The Story of July, 2023

Jake Dennis produces a historic race in Rome on the Hankook iON Race

Jake Dennis from the Avalanche Andretti racing team set new benchmarks at the Hankook Rome E-Prix. Starting from pole position, he became the first driver in the GEN3 era to complete a lights-to-flag victory on the Hankook iON Race, ensuring his name goes down in the history books of the fully-electric world championship. Victory in race 14 also earned the Briton his ninth visit to the podium this season – a new record, surpassing the previous mark set by Belgium’s Stoffel Vandoorne. Thanks to the impressive performance of the Hankook iON Race, he also clocked the fastest lap of the race. The bonus point for the fastest lap ensured that Dennis picked up the maximum 29 points on the Sunday.

Hankook Rome E-Prix recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v_MX0bCoaM

Jake Dennis celebrates his first Formula E world title at the Hankook London E-Prix

Saturday’s opening race of the Hankook London E-Prix double-header provided the answer to the weekend’s biggest question. After 36 dramatic laps of the unique indoor and outdoor circuit, packed with spectacular overtaking manoeuvres, safety car phases and stoppages, Britain’s Jake Dennis (Avalanche Andretti Formula E) came home second to ensure he was crowned the new Formula E world champion before the final race on Sunday. New Zealander Mitch Evans from the Jaguar TCS Racing team won the race itself, but Dennis’ advantage over the chasing pack was already unassailable coming into the final race of the season. The secret of the 28-year-old’s success this season was unquestionably his consistency: Dennis made it onto the podium a total of eleven times. He proved to be particularly successful in the races with Hankook as the title sponsor. The Brit won the season-opener at the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix and the Sunday race at the Hankook Rome E-Prix. Dennis is the first Formula E world champion from Great Britain.

Hankook Rome E-Prix recap: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYeAICHWkysYOUTUBE LINK

Thrilling races at the highlight of the season at Spa-Francorchamps

The teams in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe travelled with no fewer than 49 cars to Spa-Francorchamps for the highlight of the season from 27th June to 2nd July. Over 80,000 fans enjoyed a spectacular festival of motorsport at the 7.004-kilometre circuit in the Belgian Ardennes. Italy’s Mattia Michelotto and Belgian Gilles Stadsbader from the VS Racing team claimed their second win of the season in the opening race of the weekend. Saturday’s race was suspended shortly before the halfway point due to very heavy rain. Although the Hankook Ventus Race continued to perform well in the extreme conditions, the spray meant visibility was too poor to continue. Victory went to Belgian Cedric Wauters from the Totaal Plan Racing team.

Race two: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnpoO7vSW5U

Swedish duo triumphs at home rally

A dramatic finish to the Royal Rally of Scandinavia saw Isak Reiersen and Lucas Karlsson win their home event in the FIA Junior ERC. The two Swedes had led the junior rally until the tenth special stage. However, the Swedish duo of Patrik Hallberg and John Stigh took the lead on stage eleven. Reiersen and Karlsson risked everything to reclaim the lead and, thanks to the impressive performance of the Hankook Dynapro, went on to take a thrilling victory.

Highlights of the FIA Junior ERC Scandinavia: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbvK4ZufAos

Ferrari one-two at the Hankook 12h Estoril

The racetrack in Estoril, Portugal, hosted the 24h Series powered by Hankook from 7th to 8th July. Starting the twelve-hour race from pole position, German team WTM by Rinaldi Racing dominated proceedings and led for 393 of the 401 laps. Jochen Krumbach also set the fastest lap time on the Hankook Ventus Race. His team-mates Torsten Kratz and Georg and Leonard Weiss remained error-free throughout the entire race and went on to take the chequered flag.

Stock Car Pro Series: Matías Rossi and Ricardo Zonta win in Interlagos

Round five of this year’s Stock Car Pro Series took place from 7th to 9th July in Interlagos, Brazil. An exciting opening race was won by Argentinean Matías Rossi. Victory in the 150th race in the history of the Stock Car Pro Series went to Brazil’s Ricardo Zonta. All weekend, the Hankook tyres provided the drivers with the necessary grip and reliability in their cars, which are powered by V8 engines.

Highlights of race 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJAETkzhiRg
Highlights of race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQUDacHH0cE

39 cars produce exciting races in Mugello

From 7th to 9th July, the protagonists in TCR Italy assembled at the Mugello circuit in Italy for round four of the season. A total of 39 touring cars lined up on the Hankook Ventus Race at the event to the north of Florence. Aurélien Comte from France won the opening race by a clear eleven seconds. Race two was a much closer affair: Italian Felice Jelmini took the chequered flag just 2.7 seconds ahead of the second-placed car.

NXT Gen Cup enjoys successful inaugural race in Falkenberg

The NXT Gen Cup made its debut as Falkenberg, Sweden, hosted the inaugural race weekend in the fully-electric junior series. The first pole position and first victory at this historic event went to 16-year old Elias Adestam from Sweden. American Ellis Spiezia impressed in race two, crossing the line first to take victory after 17 laps of racing. All the drivers in this touring car championship can rely on the Hankook Ventus TD this year.

New Zealanders dominate at the foot of Mount Fuji

From 14th to 16th July, the stars of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia assembled at the Fuji Speedway for their third event of the year. Marco Giltrap and Chris van der Drift celebrated a brace of victories – wins number three and four of the season – at the 4.563-kilometre track in Japan. The next round, in the Korean province of Inje from 18th to 19th August, is a home event for official tyre partner Hankook. New Zealanders Giltrap and van der Drift travel to South Korea with a lead of 33 points at the top of the table.

A brace for Esteban Masson in Zandvoort

Circuit Zandvoort hosted races seven and eight of this season’s Europcup-3 from 15th to 16th July. The circuit in the Dutch dunes proved to be a particularly happy hunting ground for championship leader Esteban Masson. The Frenchman not only won both races, but extended his lead in the overall standings to 35 points. The Hankook Ventus Race impressed the drivers with its high grip levels in both wet and dry conditions.

Zandvoort summary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFQ8vQLZw14

Successful anniversary edition of the Hankook 25 Hours Fun Cup

Large crowds at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium were treated to a spectacular festival of motorsport at the 25th anniversary of the Hankook 25 Hours Fun Cup. A total of 110 racing Beetles produced a feast of exciting battles on the 7.004-kilometre track. At the end of the iconic event, it was the Groupe Lemoine by M3M team that took the chequered flag to claim its second overall victory in a row.

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S79xK4a_GF8

Big Hankook presence at the ADAC Truck Grand Prix

Premium tyre maker Hankook featured prominently at the ADAC Truck Grand Prix at the Nürburgring with a large exhibition tent and many exhibits from the field of commercial vehicles. Over the course of the weekend, 130,000 delighted fans flocked to the iconic German racetrack to watch the thrilling truck races. Hankook brand ambassador Jochen Hahn had cause for celebration, as he claimed his second victory of the season in the European Truck Racing Championship.

Review of the ADAC Truck GP weekend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43UJr0loMpw