Hankook Debuts in Le Mans Series

During the last few years Hankook has steadily increased its involvement in the European racing calendar, and the Korean manufacturer added the 2009 Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans to the list of events in which it participates. The company made its debut appearance in the Le Mans series on the weekend of March 8, at the Paul Ricard Circuit in Southern France.

Hankook’s participation in the race centred on the Farnbacher Racing Team, with whom the tyre maker signed a sponsorship and exclusive tyre supply agreement on March 8. Hankook says it considers the Farnbacher team the “perfect partner” that ties in perfectly with the strategy of the up-and-coming Le Mans races – both companies, the tyre maker adds, are aiming for a successful and long-term potential partnership. The German team’s Ferrari F 430 GT, competing in the GT2 class, the only car in its class competing on Hankook tyres, took class honours in the day’s first session, recording lap times a half second quicker than its nearest competitor.

“Our entry into Le Mans is not only to further expose the Hankook brand to motorsports enthusiasts and the general public”, says Jin-Wook Choi, Hankook Tire executive vice president and COO for the European Market. “We see our engagement also as the ideal proving and testing ground for future street tyre technologies. It is a further opportunity to help developing next generation tyres to satisfy the consumers’ demands – for instance what concerns increasing grip while lowering rolling resistance or in other words combining highest safety and efficiency at the same time.”

The 2009 Hankook Farnbacher Racing Ferrari F430 GTC will be equipped with Hankook racing tyres Ventus F 200 slicks, Ventus Z 207 rain tyres as well as tailor made intermediates all in the sizes 280/650 R 18 at the front axle and 280/710 R 18 in the rear, fitted on 11 x 18 inch sized BBS rims. According to each track condition, the team can select from different tread compounds offered for each axle and condition. To find a good compromise between the car’s balance as well as the tyre’s durability, for the basic tyre setup it is intended to use a one step softer compound at the front axle compared to the rear. The over-all estimated number of tyres to be used during the whole season will be more than 1,000 pieces. For each race, Hankook Tire will bring more than 250 pieces to the paddock.