championship. In the Saturday race, Nico Müller won to close the gap on Rast, who was forced to retire with technical issues. Frijns and Rockenfeller were second and third to make it a one-two-three for Audi. Track temperatures were high for both races – up to 40 degrees Celsius on Sunday – while Hankook’s Ventus Race tyres impressed with a high level of grip on the smooth surface.
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