Press Release

  • Motorsport

Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

The Audi Sport TT Cup enters the second half of its season this weekend at Circuit Zandvoort. The 16 young drivers from eleven countries will contest races seven and eight at the 4.307-kilometre racetrack on the Dutch coast as part of the support programme for the DTM. As the wind constantly blows sand onto the track, the circuit in the dunes is regarded as one of the most demanding on the race calendar. Faced with these tough conditions, the talented youngsters benefit from the performance potential of the race tyre provided by premium tyre maker Hankook, who have supported the Audi Sport TT Cup with the Ventus Race since the series was launched in 2015.
Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

Zandvoort/Netherlands, 19th August 2017 – The Audi Sport TT Cup is new territory for Mike Beckhusen. The young man from Berlin is contesting his first season in the junior series, but has been involved in motorsport from a young age. “I first drove a kart when I was five. A friend of my father, a former rally driver, encouraged me. I also did a bit of motocross, before I entered my first kart races as a nine-year-old. Even back then, I already wanted to become a professional racing driver,” he says.

Beckhusen is supported by his father, who is a professional motor boat racing driver and has won titles at national and international level. The 17-year-old’s first major success came in 2010, when he finished tenth in the World Karting Championship. One year later, he was runner-up in the Easykart European Series. In 2016, Beckhusen finished third in the Junior class in the ADAC TCR Germany series, before taking his place at the wheel of the 340-hp Audi TT for the first time this season.

“Everything is unbelievably professionally organised at Audi. Not only do the coaches help you, but so does everyone involved. Last year I had my team in the TCR, but here I have Audi behind me. That really helps a newcomer like me, and you learn an incredible amount,” says Beckhusen. After taking a short time to find his feet in the junior series, the youngster from Berlin has improved consistently and has now established himself in the top ten. His goal is now to win the Rookie competition and to challenge for a podium position in the overall standings.

The 17-year-old is assisted on his way to the top by the Hankook race tyres. Beckhusen: “The Hankook tyres are very good. Even if you do not get the tyre pressure 100 per cent right, they adapt to your driving style, last a very long time, and are consistently quick. I can depend fully on the Hankook tyre and push hard throughout the entire race.”

The young driver from Berlin still has his sights set firmly on becoming a professional racing driver. Beckhusen: “I want to be a works driver, to have a regular seat in a team and earn my living from motor racing. Should that work out, my dream is to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans.”

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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Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

Audi TT cup #7 Vivien Keszthelyi

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Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

Audi TT cup #9 Mike Beckhusen

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Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

Audi TT cup #9 Mike Beckhusen

File size: 2 MB

Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

Audi Sport TT Cup

File size: 2 MB

Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

Audi TT cup #9 Mike Beckhusen

File size: 2 MB

Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

Audi TT cup #9 Mike Beckhusen

File size: 2 MB

Berlin Rookie: starting out in professional motorsport with Hankook

Audi TT cup #9 Mike Beckhusen

File size: 1 MB

Contacts

Sabine Riedel

PR Manager Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 6102 8149-178

Sabine Riedel

PR Manager Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 6102 8149-178

Lisa Schmid

PR Manager Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-172

Alexander Nevinny-Stickel

PR Manager Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-173

Annika Malcherek

Annika Malcherek

Digital Lead Marketing Communications

+49 (0) 6102 8149-176

Stefan Prohaska

Stefan Prohaska

Digital Marketing Communications

 +49 (0) 6102 8149-171

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