Hankook Tire proves rally tire performance in downpours at WRC Finland

Hankook Tire & Technology, a member of the Hankook & Company group, announced Tuesday that the 2026 World Rally Championship's Round 10, Rally Finland, concluded successfully Sunday in and around Jyväskylä, Finland.

Hankook Tire has served as the exclusive tire supplier for all WRC classes since 2025. The WRC is the world's premier rally series, contested across a wide range of surfaces including asphalt, gravel, snow and mud, where tire durability, grip and steering performance are considered decisive factors in race outcomes.

Rally Finland featured 20 special stages covering a total of 316.04 kilometers. True to its reputation as one of the fastest events on the WRC calendar, the rally demanded sustained high-speed driving, with stable vehicle control required even through sections exceeding 200 kilometers per hour.

Course conditions were equally demanding. Blind crests with limited visibility, frequent jumps of varying sizes and narrow forest roads placed heavy stress on both cars and tires throughout the event. From the afternoon of the opening day, sudden heavy rain transformed the road surface into mud and created deep puddles across multiple sections, forcing drivers to contend with near-aquaplaning conditions.

Hankook Tire supplied its extreme all-weather rally tire, the Dynapro R213, for the event. The company said the tire effectively absorbed repeated impacts from high-speed gravel sections and jump stages even as the sudden downpours significantly reduced surface grip.

The tire also maintained strong traction, precise steering response and solid durability on waterlogged dirt roads and forest stages, supporting drivers in completing the race with stability.

Finland's Sami Pajari of Toyota Gazoo Racing World Rally Team took the victory. Having recorded his first WRC win at the previous round in Estonia, Pajari crossed the finish line first again in front of his home crowd, claiming his second career victory and back-to-back wins in consecutive rounds.

Round 11, Rally Paraguay, will be held Aug. 27 through Aug. 30 in and around Encarnación, Paraguay. The gravel course — a mix of red clay and sand — features repeated high-speed runs and sharp direction changes, along with deep ruts and protruding rocks, placing heavy demands on tire durability and grip stability.

Meanwhile, Hankook Tire supplies racing tires to approximately 70 motorsport events worldwide, including the WRC, and actively applies driving data gathered from those competitions to its research and development efforts. The company said it plans to continue advancing high-performance tire technology and strengthening its competitiveness as a global top-tier brand.