The Story of Jan, 2024

Hankook to run the coloured tread for the full Formula E season

After the coloured grooves on the running surface of the Hankook iON Race caused such a buzz last year, Formula E fans can now look forward to the colourful eye-catcher at every race in Season 10. The striking tread grooves in the company colours of Hankook Orange and iON Blue is set to become a real hallmark of the premium tyre.

Fiesta Mexicana – Pascal Wehrlein wins the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix

When Formula E calls, the Mexican fans answer that call in droves. More than 40,000 fans packed into the sold-out grandstands at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in the city of 22 million inhabitants. Come the end of the race, they were celebrating a winning drive from Germany’s Pascal Wehrlein. The 29-year-old TAG Heuer Porsche driver produced a flawless race at the 2.63-kilometre circuit, which lies 2,250 metres above sea level. Wehrlein took full advantage of the performance of the Hankook iON Race and celebrated his fifth victory in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. Sébastien Buemi (Envision Racing) ended the season-opener in second place, ahead of Nick Cassidy (Jaguar TCS Racing) in third.

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRNkdNcfS7M

Fastest man in the world tests the fastest Formula E car in the world

No person on earth has ever covered 100 metres faster than him: since 2009, Jamaican Usain Bolt has held the world record for the ultimate sprint distance. During the Hankook Mexico City E-Prix, he was given the unique opportunity to take the fastest Formula E car ever built – the GENBETA – for a few laps of Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez and experience a totally different kind of speed. Providing Bolt with the necessary grip was the Hankook iON Race. “The chance to drive the GENBETA was a breath-taking experience,” said the star sprinter, putting his excitement into words. “I was told that once you start driving you will never want to stop and get out, and that was dead right. I would do that every day, if I could.”

Story: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdNFSvM1-ME

Car Collection Motorsport wins the Hankook 6h Abu Dhabi for the second time

The Hankook 6h Abu Dhabi took place at Yas Marina Circuit from 20^th to 21^st January. A field of 43 cars started the six-hour endurance race, which forms part of the 24h Series Middle East Trophy powered by Hankook. After 140 laps, German driver Dennis Marschall was first across the finish line in a Porsche 911 GT3 R for Car Collection Motorsport. Together with his team-mates Dustin Blattner (USA) and Loek Hartog (Netherlands), Marschall benefitted from the ideal grip provided by the Hankook Ventus Race, on which the trio battled from second place on the grid to take victory. This was the German team’s second victory on the 5.281-kilometre track in the United Arab Emirates.

Full replay: https://www.youtube.com/live/UvzIqJErvm4?si=d9nEmBQay4WgDeWi

Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook celebrates 25th anniversary

The Aurum 1006 km powered by Hankook has enjoyed great popularity for a quarter of a century and is widely regarded as the motorsport event in Eastern Europe. The festival in Palanga (Lithuania) first took place in 2000 and is now a permanent fixture in the Baltics. At the 25^th anniversary edition (17^th to 20^th July 2024), the organisers will once again be able to rely on the quality Hankook Ventus Race tyre, which will support the drivers with its strong performance throughout the full 1006 kilometres of racing.

Light spectacle and two winners: Hankook and Formula E in Saudi Arabia

The Diriyah E-Prix in Saudi Arabia added some sparkle to Formula E. Roughly 170 lighting masts transformed the 2.495-kilometre street circuit around the UNESCO World Heritage Site into a sea of light, giving races two and three of the 2024 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship a spine-tingling atmosphere. Race one of the double-header on Friday evening thrilled spectators in the grandstands in the Saudi Arabian desert. After some exciting battles and the perfect race strategy, it was reigning Formula E champion Jake Dennis (GBR/Andretti Formula E) who crossed the finish line in first place. On the Saturday, Jaguar driver Nick Cassidy (New Zealand) from the Jaguar TCS Racing team took his place in the Formula E history books as a winner of the desert race. Three races into Season 10, Cassidy tops the table with 56 points to his name. Despite the cooler evening temperatures, the Hankook iON Race supported the drivers in the excellent manner, to which they have become accustomed.

Highlights of race 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9MgUkDZ1ok
Highlights of race 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5ax3Pnebgk

Eastalent wins the Hankook 24h Dubai

In winning the Hankook 24h Dubai (26^th to 28^th January), Austrian team Eastalent Racing claimed the fourth overall victory for Audi at the 5.39-kilometre Dubai Autodrome. The victorious team started from sixth place on the grid and, with the help of the impressive Hankook Ventus Race, consistently worked its way towards the front of the field. The Quintet of Simon Reicher (Austria), Gilles Magnus (Belgium), Markus Winkelhock, Christopher Haase (both Germany), and Mike Zhou (China) took the lead for the first time on lap 36. They hung onto that lead through to the finish and took the chequered flag after 603 laps of racing. The endurance classic in Dubai formed the conclusion to the 2023/24 season of the 24h Series Middle East Trophy powered by Hankook. The European season of the 24h Series gets underway from 22^nd to 24^th March in Mugello, Italy.

Full replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKPANtw7bpk