Press Release

  • Motorsport

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

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.”

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

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

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

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

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

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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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