DTM starts into its second season half at the legendary Eifel circuitHankooks new tyre generation shows an overwhelming performance in the first season halfTop performance, consistency and safety are the success factors of the DTM partnerAt the legendary Nrburgring, the DTM starts into its second season half this weekend. After a summer break, action in the most popular touring car series resumes at the tradition-steeped circuit in the Eifel region. So far, five rounds have been completed. Briton Gary Paffett (Mercedes-Benz) is leading in the driversstandings with 95 points, followed by his fellow Mercedes-Benz driver and compatriot Jamie Green. Canadian Bruno Spengler, who was signed by DTM-returnee BMW prior to this season, is currently third in the standings. For teams and drivers, the Nrburgring marks the next round in the battle for the title. The Hankook competition tyre has to support all drivers with an outstanding performance in the second half of the season as well.

So far, the Hankook tyres convinced in every race with a top performance, a high level of consistency and maximum safety. Neither the heat at Hockenheim nor the low temperatures at the Lausitzring, neither the edged kerbstones at Brands Hatch nor the slick asphalt at Spielberg caused any problems for the Ventus Race. At the Norisring, the new rain tyre of the premium manufacturer had a brilliant season premiere and also allowed for fast lap times until the end of the race when the track dried out and temperatures and load on the contact surface increased.

This weekends Nrburgring event is one of the highlights of the season for the exclusive tyre partner of the most popular international touring car series. The legendary Nrburgring, at which Hankook has been competing in the traditional endurance races for many years as well, provides valuable data and information for Hankooks engineers, which have also been considered in the development of the new DTM competition tyre.Manfred Sandbichler, director motorsport Hankook Tire Europe: The data and facts that we have been collecting at the Nrburgring for years, have helped us significantly and were considered in the construction of the tyres. The result was and is excellent. During the season to date, the Hankook tyre has been supporting all drivers with a lot of grip, high speed and maximum consistency. All teams have benefited from these successful elements of the Ventus Race tyre and they were able to execute their planned strategy in a perfect way. We will also deliver this extraordinary overall performance during the second half of the season.Competition tyres know-howThe competition tyres look very much similar to their road-legal counterparts, but their construction and compound is significantly different. Which are the particularly important components and characteristics with respect to the particular requirements of the tracks during the 2012 DTM season?Nrburgring: air and asphalt temperatureTraditionally, the weather at the Nrburgring is unpredictable and temperatures can vary significantly. At this track, the resulting air temperature has considerable effects on the front tyres in particular. In warm conditions, they heat up more, but when temperatures are low, they have to be made to work by the set-up of the vehicle to achieve a neutral car balance. Contrarily, the rear tyres are relatively unaffected by the weather conditions, because here, the driving forces are being transferred.