Hankook Wraps 2026 WRC Season as Exclusive Tire Supplier at Sardinia Finale
A season-long supply of tires across snow, tarmac & gravel gives the tire maker real-world data to sharpen its high-performance product development…
Hankook Tire & Technology, the exclusive tire supplier to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), supported the season finale, Rally Italia Sardegna, which concluded on Oct. 4 around Alghero, Sardinia, Italy, company officials announced in a press release.
Weather, Gravel & Micky’s Jump Test the Field
Rally Italia Sardegna included 17 special stages covering a total competitive distance of around 190 miles (307.02 kilometers). With the rally held in October for only the fourth time, unpredictable weather emerged as a key variable throughout the event. Narrow, winding roads bordered by dense vegetation, combined with blind crests that restricted visibility, left little room for error and contributed to closely fought competition, the release noted.
The route also featured Micky’s Jump, one of the most iconic sections in WRC history, along with deep ruts formed by repeated runs and exposed sharp rocks. These challenging surface conditions placed significant demands on both cars and tires throughout the event.
Hankook supplied its all-terrain rally tire, the Dynapro R213, to meet the demands of the challenging gravel stages. The tire is developed specifically for gravel competition, with compound options selected according to surface and weather conditions at each round.
Solberg Wins Finale, Evans Takes 2026 WRC Title
Following a closely fought contest, Toyota GAZOO Racing World Rally Team’s Oliver Solberg claimed victory, securing his second consecutive win after Rally Chile Biobío and his third of the season. Teammates Sébastien Ogier and Sami Pajari finished second and third, respectively.
With Toyota having already secured the Manufacturers’ Championship title at Rally Chile Biobío, Elfyn Evans of the same team went on to claim his first 2026 WRC Drivers’ Championship at the season finale. Evans finished fifth at Rally Italia Sardegna and ended the season with 243 points, five ahead of Solberg.
A Full Season as Exclusive WRC Tire Supplier
From the season-opening Rallye Monte-Carlo to the finale at Rally Italia Sardegna, Hankook served as the exclusive rally tire supplier across all WRC classes throughout the 2026 season. Across diverse conditions ranging from snow and ice to tarmac and rugged gravel, Hankook supported top-level competition with tires developed for the specific demands of each surface, the company said.
Moving forward, Hankook plans to leverage driving data accumulated across this season’s extreme rally environments in its research and development (R&D) to further enhance high-performance tire technology. The company said it will continue validating its products across global motorsport stages while strengthening its competitiveness as a global top-tier brand.
