The Story of May, 2023

Positive mid-season review in Formula E: “The Hankook iON Race is performing superbly”

To date, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has completed nine races in seven different cosmopolitan cities with varying track surfaces, on which the Hankook iON Race has excelled in demonstrating its strong performance. Hankook’s Motorsport Director Manfred Sandbichler is positive about the course of the season so far: “The Hankook iON Race fully complies with the Formula E specifications! There hasn’t been a single instance of tyre damage yet. Despite such different track surfaces and external conditions. No matter whether asphalt, concrete, coarse-pored or fine-pored, no matter whether intense heat, such as in Cape Town, or cool temperatures and rain, such as at the race in Berlin – our tyre has mastered every task and been reliable in providing the drivers with the necessary grip. Hankook has arrived in Formula E and that makes us proud!”

Successful debut: Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America and Asia started the new season with Hankook tyres for the first time

Two of the three continental Lamborghini Super Trofeo championships entered their new seasons in Sepang in Malaysia from 5th to 7th May and at the iconic Laguna Seca racetrack in America from 12th to 14th May. At the season openers of the two championships, a total of 44 sports cars took to the track on Hankook’s premium tyres for the first time. In the first Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia race, Marco Giltrap and Chris van der Drift made optimum use of the high grip level of the Hankook tyre and secured victory. Oscar Lee and Dan Wells won the second race. Kyle Marcelli and Danny Formal enjoyed an extremely successful weekend with the Hankook Ventus Race. The duo got a double victory in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America. The new season of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe championship will get underway in Le Castellet, France from 2nd to 4th June.

Niels Langeveld and Michele Imberti win on Hankook tyres at the Misano event of TCR Italy

Plenty of work for the Hankook tyres: The huge starting grid of 34 cars took to the track in Misano in TCR Italy from 5th to 7th May. In the first race, Dutchman Niels Langeveld took the lead from the start and maintained his position until the end of the race, in part thanks to the optimum grip level of the Hankook tyres. Michele Imberti of Italy outpaced the competition in the second race of the weekend and was the first to see the chequered flag. After two events, Argentina’s Franco Girolami is at the top of the table with 160 points. The next TCR Italy event with Hankook tyres is scheduled for 9th to 11th June in Vallelunga.

170 cars contested the RCN race at the legendary 24-hour race weekend at the Nürburgring

As part of the supporting programme of the renowned 24-hour race at the Nürburgring, the highlight of the Rundstrecken Challenge Nürburgring season was held in front of an impressive backdrop on 18th May. With 170 cars, the amateur sport series opened the event, and it was the diversity of brands that was particularly convincing, all of which were relying on Hankook’s premium tyres. The winner was the driver duo Volker Wawer and Stefan Schmickler in a Porsche 982 Turbo. The Nordeifel Cup on 24th June marks the end of the first half of the RCN season.

Saintéloc Junior Team wins in Spa - 24h Series powered by Hankook with debut at Vila Real street circuit

The 24h Series powered by Hankook wowed Belgium. Once again, the Hankook 12h Spa-Francorchamps offered spectators thrilling endurance racing in the Belgian Ardennes from 6th to 7th May. The winner was the French crew of the Saintéloc Junior Team. Erwan Bastard, Paul Evrard and Antoine Doquin were at the wheel of the Audi R8 LMS GT3. Next up is the Hankook 12h Monza, which will be held just outside Milan from 10th to 11th June. Later in the season, the 24h Series will enjoy a spectacular first from 14th to 16th July. With the Hankook Ventus Race, the drivers will take on a six-hour race through the streets of Vila Real. The city in the north of Portugal will be the first venue to host a 24h Series event on a street circuit.

Ola Nore and Rune Eilertsen win FIA Junior ERC season opener with Hankook tyres for the first time

Rally Poland, held from 19th to 21st May, marked not only the season opener of the FIA Junior ERC Championship, but also the start of a promising partnership with Hankook as the official tyre supplier of the series. Among the 16 talented youngsters was Max McRae, nephew of the late rally legend Colin McRae. The 18-year-old Australian was the youngest driver in the field and finished in sixth place. Victory in the junior championship went to the Norwegian duo Ola Nore and Rune Eilertsen, who took the lead as of the second special stage and enjoyed a flawless race from that point on.

Supercar Challenge with fascinating display of motorsport in Austria

The protagonists of the Dutch Supercar Challenge were at the 4.318-kilometre racetrack of the Red Bull Ring from 19th to 21st May. The first race on the Austrian circuit was won by local heroes Philipp Baron and Ernst Kirchmayr in a Ferrari 488 GT3 with Hankook tyres. The second race win went to Dutchman Bob Herber, at the wheel of a Bentley Continental GT3. For the third event of the current season, the race series entirely equipped by Hankook is heading to the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium from 2nd to 4th June.

Spanish Formula 4 championship wows spectators with two thrilling race weekends in Spa-Francorchamps and at Motorland Aragon

The up-and-coming talented drivers of the Spanish Formula 4 were at Spa in Belgium and Aragon in Spain in recent race weekends. 30 drivers on the Hankook F200 took on a total of six thrilling championship races. In the first two races at the legendary Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps at the beginning of May, it was Pedro Clerot of Brazil who emerged victorious; the third race was won by Matteo de Palo of Italy. The Spanish Formula 4 headed to Motorland Aragon at the end of May. After three gripping races, Enzo Deligny (France), Christian Ho (Singapore) and France’s Theophile Nael added their names to the list of winners in the junior series, in which all drivers race on Hankook tyres.

NXT Gen Cup expands calendar and brings the Hankook iON EV to Germany

This year sees the start of a new junior race series with an electrically powered Mini Cooper in Sweden; the LRT NXT 1. The Hankook iON evo is ensuring the grip level is right. In addition to the race weekends at the Swedish tracks in Gelleråsen, Falkenberg, Helsingborg, Knutstorp and Mantorp, the championship has added two German events to its calendar. The drivers will be battling for the win at the iconic racetracks in Oschersleben (28.-30.07.) and at the Nürburgring (05.-06.08.).