Hankook Marks 2026 WRC Season Finale at Rally Italia Sardegna

• Elfyn Evans of Toyota GAZOO Racing World Rally Team crowned 2026 WRC Drivers' Champion as Toyota secures Manufacturers' title
• Dynapro R213 rally tires deployed across all stages of the season finale
• Hankook completes 2026 WRC season as exclusive rally tire supplier across all classes, building on global motorsport expertise

ALGHERO, Italy, Oct. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A leading global tire company Hankook Tire & Technology (Hankook), the exclusive tire supplier to the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC), supported the season finale, Rally Italia Sardegna, which concluded on October 4 around Alghero, Sardinia, Italy.

Rally Italia Sardegna comprised 17 Special Stages (SS) covering a total competitive distance of 307.02 kilometers. Held in October for only the fourth time in its history, 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 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.

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 the 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 Oliver Solberg, to earn his first career WRC Drivers' Championship title.

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.

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 will continue validating its products across global motorsport stages while strengthening its competitiveness as a global top-tier brand.