Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 5th November 2020 – Unlike in previous years, the Hockenheimring hosts just one DTM event this season. In the past, the iconic circuit has been the venue for both the season-opener and the finale in the popular international touring car series. As such, the teams and drivers know the 4.574-kilometre strip of asphalt like the back of their hand. For the Hankook race tyre, the high-speed track in the German state of Baden-Württemberg is one of the biggest challenges on the DTM calendar. However, it is a challenge that the premium tyre maker’s Ventus Race has always mastered impressively and reliably.
The construction of the Hankook race tyre, in particular, is heavily burdened at the Hockenheimring, with its fast cambered corners and high, sharp-edged kerbs. “You need a balanced set-up at the varied, high-speed circuit, with which you can hit top speed in the fast passages and still use the good traction provided by the Ventus Race to accelerate well out of slower sections. Furthermore, the drivers should not drive over the high kerbs at speed too often, otherwise they risk premature tyre wear,” says Thomas Baltes, the Hankook race engineer responsible for the DTM.
The most important task this weekend will be getting enough heat into the Hankook race tyre to quickly bring it up to the optimal temperature range of 90 to 110 degrees. This year, the DTM finale in Hockenheim is taking place roughly one month later than in previous seasons. As a result, lower, single-figure temperatures are expected. Thomas Baltes: “The car set-up plays a key role in getting the Ventus Race working quickly. The drivers have to be very cautious after the mandatory tyre change, in order not to risk skidding off on the cold tyres, which cannot be pre-heated. They need to show skill and patience, as it might take a while for the Ventus Race to reach its optimal grip level on the cold asphalt.”
In the DTM Trophy, which exclusive tyre partner Hankook also supplies with the Ventus Race, the title race was decided three weeks ago at the penultimate round in Zolder. Mercedes-Benz driver Tim Heinemann lines up at the finale in Hockenheim as the first champion in the new series. Behind the German, three drivers – Jan Kisiel (Mercedes-Benz) of Poland, and Brits Ben Green and Ben Tuck (both BMW) – still have a realistic chance of finishing second or third in the championship.
