Successful debut for new Hankook race tyre

Hankook’s newly developed race tyre was in action last weekend at the Hankook 24H Barcelona and enjoyed a successful premiere at the endurance classic.

The Formula 1 circuit in Spain was the venue for the European finale of the 24H Series powered by Hankook and, as expected, represented a big challenge for the first outing of the Ventus Race C54 H, which is slightly lighter than its predecessor.

The new tyre was subjected to high levels of stress on the coarse asphalt and unique kerbs of the circuit in Catalonia. The front tyres, in particular, were really put through their paces on the 4.657-kilometre track.

However, Hankook says the Ventus Race passed these tests with flying colours on its debut, helping the overall winner to set a new record distance of 725 laps at the Hankook 24H Barcelona in a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

Laurent Hurgon, a driver for the winning team of IMSA LS Group Performance, said of the Ventus Race: “You could really push for several laps during a stint on the new Hankook tyre. It did degrade a bit after that, but continued to perform well. It is precisely the right tyre for endurance racing.”