Pirelli ended its role as the championship’s tyre supplier at the conclusion of the last season. The Italian company was replaced by South Korean manufacturer Hankook, which has been developing its tyres for the WRC throughout this year.
Reigning world champion Thierry Neuville got his first taste of Hankook tyres last week during a test session at Hyundai’s testing grounds in Central Finland. The Belgian driver used studded winter tyres in snowy conditions.
Neuville’s test day included a couple of incidents where he slid Hyundai’s car into snowbanks. However, it remains uncertain whether the off-road excursions were caused by the Hankook tyres or the champion’s excessive speed in corners.
Nevertheless, Neuville provided a telling comment during his test session.
“Obviously there are the new tyres, which are obviously the biggest change for next year. And I have never driven a Hankook yet. So it was my first time on a Hankook tyre and, It was interesting,” Neuville remarked to RallyJournal.com.
The season kicks off in a month with the legendary Rally Monte Carlo, where tyre performance is crucial in unpredictable conditions. In February, the action moves to Sweden for the winter rally.
RallyJournal.com asked the world champion if he trusted that the Hankook tyres would perform well right from the start of the season. Neuville took a moment to consider his response.
“Well… I mean, it will be a bit of a compromise, I think. Clearly they do not have a lot of experience on such conditions,” Neuville said in the snowy landscapes of Central Finland.
“And that’s more or less how it feels at the moment as well. But we need to try to make the best out of it and get the car as good as we can to make the tyre work,” the Hyundai star concluded.
