Press Release

  • Motorsport

Hankook race tyre excels in top-class racing series in Belgium, Spain and Italy

The race tyre of premium tyre maker Hankook once again performed excellently in prestigious racing series at international circuits last weekend. The DTM travelled to Zolder, where two-time champion René Rast (Audi) claimed two victories on the Hankook Ventus Race to bounce back emphatically in the title race. In Barcelona, championship leader Victor Martins showed his class on the premium tyre maker’s rain tyres and slicks in the Formula Renault Eurocup, extending his lead at the top of the standings with two race wins. The Coppa Florio 12H Sicily, the penultimate round of the 24H Series Europe powered by Hankook, was won by the GPX Racing team with the #36 Porsche 911 GT3 R (991 II) after 374 thrilling laps in Italy.
Hankook race tyre excels in top-class racing series in Belgium, Spain and Italy

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 12th October 2020 – René Rast was the man of the hour in the DTM, bagging a brace of wins at the first of two race weekends in Zolder, Belgium. Starting from pole, the Audi driver won Saturday’s opening race by a margin of over 18 seconds, ahead of fellow Audi racers Robin Frijns and Nico Müller. On Sunday, Rast got off to a blistering start from third on the grid and immediately took the lead. He came in for a new set of Hankook races tyre shortly before the appearance of the safety car, after which he went on to claim the 21st win of his DTM career after 41 laps of racing. Second place went to Mike Rockenfeller (Audi), with Lucas Auer the best-placed BMW driver in third.

Meanwhile, championship leader Nico Müller could do no better than ninth place, and a costly mistake from Robin Frijns, who came into the weekend in second place in the table, prevented the Dutchman from finishing Sunday’s race. As a result, Rast has now climbed into second place in the overall standings, just ten points off the lead. “It was a great weekend. We have closed the gap at the top. The car worked perfectly with the Hankook race tyre. I am looking forward to next weekend in Zolder, as the track seems to suit us,” said the Audi driver after his impressive DTM race weekend in Belgium.

It was a similar story in the Formula Renault Eurocup at the weekend, with one driver winning two races. Victor Martins was the dominant force at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya and extended his lead at the top of the table, courtesy of his two victories. The Frenchman started Saturday’s race from pole position and, despite the wet and cold conditions, kept a cool head on the Hankook rain tyre to take victory. His closest rival, Brazil’s Caio Collet, had to settle for second place.

Martins repeated his success on Sunday, this time on the slick variant of the premium tyre maker’s Ventus Race. The 19-year-old had once again qualified fastest, and the Frenchman again took the chequered flag after 17 laps of racing, again ahead of his Brazilian adversary in second place. “It was a perfect weekend, in very different conditions. My pace was improving all the time on the Hankook race tyre in Sunday’s race. Everything is coming together nicely at the moment,” said Martins, who now holds a 16-point lead over Collet in the Formula Renault Eurocup. Local favourite David Vidales narrowly missed out on a podium finish in fourth place on Sunday. However, the Spaniard remains the best-placed rookie in third place in the strong junior series.

Within the 24H Series powered by Hankook, the Coppa Florio circuit race was held for the first time for 39 years in Italy at the weekend. The venue for the event was the 4.950-kilometre Autodromo Pergusa, which circles Lago di Pergusa, the only natural lake on Sicily. In glorious sunshine, the competitors raced for six hours on both Saturday and Sunday. The race tyre, provided by exclusive tyre partner and title sponsor Hankook, offered optimal support for all the drivers – whether in GT or TCR cars – and, with its consistently high performance, made for an exciting race. After 374 laps, the first Hankook Coppa Florio 12H Sicily was won by Jordan Grogor, Frederic Fatien, Mathieu Jaminet and Robert Renauer in the #36 Porsche 911 GT3 R (991 II). Second place went to the CP Racing team with Charles Putman, Charles Espenlaub, Joe Foster and Shane Lewis at the wheel of the #85 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo 2020.

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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Hankook race tyre excels in top-class racing series in Belgium, Spain and Italy

Start of the race, 33 René Rast (GER, Audi Sport Team Rosberg, Audi RS 5 DTM) taking the lead from 62 Ferdinand Habsburg (AUT, WRT Team Audi Sport, Audi RS 5 DTM), 16 Timo Glock (GER, BMW Team RMG, BMW M4 DTM), 2020 DTM Zolder; *** Local Caption *** +++ www.hoch-zwei.net +++ copyright: HOCH ZWEI / Thomas Suer +++

File size: 3 MB

Hankook race tyre excels in top-class racing series in Belgium, Spain and Italy

33 René Rast (GER, Audi Sport Team Rosberg, Audi RS 5 DTM), 4 Robin Frijns (NED, Audi Sport Team Abt Sportsline, Audi RS 5 DTM), 2020 DTM Zolder; *** Local Caption *** +++ www.hoch-zwei.net +++ copyright: HOCH ZWEI / Thomas Suer +++

File size: 2 MB

Hankook race tyre excels in top-class racing series in Belgium, Spain and Italy

File size: 5 MB

Hankook race tyre excels in top-class racing series in Belgium, Spain and Italy

92 MARTINS Victor (fra), ART Grand Prix, Formula Renault Eurocup and 11 COLAPINTO Franco (arg), MP Motorsport, Formula Renault Eurocup, action start, depart race 1 during the 6th round of the 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup from October 9 to 11, 2020 on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain - Photo Clément Luck / DPPI

File size: 2 MB

Hankook race tyre excels in top-class racing series in Belgium, Spain and Italy

92 MARTINS Victor (fra), ART Grand Prix, Formula Renault Eurocup, 01 COLLET Caio (bra), R-Ace GP, Formula Renault Eurocup and 11 COLAPINTO Franco (arg), MP Motorsport, Formula Renault Eurocup, action start, depart, race 2 during the 6th round of the 2020 Formula Renault Eurocup from October 9 to 11, 2020 on the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, in Montmelo, near Barcelona, Spain - Photo Clément Luck / DPPI

File size: 3 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

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