Press Release

  • Motorsport

Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Nürburgring

Tyre maker Hankook and the DTM enter the crucial phase of the championship with the penultimate round of the season at the Nürburgring. Were championship leader René Rast to enjoy as much success this weekend as he did twelve months ago at this iconic circuit, then the title race could be decided in the Eifel Mountains. In 2018, the Audi driver not only became the first DTM driver to win two races on one weekend, but also started both races from pole position. Should he achieve a similar feat this weekend, it will make it very hard for his closest rivals, Nico Müller (Audi) and Marco Wittmann (BMW), to prevent the 32-year-old from claiming his second DTM title.
Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Nürburgring

Neu-Isenburg/Germany, 10th September 2019 – When the DTM visits the Nürburgring, it will race on the shorter, 3.629-kilometre Grand Prix Circuit, away from the infamous Nordschleife, which former Formula 1 world champion Jackie Stewart respectfully named “Green Hell”. The track surface is smooth and, as at the most recent round at the Lausitzring, provides little grip. “As a result of the many events held there, the asphalt at the Nürburgring is quite eroded, which could result in a little more tyre wear than usual. The car set-up must, on the one hand, ensure that the Hankook race tyre quickly gets up to its optimal working temperature. On the other hand, it cannot be too aggressive, otherwise the Ventus Race may wear earlier than expected,” says Thomas Baltes, the Hankook race engineer responsible for the DTM.

The layout is varied and flowing, with straights and fast corners alternating with slower sections. One characteristic of the iconic circuit are the dramatic changes in elevation, the likes of which are not seen at any other track on the DTM calendar. “Not only is the tyre construction put under greater strain in the compressions, with all the undulations at the Nürburgring. The cars also brake hard in turn one, after the fast start/finish straight, and drive hard over the kerbs and through a banked corner. This all stresses the construction of the Ventus Race, but has not affected its performance in the past,” explains Hankook’s DTM race engineer.

Like every year, the unpredictable weather in the Eifel region could be the X factor in races 15 and 16 of the DTM season. Fog, rain, cold, and even hail are not uncommon at the Nürburgring. Thomas Baltes: “Drivers and teams are prepared for everything at the Nürburgring, as anything can happen here. The circuit in the Eifel is always a challenge for the Hankook race tyre, as all the components of the tyre are placed under great strain. It will once again largely come down to how the drivers cope with these challenges.”

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

all press releases

Downloads

Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Nürburgring

Brands Hatch: DTM Brands Hatch 2019 on August, 10, 2019, (Photo by Hoch Zwei) Hankook Tyres Reifen Regen rain Slicks Trocken

File size: 7 MB

Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Nürburgring

Nuerburg: DTM Nuerburgring 2018 on September, 9, 2018, (Photo by Hoch Zwei) Rene Rast ( D, Audi Sport Team Rosberg ) Lucas Auer ( AUT, Mercedes HWA AG )

File size: 3 MB

Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Nürburgring

Motorsports / DTM: german touring cars championship 2018, 8. round Nürburgring (DEU) *** Local Caption *** +++ www.hoch-zwei.net +++ copyright: HOCH ZWEI / Thomas Suer +++

File size: 4 MB

Hankook and the DTM enter the finish straight at the Nürburgring

Hankook tires, R-Motorsport, DTM Lausitzring 2019, (Photo by Hoch Zwei) *** Local Caption *** +++ www.hoch-zwei.net +++ copyright: HOCH ZWEI / Thomas Suer +++

File size: 2 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

Subscribe to the Hankook press releases