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Rollercoaster at Brands Hatch challenging for DTM drivers and the Hankook racing tyres

Brands Hatch is set to host races eleven and twelve of the DTM this weekend. The legendary track in the English county of Kent returned to the tour calendar in 2018. Since then, the DTM races have been held on the 3.908-kilometre Grand Prix track and not on the 1.973-kilometre Indy version as in previous years. The final international stop of the 2019 DTM season, around 30 kilometres south east of London, is another endurance test for the racing tyres of premium maker Hankook, with similarly high levels of strain as in Assen, the Netherlands, three weeks ago.
Rollercoaster at Brands Hatch challenging for DTM drivers and the Hankook racing tyres

Neu-Isenburg/Germany, 6th August 2019 – The 3.908-kilometre demanding track surrounded by nature at Brands Hatch leads through woodland, has six right turns and three left turns, as well as narrow, angular sections. The track surface has a medium level of grip. “Unlike on the smooth, closed asphalt in Assen, the tyres interlock with the track surface at Brands Hatch much better. This means that there is not as much strain on the tread. However, the powerful turbo engines mean that the tyres are put under great strain when accelerating out of the slower sections,” explained Hankook’s DTM race engineer Thomas Baltes.

Another feature of the iconic English track is the great differences in altitude. From the highest point on the start-finish straight, the cars go through the ultrafast Paddock Hill Bend turn into a dip. This is followed by an uphill section and the subsequent Druids hairpin bend, the slowest section of the track. Thomas Baltes: “Like on the Nordschleife at the Nürburgring, there are many uphill and downhill sections at Brands Hatch, which are driven through at great speed. The arising compression increases the strain, which already affects the construction of the Ventus Race through the aerodynamics. The turns that are very fast in places and the high kerbs, which are driven over at top speed, also increase the stress level for the Hankook racing tyres.”

When tuning the car, the asymmetric track layout at Brands Hatch needs to be considered and a compromise found that enables high top speed while maintaining maximum traction. “We have twice as many right-hand turns as left-hand turns, which puts more strain on the front left tyre. This one-sided strain can be reduced with the appropriate car set-up. The long straights mean that the tuning also needs to be aiming for top speed, while also enabling a lot of traction in the narrow sections. Which is why Brands Hatch will be a real challenge for teams, drivers and the Hankook racing tyres once again,” said the Hankook DTM race engineer.

As part of the supporting programme of the DTM, the season finale of the W Series will also be held at Brands Hatch, which is also supplied with racing tyres exclusively by premium maker Hankook.

Hankook produceert wereldwijd innovatieve, prijswinnende high performance radiaalbanden voor het premium segment voor auto's, SUV's, terreinwagens, lichte vrachtwagens, vrachtwagens en bussen evenals voor de autosport (circuit- en straatracen/rally's).

Hankook investeert voortdurend in onderzoek en ontwikkeling om haar klanten steeds de hoogste kwaliteit in combinatie met uitstekende technologie te bieden. In vijf ontwikkelingscentra en acht grote fabrieken wereldwijd ontwikkelt en produceert Hankook bandoplossingen, die specifiek zijn afgestemd op de wensen en eisen van de regionale markten. In Europa vindt de bandontwikkeling voor de lokale markten en eerste montage plaats in overeenstemming met de toonaangevende Europese autofabrikanten in het regionale technisch centrum in Hannover/Duitsland. De banden worden onder andere geproduceerd in de ultramoderne Europese fabriek in Rácalmás/ Hongarije, die in 2007 werd ingewijd en voortdurend uitgebreid wordt.

Het Europese hoofdkwartier van de bandenfabrikant is gevestigd in Neu-Isenburg, Duitsland in de buurt van Frankfurt am Main. De fabrikant heeft meerdere vestigingen in verschillende Europese landen en verkoopt haar producten op andere lokale markten via regionale distributeurs. Wereldwijd biedt Hankook werk aan ongeveer 20.000 mensen en levert haar producten in meer dan 160 landen. Het bedrijf is geselecteerd als de technische partner en exclusieve bandenleverancier van Generatie 3 voor het FIA ABB Formule E Wereldkampioenschap, dat start in 2023. Toonaangevende autofabrikanten vertrouwen bij de eerste montage op banden van Hankook. Ongeveer 38 procent van de wereldwijde omzet van de onderneming is afkomstig uit Europa.

Verdere informatie vindt u via www.hankooktire-mediacenter.com of www.hankooktire.com

Hankook Tire Europe GmbH |  Marketing Communications Europe | Siemensstr. 14, 63263 Neu-Isenburg | Germany

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Rollercoaster at Brands Hatch challenging for DTM drivers and the Hankook racing tyres

Brands Hatch: DTM Brands Hatch 2018 on August, 11, 2018, (Photo by Hoch Zwei) Start Lucas Auer ( AUT, Mercedes HWA AG )

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Rollercoaster at Brands Hatch challenging for DTM drivers and the Hankook racing tyres

Assen: DTM Assen 2019 on July, 21, 2019, (Photo by Hoch Zwei)

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Rollercoaster at Brands Hatch challenging for DTM drivers and the Hankook racing tyres

Brands Hatch: DTM Brands Hatch 2018 on August, 11, 2018, (Photo by Hoch Zwei) Robin Frijns ( NED, Audi Sport Team Abt )

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Rollercoaster at Brands Hatch challenging for DTM drivers and the Hankook racing tyres

Start *** Local Caption *** +++ www.hoch-zwei.net +++ copyright: HOCH ZWEI +++

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