Latest news with #FIAWorldRallyChampionship
Malaysian Reserve
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Malaysian Reserve
Hankook Tire Pushes the Pace at WRC Delfi Rally Estonia 2025
20 special stages delivered fierce competition, wrapping up Delfi Rally Estonia with success Dynapro R213 proved its all-terrain reliability in harsh rally conditions All eyes on Finland: Round 9 promises high-speed drama from July 31 to August 3 TARTU, Estonia, July 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Round 8 of the 2025 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), Delfi Rally Estonia – exclusively supplied with rally tires by global leading tire company Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook Tire) – wrapped up in success on July 20 across Tartu and the southern region of Estonia. Delfi Rally Estonia, known for its fast-paced nature, features a dynamic mix of flat-out straights through the southern Estonian forests and narrow, technical corners. Drivers tackled 20 special stages (SS) spanning approximately 308 kilometers, delivering high-stakes competition from start to finish. This round stood out as one of the fastest in the WRC calendar, with average speeds exceeding 120 km/h across gravel stages. Drivers charged through loose surfaces, strung with back-to-back jumps and rugged terrain, demanding precise control and unwavering focus. Under such unforgiving conditions, the consistency and reliability of the rally tires proved decisive in determining the race outcome. Hankook Tire supplied its extreme all-terrain rally tire, the 'Dynapro R213', to support stable driving performance in the face of diverse and demanding rally conditions. Built on durability, the 'Dynapro R213' once again demonstrated top-tier engineering on the global motorsports stage—delivering impressive shock absorption across gravel as well as outstanding grip and precise steering even at high speeds. In the WRC1 class, Toyota GAZOO Racing World Rally Team driver Oliver Solberg secured his maiden career victory, with Hyundai Shell Mobis World Rally Team's Ott Tänak and Thierry Neuville completing the podium in second and third, respectively. With this result, Tänak moved to the top of the Driver's Championship standings, edging Toyota's Elfyn Evans by just one point. Round 9 of the 2025 WRC, Secto Rally Finland, is set to take place from July 31 to August 3 in Jyväskylä, Finland. Hankook Tire is poised to deliver optimal performance once again, providing unwavering support to help drivers push their limits in the rally known for its ultra high-speed stages, blind crests, and a series of long airborne jumps. In preparation for the WRC initiative, Hankook Tire has conducted over 2,000 km of real-world testing across more than eight countries in collaboration with the FIA and global manufacturers. Leveraging these results, the company developed high-performance rally tires officially certified by the FIA. Starting from the 2025 season, Hankook Tire has been the exclusive tire supplier for all WRC classes (WRC1, WRC2, WRC3, Junior WRC) under a three-year contract, further strengthening the premium stature of the 'Hankook' brand on the global stage. Photo – – View original content:
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Swede Oliver Solberg wins maiden World Rally Championship race in Estonia
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Swede Oliver Solberg (right) and his British co-driver Elliott Edmondson celebrate on the podium after winning the Rally Estonia, the eighth round of the FIA World Rally Championship, on July 20, 2025 in Kaariku. Sweden's Oliver Solberg claimed a stunning maiden World Rally Championship (WRC) victory at Rally Estonia on Sunday, nearly 20 years after his father Petter Solberg won the last of his 13 WRC races. The win marked Toyota's 100th in the WRC. Solberg extended his lead to seal a 25.2 second win over home favourite and 2019 world champion Ott Tanak and the Estonian's Hyundai teammate Thierry Neuville finished third. However, Tanak snatched the championship lead from Toyota's Elfyn Evans by a single point, with the Briton managing a sixth-place finish in Estonia. On his debut in the Toyota GR Yaris Rally1, the 23-year-old Solberg and British co-driver Elliott Edmondson were drafted in for a one-off drive a few weeks prior to the rally and had only two days of testing. 'After everything, so many years trying and trying and trying and dreaming, and me and Elliott finally made it,' Solberg said. 'I just want to say thank you to Toyota, to the test team who helped me get so comfortable, for all the help this weekend from this beautiful, beautiful team. I've never had such a good time in my life.' Solberg got off to a flying start, winning Friday's opening stage and taking a lead he did not relinquish all weekend. He carried a 21.1-second overnight lead into Sunday's final three stages, where he emerged untroubled by the tricky grip in slick, damp conditions. