Successful start to the endurance season: Audi wins the Hankook 24H Dubai in style

Team MS7 by WRT produced a flawless display to take victory at the Hankook 24H Dubai. After 596 laps of racing, Christopher Mies took the chequered flag at the wheel of the number 7 Audi R8 LMS GT3. In doing so, he secured the second overall victory alongside team-mates Dries Vanthoor, Mohammed Saud Fahad al Saud, Axcil Jefferies and Thomas Neubauer, having previously won the prestigious desert marathon in 2016. This was Hankook’s eighth year as title sponsor and exclusive tyre partner of the 24-hour classic, which not only traditionally kicks off the 24H Series powered by Hankook, but also forms the opening round of the international endurance season. As in previous years, the teams and drivers were able to defend fully on the tried-and-tested, high-end Ventus Race tyre at the 5.39-kilometre Dubai Autodrome. The 40-strong Hankook crew provided perfect on-site support.

Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 15.01.2022 – At 15:00 local time, 79 cars from twelve different manufacturers lined up in glorious sunshine. Right from the off, the pole-sitters in the #7 Audi R8 LMS GT3 and the second Team WRT car (#31) established themselves in the leading group. The number 75, 4 and 777 Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the number 92 Porsche 911 GT3 R were also in contention at the front of the field.

The race developed into an internal battle for the lead between the two Audis. After two thirds of the race distance, the eventual winners were able to pull clear, thanks to flawless stints and perfect pit stops. They then produced a commanding performance to defend their lead to the finish, with optimal support from the Hankook race tyre. 2:08.618 minutes later, the number 31 Audi R8 LMS GT3, with the crew of Benjamin Goethe, Arnold and Maxime Robin, Jean-Baptiste Simmenauer and Frédéric Vervisch, crossed the finish line in second place to make it an Audi one-two. Third place went to the Mercedes-AMG GT3 (#75) run by the SunEnergy1 by SPS team.

There was a shock in the TCE class, which the BBR team from Thailand won with the number 159 Cupra TCR DSG after 541 laps of racing. AC Motorsport finished runner-up with the Audi RS3 LMS DSG (#188), ahead of the Les Deux Arbres team in a Ligier JS2 R (#202). Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsport Director Europe: “That was a perfect start to the season, with a large field full of high-class cars, manufacturers and drivers. The Hankook crew also did a great job and offered the teams optimal support in all situations. Our Ventus Race tyre once again demonstrated its class and produced a flawless performance at the Dubai Autodrome. I would like to congratulate the winners and those who finished, all of whom put on a great display of motorsport. I am looking forward to the next round of the 24H Series powered by Hankook, which takes place on 25^th and 26^th March in Mugello, Italy.”

Christopher Mies (MS7 by WRT), #7Audi R8 LMS GT3: “Our car was set up perfectly and ran fantastically. The whole package was perfect, the entire team did a superb job and fully deserved this great success.”

Kantadhee Kusiri (BBR), #159 Cupra TCR DSG: “I don’t know what to say. I am overjoyed. It is an indescribable feeling to stand on the top step of the podium at such a renowned race. I would like to thank everyone who made this success possible.”

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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