In a move that signals a deepening commitment to the future of global mobility and motorsport, Hankook Tire & Technology has officially been announced as a new member of the prestigious FIA Global Partner Program. This landmark agreement elevates the South Korean tire giant from a key supplier in various racing series to a strategic collaborator with the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), the world’s highest governing body for motorsport. The partnership solidifies Hankook’s position at the pinnacle of the automotive industry, aligning its technological prowess and forward-thinking vision with the FIA’s mission to promote safe, sustainable, and innovative motoring worldwide.
The announcement represents more than just a new logo on a sponsorship banner; it is a testament to a shared philosophy. For years, Hankook has been carving out a formidable reputation on the world’s most demanding circuits, most notably as the exclusive tire supplier for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. This new, broader partnership with the FIA itself is the logical and ambitious next step, creating a powerful synergy focused on shaping the next era of automotive excellence, both on the track and on the public road.
A Landmark Partnership: What This Means for Motorsport
The ascension of Hankook Tire into the FIA’s elite circle of global partners is a development with far-reaching implications for the entire motorsport ecosystem. This is not merely a commercial sponsorship but a strategic alliance that places Hankook at the heart of the FIA’s global initiatives, influencing the direction of technology, sustainability, and safety in motorsport for years to come.
Elevating a Global Brand
For Hankook, this partnership represents a significant transition. While the company has long been a respected name in motorsport circles, serving as the official tire for numerous high-profile championships, joining the FIA Global Partner Program elevates its status from a component supplier to a core strategic ally of the sport’s ultimate authority. This distinction is crucial. It provides Hankook with an unparalleled platform to showcase its technological leadership on a global stage, directly associating its brand with the FIA’s values of integrity, innovation, and excellence. The association reinforces the perception of Hankook as a premium, technology-driven company that is not just participating in the future of mobility but actively co-authoring it alongside the world’s most influential automotive body.
The Nature of a Strategic Alliance
Unlike traditional sponsorships that often focus primarily on brand visibility, this partnership is rooted in active collaboration. As a Global Partner, Hankook will work hand-in-hand with the FIA on a range of initiatives. This includes contributing to technical working groups, participating in research and development projects aimed at enhancing performance and sustainability, and supporting the FIA’s vast network of motorsport events across the globe. The collaboration will leverage Hankook’s extensive R&D capabilities, particularly its expertise in developing specialized tires for electric vehicles, to help the FIA pioneer new regulations and technologies that push the boundaries of what’s possible in motorsport. This deep integration ensures that Hankook’s contributions are meaningful and substantive, helping to shape the very rules and equipment that will define future racing series.
The impact of this alliance will ripple throughout the motorsport world. It sends a clear message about the increasing importance of technological partners in driving the sport forward. As motorsport continues its evolution towards greater sustainability and relevance to the consumer automotive market, the role of companies like Hankook—which operate at the intersection of high performance and environmental responsibility—becomes ever more critical. This partnership could serve as a blueprint for future collaborations between governing bodies and technology providers, fostering a more integrated and forward-looking approach to the development of the sport.
Inside the FIA Global Partner Program
To fully appreciate the significance of Hankook’s new role, it is essential to understand the exclusive and influential nature of the FIA Global Partner Program. This is not an open-door club; it is a carefully curated group of world-leading brands that share the FIA’s vision and possess the global reach and technical expertise to help bring that vision to life.
An Exclusive Circle of Influence
The FIA Global Partner Program is the highest tier of partnership with the federation. Hankook joins an elite roster of household names and industry titans, including Rolex, Aramco, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Fanatec, and Pirelli. Each partner brings a unique set of skills and resources to the table. Rolex, the Official Timepiece, represents precision and heritage. Aramco provides expertise in energy and sustainable fuels. AWS delivers cutting-edge cloud computing and data analytics to revolutionize race management and fan engagement. Pirelli, as the long-standing tire supplier for Formula 1, offers a deep well of top-tier motorsport experience.
By joining this group, Hankook is positioned among the most powerful and respected brands in the world. This association lends immense credibility and prestige, but more importantly, it places the company in a collaborative environment where cross-industry innovation can flourish. The program is designed to create a powerful network effect, where the combined influence and expertise of its partners can accelerate progress on the FIA’s key objectives far more effectively than any single entity could alone.
Supporting the FIA’s Dual Mission
The FIA’s mandate is unique in the sporting world. It operates on two parallel fronts: as the governing body for world motorsport and as a global federation of motoring clubs dedicated to promoting safe, sustainable, and accessible mobility for all road users. The Global Partner Program is fundamental to supporting both pillars of this mission. Revenue and resources generated through these partnerships are reinvested into a wide array of initiatives, from funding safety research and grassroots motorsport development programs to launching global road safety campaigns and advocating for environmentally sound transport policies. Hankook’s involvement will therefore directly contribute to these vital efforts, reinforcing the company’s corporate social responsibility and its commitment to making a positive impact beyond the racetrack.
