Hankook Tire completes Nürburgring 24 Hours for third straight year, releases documentary

A documentary capturing the grueling 24-hour endurance race at Germany's Nürburgring circuit is now available to viewers.

Hankook & Company Group said Friday it is releasing "The First 4," a film documenting its sponsored racing team Hankook Competition's campaign at this year's Nürburgring 24 Hours.

"The First" is a documentary series covering Hankook Competition's racing journey and Hankook Tire's motorsport technology. First released in 2024, "The First 4" is the fourth installment in the series.

Unlike previous entries, which were divided into multiple episodes, this edition is presented as a single film. It weaves together the variables that arose during the race, the team's decisions and the process of overcoming each challenge in a cinematic format.

The backdrop is the Nürburgring 24 Hours, one of the world's premier endurance races. The roughly 25-kilometer course features more than 170 corners, significant elevation changes and unpredictable weather — conditions that put vehicles and tires through an extreme test of durability.

Hankook Competition entered the race for the third time this year and completed it for the third consecutive year. The team's Porsche 992 GT3 R was fitted with Hankook Tire's high-performance Ventus racing tires.

Hankook & Company Group goes beyond simple team sponsorship by applying data gathered during actual races to tire development. Information collected under prolonged high-speed driving and sharp changes in road surface feeds into research and development for the high-performance Ventus line, the electric vehicle-dedicated ION and the SUV-oriented Dynapro, among others.

Hankook Tire also supplies racing tires or sponsors competing teams at more than 70 motorsport events worldwide, including the FIA World Rally Championship and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo.

The documentary addresses not only race results but also trust in vehicles and tires, and safety. The group said the film focuses on showing the durability and driving performance demanded in extreme conditions through the recurring crises and choices that arise during a race.

"The First 4" is available simultaneously on Hankook Tire's domestic and global YouTube channels and on the OTT platform Tving. Tving members can watch it by logging in without purchasing a separate paid subscription.

Meanwhile, Hankook Tire has recently been expanding its tire supply to automakers beyond motorsport. On Monday, the company announced it would supply its SUV tire Dynapro HPX as original equipment for Volkswagen's large North American SUV, the Atlas, in 18-, 20- and 21-inch sizes.