Misano/Italy, 21st August 2018 – The racetrack in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna was opened in 1972 and was the subject of modifications from autumn 2006 to spring 2007. These measures were primarily in the interest of safety, in order to meet the requirements of the MotoGP series. This is because the Misano World Circuit is first and foremost a winding motorcycle track, with ten right-hand corners and six left-handers.
Hankook DTM race engineer Thomas Baltes: “From a tyre perspective, it makes no difference that the Misano World Circuit is usually used for motorcycle races. However, the track surface has been re-laid and is now far more aggressive. This will lead to an increase in the temperature of the running surface on the Ventus Race. However, this will not restrict the performance of the tyre, particularly as the asphalt will cool down in the night.”
The many changes in direction mean that the tyres will be put under a lot of strain in Misano. The Hankook race tyre must provide a lot of traction at the winding circuit, in order to allow the drivers to accelerate quickly out of the slower sections. As the longest straight is just 565 metres, the racetrack in the Italian seaside resort of Misano is one of the slowest on the DTM calendar.
Thomas Baltes: “In order to cope with the features of this track, the teams will need a balanced car set-up. It is important that the tyres are able to cool down a little after the narrow, winding sections. That is possible on the few short straights. Misano is new territory for the DTM and the Hankook race tyre. We are assuming that the running surface will take most of the strain, rather than the construction of the tyre. However, that will in no way affect the high performance of the Ventus Race.”
