Heated battle at undulating track in Portugal

Fifth staging of the Hankook 24H Portimāo within the 24H Series
High temperatures, fast corners, and big changes in elevation
Demanding track puts drivers, cars and Hankook race tyres to the test

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 06.07.2022 – The 24H Series powered by Hankook returns to Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal this weekend (8^th to 10^th July) after a year away. The state-of-the-art circuit, which is both varied and technically demanding, will host the Hankook 24H Portimāo for the fifth time. For the Hankook Ventus Race tyre, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar for this year’s 24H Series powered by Hankook.

Awaiting the competitors at the 24-hour marathon in Portugal is a 4.653-kilometre circuit with 15 corners, some of them blind, tricky crests and dips, and big changes in elevation. The high track temperatures pose the main challenge for the Hankook race tyre. “The heat in Portugal means the track can get very hot, which results in increased degradation of the running surface. Some of the cornering speeds are very high, which puts extra stress on the running surface of the Ventus Race. The left side of the car is put under particular strain,” explains Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsport Director Europe.

The high kerbs could also be stumbling blocks. The drivers must first get the Hankook race tyre up to its optimal working temperature, before they can take the kerbs at top speed. If a tyre is cool and has a low pressure, racing across the kerbs can damage its construction. The many undulating passages, with uphill gradients of over six degrees and a maximum descent of 12 percent, put the Ventus Race through its paces. Manfred Sandbichler: “The high compression values at this undulating track in Portugal put particular strain on the tyre construction. The conditions were similar at Spa-Francorchamps, where it was still possible to exploit the full potential of the Hankook race tyre.”

Temperatures at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve can sometimes fall significantly in the night, resulting in the track cooling dramatically and grip levels reducing. The teams must adapt to this and react to the different conditions by altering the tyre pressures. “Portimāo is a very nice, flowing and fast track, which places great demands on all the competitors. The construction of the Hankook race tyre will be under a little more strain than the running surface, but the general stress level is high. As such, the way the drivers manage their tyres is very important,” says Manfred Sandbichler.

Schedule for the Hankook 24H Portimāo (Local time)

Friday, 8^th July

10:50 - 11:50 Free Practice 1 - Classes TC, TCX, TCR & GT4
12:00 - 13:00 Free Practice 2 - Classes GT3, GTX, 991 & 992
14:30 - 15:30 Free Practice 3 – All classes
16:50 - 17:45 Qualifying Sessions - Classes TC, TCX, TCR & GT4
18:05 - 19:00 Qualifying Sessions - Classes GT3, GTX, 991 & 992
20:30 - 22:00 Night Practice

Saturday, 9^th July

10:30 - 11:00 Warm-Up
14:00 Start of Hankook 24H Portimāo 2022

Sunday, 10^th July

14:00 Finish of Hankook 24H Portimāo 2022

Pictures: Petr Fryba

About Hankook Tire

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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Downloads

For the Hankook Ventus Race tyre, Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is one of the most challenging tracks on the calendar for this year’s 24H Series powered by Hankook.

File size: 4 MB

Awaiting the competitors at the 24-hour marathon in Portugal is a 4.653-kilometre circuit with 15 corners, some of them blind, tricky crests and dips, and big changes in elevation.

File size: 5 MB

The 24H Series powered by Hankook returns to Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal this weekend (8th to 10th July, 2022) after a year away.

File size: 6 MB

The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, which is both varied and technically demanding, will host the Hankook 24H Portimāo for the fifth time.

File size: 5 MB

Temperatures at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve can sometimes fall significantly in the night, resulting in the track cooling dramatically and grip levels reducing.

File size: 6 MB

The teams must adapt to the dramatically cooler night temperatures at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve and react to the different conditions by altering the tyre pressures.

File size: 8 MB

Awaiting the competitors at the 24-hour marathon at Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal is a 4.653-kilometre circuit with 15 corners, some of them blind, tricky crests and dips, and big changes in elevation.

File size: 7 MB