DTM Best Pit Stop Award: Hankook to reward the fastest teams in the pit lane again this season

Premium tyre maker Hankook will once again reward the fastest pit crew in the DTM with the Best Pit Stop Award in 2017. This is now the seventh time that the exclusive DTM tyre partner has run the unofficial pit stop championship, which recognises the vital work of the pit crews during tyre changes, which can often make or break a race for their team. Come the end of the season, the winning team will receive the coveted crystal trophy. Hankook also puts on an exclusive team event for the fastest crew. BMW Team MTEK won the Best Pit Stop Award in 2016.

Hockenheim/Germany, 5th May 2017 – This year, the job of the mechanics will be even more important and strenuous than last season. In accordance with the new sporting regulations, both the Saturday and the Sunday race will now last 55 minutes plus one lap, and both must include one mandatory pit stop. This stop must be made after the opening lap and before the final lap.

Hankook Motorsport Director Europe, Manfred Sandbichler: “Last year, only the Sunday race featured a mandatory tyre change. Now the teams have twice as much work, with at least two pit stops per race weekend. However, this also means they now have two opportunities to perform a quick tyre change and thus to do well in the Best Pit Stop Award.”

The pit stop will be all the more intense, as the new regulations stipulate that only eight mechanics may be involved in the tyre change, and only one wheel gun will be available for each side of the car. Prior to this season, there was no limit to the number of mechanics who could work on the car during a tyre change. “Under these conditions, everything must be exactly right and the team must work in perfect harmony. The cars will obviously be stationary for longer, but a well-oiled crew can gain a lot of time during a tyre change, and this could ultimately make or break a race,” said Manfred Sandbichler.

Hankook will provide the teams with eight sets of newly-developed slicks at each DTM race weekend in 2017. The new Ventus Race slick offers more grip than its predecessor, thus allowing a more aggressive driving style. However, it will also degrade faster and more dramatically. Tyre blankets are no longer permitted, which could make the first few laps after the pit stop a real challenge for the drivers.

Hankook Motorsport Director Europe: “The drivers will come into the pits on ‘hot tyres’, which have offered a lot of grip and have been running perfectly at the ideal temperature. After the pit stop, they then head back onto the track on cold tyres, and must get them working as quickly as possible. They will have to drive skilfully in order to avoid losing too much time.”

The scoring for the Best Pit Stop Award is calculated according to the official pit stop timings, as approved by the DBSB, from the time the car enters the pit lane to the time it exits the pit lane. As in the DTM regulations, points are awarded per car and are not added within the team. Only the fastest time for each of the two stops on a race weekend scores points. After each race weekend, the crew with the fastest pit stop scores 25 points for their car (points are awarded as follows for positions two to ten: 18, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1). As the winning team, they are also rewarded with three crates of beer at the following DTM event.

Past winners of the Hankook DTM Best Pit Stop Award:

2016: BMW Team MTEK

2015: Audi Sport Team Abt

2014: Mercedes-AMG HWA

2013: BMW Team Schnitzer

2012: Audi Sport Team Abt

2011: Audi Sport Team Phoenix

About Hankook Tire

Hankook Tire manufactures globally innovative, award-winning radial tyres of proven superior quality for passenger cars, light trucks, SUVs, RVs, trucks, and buses as well as motorsports (circuit racing/street circuits/rallies).

Aspiring to bring consumers the utmost excellence in product quality, technological excellence and driving satisfaction, Hankook Tire continuously invests in research and development maintaining five R&D centres and eight production facilities around the world. Bespoke tyre solutions for the European markets as well as European Original Equipment according to the requirements of leading premium car manufacturers, are developed in the company’s regional Technical Centre in Hanover/Germany. Production for the European region is taking place in the state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Rácalmás/Hungary which was inaugurated in June 2007 and is continuously being expanded.

Hankook Tire’s European headquarters are located in Neu-Isenburg near Frankfurt am Main in Germany. The manufacturer operates further branches in several European countries and sells its products through regional distributors in other local markets. Hankook Tire employs approximately 20,000 people worldwide and sells products in over 160 countries. The company has been the technical partner and exclusive tyre supplier of the Generation 3 for the FIA ABB Formula E World Championship since 2023. Internationally leading car manufacturers rely on tyres made by Hankook for their original equipment. Approximately 38 percent of the company's global sales are generated within the European region.

For more information please visit www.hankooktire-mediacenter.com or www.hankooktire.com

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

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