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Priority for singles, higher quota for second-timer families to kick in from HDB's July BTO exercise Singapore Both Bukit Panjang LRT disruptions in July linked to newly installed power system: SMRT Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Asia Johor Bahru collision claims lives of e-hailing driver and Singapore passenger Sport Arsenal arrive in Singapore for pre-season matches with AC Milan and Newcastle Business Crypto exchange Tokenize to shut down Singapore operations Singapore More initiatives and support for migrant community announced at Racial Harmony Day event Singapore ComfortDelGro to discipline driver who flung relative's wheelchair out of taxi Solberg's father Petter, who represented Norway, won 13 WRC races from 2002 to 2005. Hyundai's Tanak battled inconsistent grip and Neuville, who started the day four seconds behind, was handed a 10-second penalty for a false start on special stage 18 and finished 23.1 seconds back in third. 'I think we got the best out of this weekend, with or without my mistake on Saturday morning, Oliver was still difficult to beat,' Tanak said. Tanak had ended Saturday in second place, 21 seconds behind Solberg, his gap could have been smaller if not for a costly stall after clipping a chicane bale on the opening stage, which caused him to lose around seven seconds. 'I expected a challenging weekend, and I knew it would be tough to get the most out of these Estonian roads. They're super fast and have some big jumps, so you need a good balance and a perfect rhythm,' he added. 'We learnt a lot here to take to Finland. I'm happy to be going there in the championship lead, and we will see what it's like opening the road.' Rally Finland, which runs from July 31 to Aug 3, is round nine of the WRC season. Toyota, who have won every rally so far this year except for Greece, also tightened their grip on the manufacturers' race with 399 points to Hyundai's 347. REUTERS
The Star
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Star
Rallying-Tanak takes season's first win for Hyundai in Greece
FILE PHOTO: FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 3 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 14, 2020 Ott Tanak of Estonia looks on. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson via REUTERS/File Photo (Reuters) -Estonian Ott Tanak took Hyundai's first win of the season in Greece's Acropolis Rally on Sunday despite a gearbox scare in the final stage. The victory on the rough gravel roads and in sweltering heat also ended Toyota's unbeaten run with Sebastien Ogier, winner of the previous two rounds, finishing second and 32.8 seconds behind. Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux completed the podium. Tanak closed the gap on Toyota's championship leader Elfyn Evans, who finished fourth, to 12 points. Ogier, who is running a part-time campaign, is nine points behind his teammate. "I was very worried, to be honest," Tanak said of the final gearbox drama. "In the last stage, third gear got very noisy and I understood that this one broke. "Soon, the whole gearbox got very noisy and we didn't have much confidence that we would finish the stage and get back here. It was definitely far too much stress to win a rally." (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Christian Radnedge)
Straits Times
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Rallying-Tanak takes season's first win for Hyundai in Greece
FILE PHOTO: FIA World Rally Championship - Rally Sweden - Stage 3 of Second Round - Torsby, Sweden - February 14, 2020 Ott Tanak of Estonia looks on. TT News Agency/Micke Fransson via REUTERS/File Photo Estonian Ott Tanak took Hyundai's first win of the season in Greece's Acropolis Rally on Sunday despite a gearbox scare in the final stage. The victory on the rough gravel roads and in sweltering heat also ended Toyota's unbeaten run with Sebastien Ogier, winner of the previous two rounds, finishing second and 32.8 seconds behind. Hyundai's Adrien Fourmaux completed the podium. Tanak closed the gap on Toyota's championship leader Elfyn Evans, who finished fourth, to 12 points. Ogier, who is running a part-time campaign, is nine points behind his teammate. "I was very worried, to be honest," Tanak said of the final gearbox drama. "In the last stage, third gear got very noisy and I understood that this one broke. "Soon, the whole gearbox got very noisy and we didn't have much confidence that we would finish the stage and get back here. It was definitely far too much stress to win a rally." REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Cambrian News
21-06-2025
- Automotive
- Cambrian News
Elfyn Evans aims for Acropolis Rally victory in Greece
The Acropolis runs earlier in the year this season, having been held in September since it returned to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2021, and the new date in the middle of summer brings the possibility of harsher conditions for cars, tyres and drivers.
