Hankook, the official tire supplier of the World Rally Championship (WRC), has announced the introduction of a new gravel tire, the Dynapro R213, which makes its debut at the Kenya Safari Rally, one of the most challenging events of the season.
This new range of tires has been developed to improve performance and reliability, responding to drivers’ complaints about the previous tires, which experienced several failures in extreme conditions. Driver Thierry Neuville from Hyundai had highlighted that the previous tires did not meet expectations after the difficulties faced in last year’s Acropolis Rally.
The Dynapro R213 features a design similar to that of the previously used tires, but with a different composition and construction, promising superior performance. Its creation involved the participation of Rally1 teams, who contributed information to optimize its development during the past year.
Steven Cho, a representative of Hankook, commented that the new tire has been a direct response to drivers’ demands for more flexibility and a performance differential between hard and soft tires. They have ensured that the feedback has been mostly positive, and they expect performance improvements during the Safari Rally, which is anticipated to be even more difficult than last year due to the muddy conditions and visible rocks on the tracks.
Hankook has also confirmed that the new gravel tire will be available for all gravel events of the season, with the introduction of a new hard tire version planned for the upcoming Rally of Portugal, starting in May.
