Kumho Renews Supply Commitment to Formula 3 Euro Series

Kumho Tires’ role as official tyre supplier to the Formula 3 Euro Series has been extended to 2011. The renewed contract was signed on February 18 at a meeting between the head of the series’ organising committee, Walter Mertes, and H.S. Lee, president of Kumho Tire Europe GmbH, at Kumho’s European headquarters in Offenbach, Germany.

The F3 Euro Series was founded in 2003 by the organisers of the French and German championships. A full grid of 32 cars, the largest number since the series began, will contest the 20-race 2009 series between May and October, with rounds in the UK, Germany, France, Spain and the Netherlands. The series is renowned for producing drivers that frequently progress to Formula 1, a list of worthies that includes the 2008 World Champion Lewis Hamilton, Robert Kubica, Sebastian Vettel, Nico Rosberg and now Sébastien Buemi, the 20-year old Swiss who is to drive for the Toro Rosso team this year.

As official tyre supplier, Kumho will provide 10,000 tyres per annum for use in the series, thereby greatly strengthen awareness for the brand in the European marketplace. “Complementing our Manchester United and other European football sponsorship agreements, our motorsport involvement gives us a worldwide opportunity to demonstrate our technological prowess and quality,” commented H.S Lee. “Extending our F3 Euro Series contact will allow 600 million households in 53 countries to witness the evolution of the Kumho brand and equate it with the presence of our excellent UHP road tyres.”

Kumho is also the official supplier to the annual Masters of F3 event at Zolder and the Australian F3 Championship. In total, the company supplies 30 per cent of the global Formula 3 tyre demand.