Daniel Juncadella claims his maiden DTM win as the series returns to Brands Hatch

The return of the DTM and exclusive tyre partner Hankook to Brands Hatch was a happy one for Daniel Juncadella. The Mercedes-Benz driver won Saturday’s race at the iconic English circuit, which this year returned to the calendar in arguably the most popular international touring car series after a five-year absence. This was the first win of the Spaniard’s DTM career. Fellow Mercedes-Benz racer Gary Paffett came home sixth to extend his lead in the championship. The race tyre supplied by premium tyre maker Hankook delivered its usual outstanding performance, offering plenty of grip and a high degree of consistency for 41 laps of the undulating track in Kent.

Brands Hatch/England, 11th August 2018 – The first DTM race at Brands Hatch for five years got underway in summery temperatures on Saturday. While the last race at the iconic English circuit was held on the 1.973-kilometre Indy layout, the field this time took on the 3.908-kilometre Grand Prix Circuit. Daniel Juncadella impressed in qualifying and started the eleventh race of the 2018 DTM season from pole position.

The Mercedes-Benz driver initially dropped two places at the start. However, he was simply unstoppable after coming in for his mandatory tyre change on lap seven. After 41 extremely consistent and fast laps, the Spaniard crossed the finish line in first place, with a 7.896-second lead, to claim his maiden victory in his 67^th DTM race. Augusto Farfus (BMW) took second place. Third place went to Lucas Auer (Mercedes-Benz), who climbs into third place in the Drivers’ Championship behind fellow Mercedes-Benz men Gary Paffett (P6 in the race) and Paul Di Resta, who finished outside the points. The fastest Audi driver was reigning DTM champion René Rast in fourth place.

Hankook Motorsport Director Manfred Sandbichler: “The return to Brands Hatch produced a great race. The spectators witnessed some thrilling motorsport at this fantastic circuit, including a three-way battle between Glock, Green and Rockenfeller who were three abreast for a long time. As always, the Hankook race tyre impressed with a lot of grip and a high level of consistency, supporting all the drivers perfectly at this undulating track.”

Daniel Juncadella (Mercedes-Benz): “My first win in the DTM – that is a great feeling. I came in early for my pit stop, then did 34 long laps of this tough circuit on one set of tyres. Despite the high strain it was under, the Hankook race tyre showed hardly any wear, worked perfectly right through to the finish and, as in qualifying, was very good.”

Augusto Farfus (BMW): “We did not know exactly what to expect from the return to Brands Hatch, as we had little time to test on this longer layout. Thanks to the Hankook race tyre, we were able to manage everything perfectly and had absolutely no problems with the slick on any section of this difficult circuit. The Hankook tyres did a great job again.”

Lucas Auer (Mercedes-Benz): “The Hankook tyre was extremely consistent and very easy to manage. It was quick right through to the finish, which made it a mega race for me.”

René Rast (Audi): “I came into the pits on the opening lap and did practically the entire race on this difficult track at Brands Hatch on one set of tyres. That speaks volumes for the good Hankook tyres.”

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

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