Hankook Introduces Enhanced Hard Compound Gravel Tyre for WRC’s Acropolis Rally Greece

World Rally Championship competitors will access an improved hard compound gravel tyre for the upcoming Acropolis Rally Greece, marking the beginning of seven consecutive gravel-stage events. Hankook, following criticism over the durability of its hard compound gravel tyre at Rally Portugal, has implemented revisions to enhance performance. The updated tyre will debut during the Greece event, which precedes a sequence of gravel rallies.

Hankook’s WRC representative, Steven Cho, noted that the new tyre represents “a very small tuning” from the specifications used at Portugal, emphasizing that the changes are evolutionary rather than revolutionary. “The compound, construction, and profile remain unchanged. We’ve made a modest adjustment to the tread thickness, resulting in meaningful improvements in performance and consistency,” Cho explained.

Despite a constrained validation timeline, WRC teams have been testing the updated tyre during pre-event sessions. This marks Hankook’s second tire specification this season, following the introduction of a new soft compound gravel tyre ahead of the Safari Rally Kenya in March.

Hankook has detailed the modifications to the hard tyre, aiming to create a product suited for hot, rough gravel stages starting with Greece next week. The tire’s tread thickness has been increased, and while the changes are subtle, they have yielded notable improvements in performance and consistency.

Hankook tyres

Photo by: Toyota Racing

“The compound, construction, and profile are unchanged. We’ve made a small adjustment to the tread thickness, and despite the change being relatively modest, we’ve seen a meaningful improvement in overall performance and consistency,” Cho added.

Greece’s hot and rough gravel stages will serve as an ideal test for the new rubber, which is expected to be a focal point of discussion. Hyundai, aiming to capitalize on gravel conditions, has identified the Acropolis Rally Greece as an opportunity to challenge the championship’s dominant force, Toyota. The South Korean manufacturer has secured three victories in the last four WRC visits to Greece.

“We should have a strong start position if the weather cooperates that weekend,” 2024 Acropolis Rally winner Thierry Neuville stated ahead of last week’s pre-event test. “It’s a rally where Hyundai has historically performed well. Rough gravel with significant grip is our strength. However, there are unknowns with the new Hankook tyres, so there are a few questions to address.”

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