A new era of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) revs into action in the mountains surrounding Monte-Carlo from 23 January, with cars running on Hankook-supplied tyres for the first time in the series’ 52-year history.
All competing cars will be equipped with the Ventus Z215, which provides the best cornering and handling performance in both dry and wet conditions; the Ventus Z210, designed for excellent grip in adverse weather, including wet roads; and the Dynapro R213, a multi-purpose rally tyre with excellent shock absorption, durability, and grip on unpaved roads.
In addition, the Winter i*cept SR20, which provides the best grip on snowy roads in winter, and the Winter i*Pike SR10W, equipped with a special stud pin optimised for slippery ice, will also be installed for next month’s Rally Sweden (13 – 16 February).
Through its partnership with the WRC, Hankook Tire becomes one of only a few brands to support two of the five major FIA world championships, including the FIA Formula E World Championship, the premier electric vehicle racing series. The agreement to exclusively supply WRC tyres was signed at Hankook’s Technoplex headquarters in South Korea in November 2024.
This milestone reflects Hankook Tire’s top-tier motorsport tyre technology, honed through sponsorships of more than 70 global motorsports competitions. The company’s recognition for technological innovation in the FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) and FIA Junior ERC have demonstrated Hankook’s readiness for its next challenge.
Beginning in February 2024, Hankook has undertaken an intensive journey to supply tyres to WRC that meet the unique and varied demands of WRC competition. Testing has been conducted across Europe, with sessions held in Finland, Sweden, France and Greece, among other countries.
Hankook Tire’s Manfred Sandblicher said in a recent interview with WRC.com: “Hankook Tire has built a reputation for its technical expertise through years of developing and supplying tires for Europe’s national and regional rally events. Additionally, we have continuously conducted in-depth research on tyre performance and usage conditions while supplying tyres and managing teams in both the ERC and WRC. For the 2025 WRC project, we have dedicated the past two years to research and development. This effort was reflected in national championship titles secured in Hungary and the Czech Republic, where our tyres demonstrated their excellence. By supplying tyres for Junior ERC and ERC, we validated the durability of our tyres while proactively identifying areas for improvement, which allowed us to efficiently shorten the development period for WRC tyres.”
Added Sandblicher: “Throughout the tyre development process, Hankook Tire has held regular technical meetings with the FIA, almost weekly, to ensure that all WRC1 manufacturers are given equal opportunities. Every stage, from development planning and execution to tyre specification selection and allocation, was decided in close collaboration with the FIA. Under WRC1 standards, each manufacturer conducted evaluations with nearly equal mileage, covering approximately 500–700 kilometers. Hankook Tire requested that the FIA select test teams, after which the FIA then contacted the manufacturers for their choices before notifying Hankook Tire. The driver selection process was entirely handled by the manufacturers, with neither Hankook Tire nor the FIA intervening.”
The following P1 drivers participated in the evaluations for the development of the 2025 WRC tyres:
- Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team: Esapekka Lappi, Andreas Mikkelsen, Dani Sordo
- Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT: Takamoto Katsuta, Elfyn Evans, Kalle Rovanperä
- M-Sport Ford World Rally: Adrien Fourmaux, Grégoire Munster
“We have already established a successful partnership with Hankook Tire through the ERC, and we are very excited to extend it to the WRC,” said Jona Siebel, Managing Director of WRC Promoter GmbH. “Hankook Tire has been working hard to develop tyres to meet the special needs of the WRC, and we are very much looking forward to its debut performance at Rallye Monte-Carlo in January.”