Fabienne Wohlwend sets sights on the podium in the new W Series with Hankook race tyres

The Hockenheimring is the stage for a world premiere this weekend. The iconic circuit near Heidelberg hosts the inaugural round of the women-only W Series, which shares the bill with the DTM. As a partner from the outset, premium tyre maker Hankook has supplied the new racing series with the Ventus Race tyre, with the intention of helping young female drivers to develop in a motorsport world that is still very much dominated by their male counterparts. The new W Series features on the support programme for the DTM at six events. 20 young women from 15 countries line up at the wheel of a 270-hp Formula 3 racer. A total prize purse of 1.5 million Euros is up for grabs.

Hockenheim/Germany, 4th May 2019 – Fabienne Wohlwend is one of the 20 young drivers who emerged from the 50 candidates at the selection test to take her place in the W Series. The Liechtensteiner first sat in a kart at the age of seven, before stepping up to Formula 4. Her biggest motorsport success so far came last year, when the 21-year-old became the first woman ever to win the ProAm class in the Ferrari Challenge. “It was my most emotional and nicest victory to date. The Ferrari Challenge has been going for 25 years, so to be the first women on the top step of the podium was rather special,” says Wohlwend.

When the qualified banker heard about the W Series, she wasted no time in applying for the new women-only Formula series. She successfully came through the tough acceptance test, in which participants must demonstrate technical know-how and physical fitness, as well as completing virtual tests. Wohlwend: “It is great to see women, who are clearly outnumbered in motorsport, being actively promoted and showing the men how things are done. There is a cool atmosphere in the W Series. We do a lot together and get on well. Out on the track, however, the racing is just as fierce as it is with the men.”

The Hankook race tyre is an old acquaintance for the young driver. She came to know and value the premium tyre maker’s Ventus Race two years ago, in the Audi Sport TT Cup. “I coped very well with the Hankook tyre in the front-wheel drive Audi Sport TT Cup. It is exactly the same story in the Formula car in the W Series. The tyre is incredibly consistent and you can still set top lap times even late in the race. For me, it is an advantage that I already know the Hankook race tyre well, and it suits my driving style perfectly,” says the woman from Liechtenstein.

This is just one reason why Wohlwend is aiming high this season. She had originally set her sights on finishing among the top seven drivers. However, after successful tests and the good interaction with the Hankook race tyre, she is now looking to end the season on the W Series podium. The 21-year-old has never lost sight of her dream. “I would like to make my hobby my job and become a professional racing driver. The W Series, for which you do not need to provide your own financial resources, is a unique opportunity to take a big step in that direction. My ultimate goal is to earn enough money to make a living from motorsport.”

Om Hankook Tire

Hankook tillverkar innovativa och prisbelönta däck av högsta kvalitet inom premiumsegmentet för personbilar, SUV:ar, terrängbilar, lätta lastbilar, husbilar, lastbilar, bussar samt motorsport (tävling på banor och sträckor bantävlingar/rallytävlingar).

Företaget investerar löpande i forskning och utveckling för att alltid kunna erbjuda kunderna högsta kvalitet i kombination med den senaste teknologin. Vid företagets fem utvecklingscentra och åtta fabriker världen över utvecklas och produceras däcklösningar, som är speciellt anpassade för de regionala marknadernas krav och behov. I Europa sker däckutvecklingen för lokala marknader samt leverans av originalutrustning till ledande europeiska fordonstillverkare vid Hankooks teknikcentrum i Hannover, Tyskland. Tillverkning sker bland annat i den toppmoderna Europa-fabriken i Rácalmás, Ungern, som invigdes år 2007 och som byggs ut löpande.

Hankooks Europa- och Tysklands-säte ligger i Neu-Isenburg i närheten av Frankfurt am Main. Tillverkaren har ytterligare filialer i flera europeiska länder och säljer sina produkter genom regionala distributörer på andra lokala marknader. Idag har företaget cirka 20 000 anställda och levererar sina produkter till drygt 160 länder. Företaget har valts ut som teknologisk partner och exklusiv däckleverantör till Generation 3 för FIA ABB Formula E World Championship, med start år 2023. Ledande fordonstillverkare förlitar sig på Hankook som originalutrustningsleverantör av däck. Runt 38 % av den globala omsättningen hänför sig till Europa. Hankook Tire uppmärksammades av Dow Jones Sustainability Korea Index (DJSI) redan år 2011 och har sedan år 2016 representerats i Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World).

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