WRC
From ice to Africa, Hankook is rising to the challenge of WRC
It’s a technical director’s worst nightmare. But it’s also what makes the FIA World Rally Championship so thrilling.
Toyota’s Tom Fowler knew exactly what he was signing up for when he spearheaded the Japanese marque’s return to rallying’s top tier nearly a decade ago.
“You’re effectively making three cars for the first three rounds,” he explained. “It can be fairly stressful. And, don’t forget, you’ve got to get your settings and set-up locked in for Sweden before the end of the previous winter…”
From Monte Carlo’s asphalt-snow-ice mix to Sweden’s frozen forests, and then straight into the unpredictable wilds of Kenya – where Safari Rally could be a bone-dry gravel scorcher or a treacherous mudbath – the WRC’s opening stretch is relentless. It’s not just a test for the cars and crews. Tyres take a hammering, too. And for Hankook, making its WRC debut, there’s no easing in gently.
Senior Motorsport Director Manfred Sandbichler laughs at the suggestion that the start of the season is particularly punishing. He’s living it firsthand.
“One of my colleagues asked me: ‘Manfred, why have you selected the three most difficult rounds at the beginning?’ I told them I didn’t make the calendar. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter whether these rallies are at the beginning, middle or the end of the season – the challenge they provide is the same.”
Then, after a pause, he adds: “But, yes, maybe it does make it more complicated that they come one after the other at the start of the year…”
By the time the Safari Rally Kenya dust (or mud) settles, Hankook will have put seven brand-new tyre designs through their paces. In just a few weeks, the teams will have tackled almost every surface the WRC throws at them in a full season. That’s the beauty – and the beast – of the championship’s high-stakes opener.
