Late WRC tyre allocation change after manufacturers request

Hankook has altered its tyre allocation for World Rally Championship teams on the eve of Rally Chile, following requests from manufacturers.

Changeable weather conditions has ultimately resulted in the Korean tyre supplier making a significant amendment to its tyre allocations heading into this weekend’s gravel event.

Originally, Hankook had selected its hard compound gravel tyre as the prime tyre for the event, with the soft, option tyre for teams. The regulations stipulate that Rally1 teams can use 28 tyres across the rally with a maximum of 20 prime and 12 option tyres.

Chile’s gravel stages are renowned for being abrasive, making the hard tyre the preferred option in recent years. However, heavy rain has fallen in the lead up to the rally with further showers forecasted during the event.

Wet conditions have made the soft tyre the more favourable compound, which led to manufacturers asking for the allocation of softs to be increased. Hankook initially responded by upping the allocation to 16, before amending that count to 20 softs.

“This was a request from the manufacturers. It is a combination of factors for us,” said Hankook representative Steven Cho.

“It is our first year and we are trying to be careful and conservative and we know it can be abrasive here, and we went with the hard as the first choice. But at the same time, there can be rain and very cool conditions as we are seeing,” said Hankook representative Steven Cho.

“The manufacturers asked us if we could have more soft to choose from to give them the ability to play around. We are doing everything we can to support the direction they want to go.

“I think it is going to be highly weather dependent. We have got a good quantity of hards and softs for the teams to choose from. In the recce we got some mixed feedback, in places it is quite abrasive as we know here and in some places it is very soft. I think it is going to be challenging for us and everyone.”

Ott Tänak, Martin Järveoja, Hyundai World Rally Team Hyundai i20 N Rally1

Photo by: Vincent Thuillier / Hyundai Motorsport

Given the changeable conditions and the prospect of roads drying and becoming abrasive, tyre strategy will be crucial this weekend.

After a series of punctures affected the majority of the Rally1 field in Paraguay two weeks ago, WRC drivers are also hoping that the tyres will cope better on Chile’s gravel stages.

“I expect and hope for everyone to have less [tyre] issues than the previous event, it is always better if we can have a straight fight without managing punctures,” said WRC title contender Sébastien Ogier, who sits nine points behind championship leader Elfyn Evans.

“If it is about tyre wear then usually it is a good problem as I usually manage that side pretty good. We don’t have enough soft tyres maybe but that is part of the game. There will be strategy with the tyres this weekend for sure.”

Hyundai’s Ott Tanak, who topped Thursday’s shakedown, added: “With this rally the weather can change so quickly and you can get all kinds of conditions.

“We hope it [the tyre] is less of a key point than it was in Paraguay, but we have seen on the recce that there are a lot of loose rocks everywhere and more than in Paraguay. We hope for less of a lottery.”

Takamoto Katsuta, Aaron Johnston, Toyota Gazoo Racing WRT Toyota GR Yaris Rally1

Photo by: Toyota Racing

When asked if Chile represented more of a puncture risk than in Paraguay, Cho said: “I’m going to be very cautious to see how it goes.

“The characteristics of our punctures have been varying. The feedback from the teams is, sometimes they have a massive impact and everything is fine and sometimes they have not so much of a hit and then there is an issue so there is a bit of a question mark that we have to understand better.”