Hankook’s Motorsport Legacy: A Road Paved with Performance
Hankook’s entry into the FIA Global Partner Program is not a sudden leap into the motorsport world but the culmination of a long and successful journey. The company has methodically built its reputation through decades of competition, using the crucible of the racetrack as the ultimate laboratory for developing and proving its tire technology.
From Touring Cars to Endurance Epics
Hankook’s motorsport portfolio is both diverse and impressive, demonstrating the company’s ability to engineer tires that excel across a wide spectrum of racing disciplines. For years, it has been a fixture in some of the world’s most competitive championships. The brand has been a long-time partner of the DTM (Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters), one of the most technologically advanced touring car series, where its Ventus Race tires have been pushed to the absolute limit.
Beyond sprint racing, Hankook has proven its mettle in the grueling world of endurance racing. As the title sponsor and exclusive tire partner for the 24H Series, the company has enabled teams to compete for 24 continuous hours at iconic circuits like Dubai, Barcelona, and Portimão. This discipline demands a tire that offers a perfect balance of speed, consistency, and durability—qualities that Hankook has consistently delivered. Furthermore, the company supplies tires to prestigious single-make series like the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, where the precise and consistent performance of the tire is paramount to ensuring a level playing field for all competitors.
The Formula E Pinnacle: A Glimpse of the Future
The most significant milestone in Hankook’s recent motorsport history, and a clear precursor to its new FIA partnership, was its selection as the exclusive technical partner and tire supplier for the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, starting with the 2022/23 season. This was a monumental undertaking that coincided with the debut of the championship’s revolutionary “Gen3” race car—the fastest, lightest, and most powerful and efficient electric race car ever built.
Supplying tires for Formula E presented a unique and complex set of challenges that traditional motorsport does not. The FIA’s brief was demanding: create a single, all-weather tire compound that could perform optimally in both scorching heat and torrential rain, eliminating the need for separate slick and wet-weather tires. This requirement was driven by sustainability, as it dramatically reduces the number of tires that need to be produced, transported, and disposed of over a race weekend. The tire also had to be incredibly durable, with low rolling resistance to maximize the electric cars’ range, yet still provide the immense grip required to handle the Gen3 car’s instant torque and 350 kW (470 bhp) power output. The result was the Hankook iON Race tire, a marvel of engineering that has become a cornerstone of the Formula E racing experience and a powerful symbol of Hankook’s innovative capabilities.
The Technological Synergy: EV Racing and the Future of Tires
The partnership between Hankook and the FIA is deeply rooted in a shared understanding that the future of motorsport and the future of consumer mobility are inextricably linked. The racetrack is the ultimate proving ground, and the lessons learned in the high-stakes environment of electric racing are directly shaping the next generation of tires for the growing electric vehicle (EV) market.
The iON Race Tire: A Blueprint for the Future
The Hankook iON Race tire, developed for Formula E, is more than just a piece of racing equipment; it is a rolling laboratory. To meet the FIA’s stringent requirements, Hankook engineers had to rethink tire design from the ground up. One of the most notable achievements is the tire’s composition. Nearly 30% of the iON Race tire is made from sustainable materials, including bio-based resins and recycled PET fibers derived from plastic bottles. This aligns perfectly with the FIA’s and Formula E’s aggressive sustainability targets and demonstrates that high performance does not have to come at a high environmental cost.
The all-weather design is another key innovation. By developing a single tread pattern and compound that provides reliable grip in both wet and dry conditions, Hankook has set a new benchmark for efficiency in motorsport. This not only supports sustainability but also adds an exciting and unpredictable element to the racing, as drivers must manage the same tire across a wide range of track conditions. The technology required to achieve this delicate balance—a compound that heats up quickly for grip but doesn’t degrade excessively, and a tread that can both grip on dry asphalt and effectively channel water—is at the cutting edge of tire science.
From Racetrack to Roadway: The Tech Transfer
The true value of this motorsport investment lies in the “tech transfer”—the process of applying innovations developed for racing to consumer products. The challenges of designing a tire for a high-performance EV race car are magnified versions of the challenges for a road-going EV. Consumer EVs are heavier than their internal combustion engine counterparts due to their large battery packs, and they deliver torque instantly, placing immense stress on the tires. They are also silent, which means that tire noise, previously masked by engine sounds, becomes a primary concern for cabin comfort.
Hankook has leveraged the data and knowledge gained from the iON Race program to develop its comprehensive iON family of road tires, specifically engineered for EVs. These tires feature technologies directly inspired by the racetrack, such as reinforced construction to handle the extra weight and torque, advanced compounds that reduce rolling resistance to extend battery range, and noise-absorbing materials to ensure a quiet and comfortable ride. This partnership with the FIA provides Hankook with an even greater platform to test, refine, and market these technologies, assuring consumers that the tires on their electric car are born from the highest level of competition.
