Neu-Isenburg, Germany, 19th September 2023 – Baptism of fire passed with flying colours: 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 4.657km track. However, 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. 

Right from the start, the 24-hour marathon saw a captivating three-way battle develop at the head of the field, with pole-sitter IMSA LS Group Performance, the Haas RT team and Herberth Motorsport battling for the lead. In the night, the IMSA LS Group Performance team, making its first appearance since 2017 in the 24H Series powered by Hankook, was able to pull clear at the front. The excitement levels were then ramped up again towards the end of the race, when the Haas RT Audi closed in on the leader – however, the fightback came too late. After 725 laps of racing, a new record distance at the Hankook 24H BARCELONA, it was IMSA LS Group Performance with Julien Andlauer, Grégory Guilvert, Simon Tirman and Laurent Hurgon in the #76 Porsche 911 GT3 R who took the chequered flag. 

After the race, Hurgon was full of praise for the premium tyre maker’s new product: 

“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.” 

Manfred Sandbichler, Hankook Motorsport Director Europe:“The new race tyre did exactly what it was supposed to. Everything went to plan, even at a circuit like Barcelona, which is challenging for the tyres. The teams obviously first had to familiarise themselves and gain experience with the new Ventus Race C54 H, and to adapt their cars accordingly. Our team supported them perfectly in this regard. When introducing this new product, the trusting partnership that has existed between Hankook and the promoter Creventic for many years really paid dividends. The spectators witnessed a 24-hour race that went right down to the wire and once again boasted everything that makes endurance racing so special.”

Driver reactions to the new Ventus Race:

Alfred Renauer, Herberth Motorsport:“The new tyre consistently maintained its air pressure, making it very predictable. The rear tyres, in particular, were better than their predecessor. Only at the end of the race did they start to wear a little. We didn’t have a single puncture.”

Sergiu Nicolae, Willi Motorsport by Ebimotors:“I really enjoyed driving on the new Hankook tyres. They were even better than the previous version. We had a few issues with understeer at times, but on the whole the tyre was very stable.”

Charles Espenlaub, CP Racing:“I am very impressed by the consistency of the new tyre. As far as the peak is concerned, it is not quite as good as the old version – but it does maintain a high level of performance for a long time. We were able to implement our strategy on the tyres and had no problems.”