Hankook will exclusively supply tires for the World Rally Championship from 2025
On January 16, 2025, Hankook Tire, a world-renowned tire company, announced that it will exclusively supply tires for the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) for three years starting from the 2025 season. Hankook will supply rally tires for three levels of WRC1, WRC2 and WRC3, including Ventus, Dynapro, Winter i*cept and Winter i*Pike series racing tire products.
The World Rally Championship (WRC) is one of the three major motor sports events in the world, along with Formula One (F1), and is famous for its extreme rally races on different terrains around the world. In the 2025 season, three car brands - Hyundai, Toyota and Ford - will compete for the championship title in four continents: Europe, Africa, South America and Asia.
Unlike track races on paved roads, WRC events traverse a variety of challenging terrains between the start and the finish line, such as dirt roads, gravel roads, snow and muddy roads, with maximum speeds of up to 200 km/h and engine speeds of up to 8,500 rpm. The terrain adaptability, stability and durability of tires are considered one of the most important strategic factors in these races.
Because the events cover a variety of roads and climate conditions, Hankook offers a variety of tire combinations for WRC. All participating vehicles will be equipped with Hankook Ventus Z215 racing tires, which are suitable for high-performance asphalt roads and provide excellent cornering and handling performance in both dry and wet conditions.
The Ventus Z210 racing tire is prepared for bad weather and provides excellent grip on wet roads. The Dynapro R213 is an all-weather rally tire with excellent shock absorption, durability and grip on unpaved roads. In addition, the Winter i*cept SR20 provides excellent grip on snowy roads in winter, while the Winter i*Pike SR10W is equipped with special bolts optimized for ice, which can support the car's extreme driving even on slippery icy roads.
The FIA has five major world championships, and through cooperation with the WRC, Hankook Tire has become one of the few brands to sponsor two of them.
Previously, Hankook Tire became the exclusive technical partner and tire supplier of the FIA Formula E World Championship (Formula E), the premier electric racing series, from the 2022/2023 season.
Hankook Tire was first selected as the official tire supplier of the WRC in 2014, and demonstrated its strength and technological innovation in rally events such as the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) and the Junior ERC, which ultimately led to an exclusive cooperation with the WRC. Hankook Tire's exclusive supply agreement with the WRC was signed at Hankook Tire's headquarters in November 2024.
Hankook will supply tires to the WRC, Junior WRC, and Swedish Rally Championship from 2025, ensuring stable tire performance even under unpredictable race conditions. The partnership will further strengthen Hankook's premium brand image while showcasing advanced technology to racing enthusiasts around the world.
"We have already established a successful partnership with Hankook through the ERC and are very pleased to expand our partnership to the WRC," said Jona Siebel, General Manager of WRC Promoter GmbH. "Hankook has been working hard to develop tires that meet the special needs of the WRC, and we are very much looking forward to the debut of the new tires at the Monte Carlo Rally in January."
Starting with the Monte Carlo Rally in Monaco from January 23 to 26 (local time), the 2025 World Rally Championship (WRC) will hold 14 races in Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, and other places.
Hankook's exclusive partnership with the WRC is another milestone in Hankook's cooperation in motorsports, highlighting Hankook's leading position in the field of racing tires. Over the past few years, Hankook Tire has sponsored more than 70 global motorsport events and has become increasingly technologically advanced in the field of racing tires.
