Ogier was, of course, extremely pleased after securing his historic tenth Monte-Carlo victory. However, perhaps the most relieved and joyful person was Manfred Sandbichler, the senior motorsport director of WRC’s new tyre supplier, Hankook.
Hankook became the official tyre supplier for the WRC this season, with its tyres set to be used in the championship for at least the next three years.
Everything went well – that was the expectation, but no one could be certain how Hankook’s first real test would unfold. In the end, Sandbichler could breathe a sigh of relief.
“We did our testing. Throughout the year we have been doing all of our development and taking all the data and so on. But… you know, in this kind of business, you have so many things which you cannot calculate before. The weather conditions, what’s going on on-site, the results, the driver comments and stuff like this,” Sandbichler summarised to DirtFish.
“We did everything we could, but you just never know exactly what is coming your way. The sun comes out, the temperatures rise – what does this mean? Then there’s the snow, the ice. Let me say, before the event, the mood [in Hankook] was a little bit scared. Nobody was talking so much, but we were thinking the same: ‘What if we get punctures?’” Sandbichler described the pre-event atmosphere.
Things could have taken a turn for the worse very quickly. For example, in the 2021 Rallye Monte-Carlo, punctures struck immediately at the start, casting a shadow over the then-tyre supplier, Pirelli. This time, Hankook fared better.
“We were so proud to finish the first event ever in the WRC with such a positive feeling and a good result from a tyre point of view. We had no failures. We had no punctures, and we didn’t have, let me say, any bad comments – not from the drivers, not from manufacturers, and not from the engineering teams.
“We are really proud and really happy that we have done this job in this way, because this brings us now to a situation where we feel much more confident than before. Of course, we know we have a good product that we worked hard with and developed well, but like I said, we want confidence from those people around us and in the general mood in the service area,” he continued.
Before the rally, concerns lingered. The big question was whether Hankook had really been able to produce tyres capable of withstanding the demands of the WRC.
“I understand that people were concerned when we arrived for the very first time – we also know the history of Monte Carlo. We are aware this is one of the most demanding and most critical rallies throughout the whole calendar. So, then you understand how nervous I was before and how I feel after the finish. For me, it’s like day and night. It was like on and off, it was a great show. But that moment (waving the cars away), it was such an emotional thing for me – something I will never forget,” Sandbichler said.
Hankook’s journey has only just started, and there are still 13 rallies left this season. Next on the calendar is Rally Sweden, which, at least from a tyre supplier’s perspective, should be an easier challenge. But is it really?
“Maybe… less difficult,” Sandbichler said cautiously.
“In Monte, we had four tyres, in Sweden we should be using just one. But after that, we go straight to Safari where we need the gravel tyre in Kenya. One of my colleagues asked me: ‘Manfred, why have you selected the three most difficult rallies right at the start of the year?’ I told them I didn’t make the calendar,” the Hankook boss laughed.
For a tyre supplier, staying in the background is key—the less people talk about the tyres, the better. That means there’s nothing to complain about.
“The challenge for these rallies is the same: we have to perform under each condition. We are really optimistic and we are really confident in our product. The aim is to be successful for the drivers, to satisfy the teams, and to make the events perfect,” Sandbichler concluded.