A Shared Vision for Sustainability and Safety
While technology and performance are central to the Hankook-FIA partnership, the alliance is equally driven by a shared commitment to the broader goals of environmental sustainability and global road safety. These are core pillars of the FIA’s mission, and Hankook is uniquely positioned to be a powerful ally in advancing these causes.
Driving Towards a Greener Future
The FIA has established a clear and ambitious environmental strategy, aiming for its championships to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions by 2030. This goal requires a holistic approach, encompassing everything from the use of sustainable fuels and efficient logistics to the materials used in the cars themselves. Tires are a critical component of this equation. Hankook’s pioneering work in developing the iON Race tire with a high percentage of sustainable materials is a direct contribution to this objective. As a Global Partner, Hankook will be expected to continue pushing the boundaries of green tire technology, exploring new materials and manufacturing processes that reduce the environmental footprint of motorsport and, by extension, the wider automotive industry.
Champions of Road Safety
Beyond the glamour of the racetrack, the FIA has a profound responsibility as a global advocate for road safety. Through its FIA Action for Road Safety campaign, which is supported by the United Nations, the federation works to reduce fatalities and injuries on the world’s roads. Tires are the single most critical safety component on any vehicle, as they are the only point of contact with the road. A tire’s condition and quality can be the difference between a safe stop and a catastrophic accident.
As a leading global tire manufacturer, Hankook has a wealth of expertise in tire safety, design, and maintenance. This partnership creates an official channel for that expertise to support the FIA’s global campaigns. This could manifest in various forms, from co-sponsoring public awareness initiatives about the importance of checking tire pressure and tread depth, to providing technical input for road safety research, to supporting driver education programs in developing countries. This alignment transforms the partnership from a purely sporting one into a socially responsible collaboration with the potential to save lives.
Leadership Perspectives: Voices from the FIA and Hankook
The official announcement of the partnership was accompanied by statements from the leaders of both organizations, underscoring the mutual respect and shared ambitions that form the foundation of this new alliance.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem lauded the new agreement, stating, “We are delighted to welcome Hankook to the FIA’s family of global partners. The FIA has a growing portfolio of world-class partners that are all committed to excellence and innovation. This new partnership with Hankook further strengthens our motorsport portfolio and reflects our vision for a future of sustainable innovation. I look forward to our collaboration.” His words emphasize the strategic importance of bringing in partners who are not just leaders in their field but also philosophically aligned with the FIA’s forward-looking agenda, particularly concerning sustainability.
On behalf of Hankook, Chairman & CEO Hyunbum Cho expressed his pride and excitement. “We are truly honored to become a Global Partner of the FIA, the world’s most prestigious motorsport governing body,” he commented. “This partnership marks a pinnacle moment for Hankook, demonstrating our standing as a top-tier global brand. We are confident that our collaboration will create new opportunities and further elevate our position in the industry. Hankook will continue to expand its global leadership by fostering a culture of innovation and a steadfast commitment to pioneering the future of mobility.” His statement highlights the sense of achievement for the company and frames the partnership as a catalyst for future growth and innovation.
The Road Ahead: Implications for the Industry and Consumers
The partnership between Hankook Tire and the FIA is more than just a headline; it’s a strategic move that sets a new course for the future, with implications for the automotive industry, the motorsport community, and everyday drivers around the world.
A New Benchmark for Industry Partnerships
This deep, collaborative alliance sets a new benchmark for how technology companies and governing bodies can work together. It moves beyond the traditional sponsor-recipient model towards a more integrated relationship where both parties contribute their unique strengths to achieve common goals. For the industry, it signals that leadership is no longer just about market share; it’s about actively contributing to the technological and ethical advancement of the entire mobility sector. Other brands will likely look to this model as they consider how to best align their corporate objectives with the evolving landscape of global motorsport and transportation.
What it Means for the Driver
Ultimately, the benefits of this high-level partnership will trickle down to the consumer. The relentless R&D cycle of motorsport, now supercharged by this collaboration, will accelerate the development of better road tires. The push for sustainability on the track will lead to more eco-friendly tire options for consumers, made with renewable materials and designed for maximum efficiency. The focus on performance under extreme conditions will result in safer, more durable, and better-handling tires for everyday driving, especially for the unique demands of electric vehicles.
In essence, when a driver purchases a set of Hankook tires in the future, they will not just be buying a product; they will be buying a piece of technology forged in the world’s most demanding competitive environments and validated by the highest authority in motorsport. This partnership is a powerful statement of intent from Hankook and the FIA, a joint declaration that they are not just watching the future of mobility unfold—they are in the driver’s seat, steering it forward.
