Premium tyre maker Hankook enters third season with the Audi Sport TT Cup

The Audi Sport TT Cup kicked off the new season at the DTM race weekend in Hockenheim on Saturday. 16 drivers from eleven countries will line up in the junior series. The field is younger than ever, with the average age of the drivers just 18.7 years. The talented youngsters will do battle at circuits in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands on seven race weekends, six of which share the bill with the DTM. Premium tyre maker Hankook has provided the juniors with the Ventus race tyre since the series was launched in 2015. With its high level of consistency, the Hankook tyre is a key factor for the young drivers as they take their first steps in professional motor racing.

Hockenheim/Germany, 7th May 2017 – Prior to the start of the season, 130 young drivers applied for a place in the Audi Sport TT Cup, with eleven newcomers making it into the starting field. They include Fabian Vettel, brother of four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel. “We are obviously happy to welcome such a well-known name into the fold. However, the most important thing is that our field of drivers is more evenly matched than ever this year. It is going to be a really exciting season,” said Philipp Mondelaers, the man with overall responsibility for the Audi Sport TT Cup.

Three female racers will also take their place on the grid. Of them, the driver with perhaps the best prospect of finishing towards the front of the field is Poland’s Gosia Rdest, who finished eighth overall last year. Philipp Mondelaers: “Gosia knows how the land lies. She is a consistent factor and has been involved in the series since the very beginning. I believe she is capable of great things. Generally speaking, I see hardly any difference between men and women in our series.”

As all the cars in the Audi Sport TT Cup are identical, and only the anti-roll bars may be adjusted when setting the car up, it is very important to manage the Hankook race tyres well. “Many drivers come from a karting or single-seater background and must initially get used to front-wheel drive, as the rear wheels are basically just pulled around the track. The biggest challenge is to get the rear tyres up to the ideal temperature without overworking the front wheels,” said the Project Leader.

The high level of consistency makes the Hankook race tyre the ideal partner for the young drivers. It provides the talented racers with the necessary security to explore the limits of their driving ability. Philipp Mondelaers: “The Hankook race tyre is completely non-critical and incredibly consistent over long distances. If a driver opts for the wrong tyre pressure, it will have consequences in terms of their performance, but it is completely without risk. That is very important in an entry-level series like the Audi Sport TT Cup.”

Over Hankook Tire

Hankook produceert wereldwijd innovatieve, prijswinnende high performance radiaalbanden voor het premium segment voor auto's, SUV's, terreinwagens, lichte vrachtwagens, vrachtwagens en bussen evenals voor de autosport (circuit- en straatracen/rally's).

Hankook investeert voortdurend in onderzoek en ontwikkeling om haar klanten steeds de hoogste kwaliteit in combinatie met uitstekende technologie te bieden. In vijf ontwikkelingscentra en acht grote fabrieken wereldwijd ontwikkelt en produceert Hankook bandoplossingen, die specifiek zijn afgestemd op de wensen en eisen van de regionale markten. In Europa vindt de bandontwikkeling voor de lokale markten en eerste montage plaats in overeenstemming met de toonaangevende Europese autofabrikanten in het regionale technisch centrum in Hannover/Duitsland. De banden worden onder andere geproduceerd in de ultramoderne Europese fabriek in Rácalmás/ Hongarije, die in 2007 werd ingewijd en voortdurend uitgebreid wordt.

Het Europese hoofdkwartier van de bandenfabrikant is gevestigd in Neu-Isenburg, Duitsland in de buurt van Frankfurt am Main. De fabrikant heeft meerdere vestigingen in verschillende Europese landen en verkoopt haar producten op andere lokale markten via regionale distributeurs. Wereldwijd biedt Hankook werk aan ongeveer 20.000 mensen en levert haar producten in meer dan 160 landen. Het bedrijf is geselecteerd als de technische partner en exclusieve bandenleverancier van Generatie 3 voor het FIA ABB Formule E Wereldkampioenschap, dat start in 2023. Toonaangevende autofabrikanten vertrouwen bij de eerste montage op banden van Hankook. Ongeveer 38 procent van de wereldwijde omzet van de onderneming is afkomstig uit Europa.

Verdere informatie vindt u via www.hankooktire-mediacenter.com of www.hankooktire.com

Hankook Tire Europe GmbH | Marketing Communications Europe | Siemensstr. 14, 63263 Neu-Isenburg | Germany

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