Hankook Supplies Tires for the Demanding Rallye Monte-Carlo
Rapidly changing winter conditions in the Alps placed strategy & adaptability at the center of the 2026 WRC season opener…
Rallye Monte-Carlo, the opening round of the 2026 FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), wrapped up on Jan. 25 across Monaco and France, with Hankook Tire & Technology Co. Ltd. supporting the season opener as the championship’s exclusive rally tire supplier.
Contested across 17 special stages totaling 210 miles through Monaco and France, the event required drivers to respond to shifting surface conditions at every stage. Precision driving and well-timed strategic decisions proved essential throughout what is regarded as one of the most challenging season openers on the WRC calendar, company officials stated in a press release.
Toyota GAZOO Racing World Rally Team Sweeps the Podium
After a fierce contest, Oliver Solberg and co-driver Elliott Edmondson of Toyota GAZOO Racing claimed victory. Solberg made headlines by becoming the youngest winner of the Rallye Monte-Carlo in the 21st century, breaking a 56-year-old record set by Björn Waldegård in 1970. Furthermore, the Toyota team swept the podium, demonstrating overwhelming competitiveness and stable performance from the very first round of the 2026 season, noted the release.
Extensive Testing of Hankook Tires for WRC
Since the 2025 season, Hankook says that it has supplied rally tires exclusively across all WRC classes under a three-year agreement, continuing to demonstrate its technical competitiveness on the global motorsport stage. In preparation for this role, Hankook conducted more than 1,200 miles of driving and performance testing across eight countries from 2023 onward, leading to the development of FIA-certified high-performance rally tires designed to deliver stable performance in harsh environments, the company said.
The 2026 FIA World Rally Championship continues with 14 rounds across four continents from January through November. The next challenge comes at Rally Sweden, Feb. 12-15, where full-snow and ice stages, high-speed running on studded tires and extreme cold temperatures will once again place major importance on durability and traction.
