Hankook race tyres help rookie Julian Hanses as he starts out in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship

The Hungaroring is hosting round two of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship as part of this weekend’s DTM event. The 4.381-kilometre track near the Hungarian capital Budapest is the venue for races four to six of what is probably the most demanding junior, single-seater series in the world. This season, the 24 young drivers from 15 countries will contest ten rounds in eight different countries. Since 2012, premium tyre maker Hankook has supplied the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with the Ventus Race tyre. With its impressive performance and high degree of consistency, Hankook’s race tyre offers the talented youngsters optimal support as they embark on their motorsport careers.

Budapest/Hungary, 3rd June 2018 – Julian Hanses from Hilden, Germany, is one of 13 newcomers in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. His father first sat him in a kart at the age of five, and Julian was immediately bitten by the motor racing bug. “At first, I used to go karting every holiday. Over the course of time, motorsport became increasingly important in my life. I could be found at a racetrack every weekend. Last year, I decided to become a professional racing driver,” says the 20-year-old.

The young driver won the ADAC Kart Masters in 2014, after which he joined the impressive field in the Formula 4 series, in which he lined up alongside Mick Schumacher – son of seven-time Formula 1 world champion Michael Schumacher. Julian Hanses: “That switch was a big change for me, but the step up from Formula 4 to the FIA Formula 3 European Championship is far bigger and tougher. The aerodynamics are different, you brake later, the cornering speeds are far greater, and the opposition is really strong. As such, I am proud to have finished in the top ten in only the second race of my rookie season, when I finished seventh in Pau.”

Premium tyre maker Hankook’s race tyres are helping the rookie as he finds his feet in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. “The Hankook tyres allow me to focus fully on the race, as they are incredibly consistent and predictable. That is very important for me as a rookie. I can push hard and drive at the limit right up to the final lap. It is fun to drive on the Hankook race tyres, and is really making it easier for me as I start out in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship,” says the young German.

Unlike many of his colleagues, the 20-year-old is not necessarily aiming for a seat in a Formula 1 car. Hanses is realistic and knows that you not only need talent, but also a lot of hard work and a great deal of luck if you are to race in the pinnacle of motorsport. “You cannot focus too hard on one thing, otherwise other doors will close. If you don’t have the speed in one series, you just have to try elsewhere. I want to become a professional racing driver. That would be a dream come true for me.”

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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Start of the race, 8 Marcus Armstrong (ITA, PREMA Theodore Racing, Dallara F317 – Mercedes-Benz) taking the lead from 27 Daniel Ticktum (GBR, Motopark, Dallara F317 - Volkswagen), 1 Guanyu Zhou (CHN, PREMA Theodore Racing, Dallara F317 - Mercedes-Benz), 4 Mick Schumacher (DEU, PREMA Theodore Racing, Dallara F317 – Mercedes-Benz), 7 Ralf Aron (EST, PREMA Theodore Racing, Dallara F317 - Mercedes-Benz), FIA Formula 3 European Championship, round 2, race 1, Hungaroring (HUN), 1. - 3. June 2018

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