Press Release

  • Motorsport

Premium tyre maker Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Red Bull Ring

The title race in arguably the most popular international touring car series is entering the finishing straight. Premium tyre maker Hankook and the DTM head to Spielberg, Austria, this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2018 season and the battle for the championship is still wide open. The advantage ahead of the race weekend in Austria lies with championship leader Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) and fellow Mercedes-Benz driver Paul di Resta, who trails the Englishman by just two points. However, defending champion René Rast (Audi) has also moved back into contention in third place, on the back of his brace of wins last time out at the Nürburgring. As in previous years, the Hankook race tyre has once again offered all the drivers optimal support and, with its high degree of consistency, ensured that the battle for the championship remains exciting right to the finish.
Premium tyre maker Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Red Bull Ring

Spielberg/Austria, 18th September 2018 – The Red Bull Ring in Spielberg is nestled perfectly in the mountainous Styrian landscape, surrounding on three sides by steep slopes, which serve as natural grandstands. This offers fans a great view of the circuit and allows them to follow the action closely. With seven right-handers and just two left-hand corners, the front-left tyre is put under particular strain on the 4.318-kilometre strip of asphalt. “With an asymmetric car and tyre pressure set-up, it is possible to avoid too much strain being put on the front-left of the car at the Red Bull Ring,” explains Hankook DTM engineer Thomas Baltes.

With a mixture of long straights, fast corners and undulating sections, the alpine circuit features a varied layout. Thomas Baltes: “With the various different turns and corners, the climbs and the steep inclines, you need a balanced car set-up with a balanced combination of aerodynamic and mechanical grip.”

The aggressive track surface at the Red Bull Ring could, in case of intense sunshine, result in higher temperatures on the tyre’s running surface. However, this will by no means affect the performance of the Hankook race tyre. “The aggressive manner in which the cars cross the kerbs puts more of a strain on the construction of the Ventus Race. On the whole, the strain on the tyres in Spielberg is fairly average compared to other DTM circuits,” says the Hankook DTM race engineer.

One key point on the circuit is the Castrol Edge corner, which comes directly after the start. The drivers must find the racing line perfectly in this right-hander, in order to gain optimal traction and take plenty of momentum into the subsequent long uphill straight. The best overtaking manoeuvre at the alpine racetrack comes in the following Remus hairpin. Here, the high levels of grip provided by the Hankook race tyre are required, in order to accelerate quickly out of this slow section.

In the past, the Red Bull Ring has often witnessed torrential showers. In these conditions, the layout of the circuit means that the drivers must take a more cautious approach. Thomas Baltes: “The big changes in elevation mean that water flows over the track at many points when it rains. The drivers must reckon with standing water, and therefore an increased risk of aquaplaning, particularly at the end of downhill sections.”

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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Premium tyre maker Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Red Bull Ring

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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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