Hankook Tire has partnered with DriverReviews, a platform for verified tyre reviews of current models in the UK, to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions.

The reviews provided by the consumers will be verified and published on the tyre maker’s UK website, making it the first tyre maker in the UK to do so. Hankook Tire currently has over 5,000 product reviews on its website.

Zoe Baldwin, Marketing and Communications Manager of Hankook Tyre UK, said, “As reviews have become a very important force in online consumer decision making, it seemed a natural progression to provide genuine reviews of our products on our website. This will enable consumers to make an informed choice when selecting their tyre brand. We have partnered with DriverReviews to ensure consumers are confident in their choice of Hankook tyres before purchasing. As the reviews are requested at three intervals of ownership, after 3 months, 12 months, and 18-24 months, consumers can provide the most accurate, honest opinions across the product’s lifecycle.”

Adam Butcher, Head of Product at DriverReviews, said, “We are very pleased to announce our partnership with Hankook – one of the fastest-growing and leading premium tyre makers in the world. Thousands of customers have already used DriverReviews to review and voice their opinion on Hankook’s wide range of high-quality and high-performance products, and it is exciting that our partnership will enable Hankook to syndicate these reviews into their marketing communications. It’s an important step for DriverReviews to collaborate with partners such as Hankook to ensure that more customers are given the opportunity to read genuine authentic tyre reviews to guide their future purchases and help them make the right choice in a sometimes-complicated customer experience.”

Although DriverReviews is currently only integrated into the UK website, Hankook plans to roll out across more countries in 2022. (TT)

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Hankook Tire has entered a five-year partnership with Racing America, a US motorsports company, becoming the official tyre partner and exclusive racing tyre supplier for its major series from 2027 through 2031. The agreement was signed at Hankook’s Tennessee plant on 25 September local time.

Under the deal, Hankook will exclusively supply racing tyres to Racing America’s major series while collaborating on technical and engineering support, trackside services and joint marketing initiatives. The company will begin supporting Trans Am, a leading US road racing series, and International GT, a premium sports car racing series. It will also renew partnerships with Racing America’s Formula ladder series, which it has backed since 2019.

Trans Am, established in 1966, is a historic series featuring muscle cars with nearly six decades of competition. International GT showcases premium sports cars, while Racing America’s Formula ladder focuses on developing the next generation of formula drivers. Through the partnership, Hankook aims to display its racing tyre technology across North American motorsports and strengthen its premium brand position. Fan engagement will expand through exclusive tyre supply, technical and trackside support, event branding, digital and broadcast exposure and social media activities.

Globally, Hankook supplies racing tyres and supports teams at more than 70 motorsports events, including the FIA World Rally Championship. In North America, it continues expanding its premium presence through partnerships with major events such as the off-road racing event King of the Hammers.

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Dr Suttipong Angthong, Secretary-General of the Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC), served as a panellist at the Economic Forum 2026, hosted by the Royal Thai Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on 25 September 2026 at the Imperial Lexis Hotel. The event, titled ‘Bridging the Two Borders: Elevating Thailand – Malaysia Resilient Value Chains in Halal and Rubber Industries’, gathered government agencies, industry players, chambers of commerce, academia and think-tanks from both nations. H.E. Ms. Lada Phumas, Thailand's Ambassador to Malaysia, delivered welcoming remarks, followed by opening remarks from YB Tuan Haji Akmal Nasrullah bin Mohd Nasir, Malaysia's Minister of Economy.

Dr Angthong participated in Panel Session 2, titled ‘Strategic Partnership in Action: Advancing Thailand–Malaysia Sustainable Rubber Value Chain’, moderated by the Centre for IMT-GT Subregional Cooperation. Fellow panellists represented the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand, Thai Eastern Group Holdings PCL, the Northern Corridor Implementation Authority and the Malaysian Rubber Board. Discussions centred on upstream-downstream cooperation, border economic corridors, joint research and development, international standards compliance and safeguarding smallholders and grassroots stakeholders.

Dr Angthong outlined the natural rubber market landscape and challenges confronting ANRPC member nations, including sustainability and traceability demands in importing markets, price volatility and the imperative to increase value addition within producing countries.

“ANRPC welcomes cooperation among its member countries that supports a sustainable and resilient natural rubber sector. Regional dialogue of this kind helps members share experience on value addition, standards compliance and smallholder welfare. ANRPC will continue to support its members with statistics, market analysis and a platform for cooperation,” said Dr Angthong.

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Pirelli has confirmed the C2, C3 and C4 compounds as Hard, Medium and Soft for Formula 1’s return to Sepang International Circuit after a nine-year absence. The Malaysian venue replaces the Bahrain Grand Prix, which was not staged in April, and will test teams with machinery and tyres far removed from those used at the last race there in 2017.

Situated near Kuala Lumpur, the 5.543-kilometre circuit mixes long straights with high-speed corners, especially through the middle sector. Its medium energy demands place it in a severity range similar to Spa-Francorchamps and Shanghai, while ambient and track temperatures will make thermal degradation a central concern across the weekend.

Pirelli’s slightly more aggressive selection, compared with a more conservative harder trio, aims to broaden strategic options and narrow the gap between one-stop and two-stop approaches. Sepang’s abrasive surface is comparable in roughness to Bahrain, although grip is expected to be low on Friday before improving as the track evolves. Managing heat across both axles will be a principal difficulty.

The circuit has been modified in recent years, including resurfacing between Turns 6 and 12 in 2023 and further work around Turn 9. Additional levelling began in early September to remove asphalt irregularities, alongside cleaning to improve conditions. Pirelli engineers recently found the surface’s overall characteristics still closely matched those recorded in 2017.

Teams face a shortage of relevant data for the current car generation, making Friday practice unusually important for drivers familiarising themselves with a track many know only from simulators and for teams assessing balance and tyre behaviour. Afternoon thunderstorms, intense heat and high humidity could add further complexity, while Sepang hosts its 20th Grand Prix and remains a venue where Sebastian Vettel leads with four wins, Ferrari tops teams with seven and Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton share the pole record.

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The Association of Natural Rubber Producing Countries (ANRPC) participated in CSCAP 2026, a regional forum on Accelerating Sustainable Consumption and Production for Climate Justice and Value Chain Resilience in Asia-Pacific. The event took place on 23–24 September 2026 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. ANRPC was represented by Secretary-General Dr Suttipong Angthong upon the organisers' invitation.

The two-day forum was organised by AFMA, FeedUP@UN, Sustainism and the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT). It gathered policymakers, industry leaders, smallholder cooperatives, civil society organisations, climate scientists and development practitioners from across Asia-Pacific. Discussions centred on SDG 12, SDG 13 and SDG 15, emphasising links between high-level policy and practical implementation in natural rubber, coconut and sugarcane sectors.

Rubber figured heavily in the discussions. On day one, a high-level panel examined sustainable rubber and derivatives, traceability and deforestation-free supply chains, weighing how producing countries handle the EU Deforestation Regulation, cross-border compliance and national biodiversity frameworks from farm to tyre. Later sessions explored affordable monitoring, reporting and verification tools for smallholders, sustainability-linked finance and a rights-based approach to climate justice.

Dr Angthong shared ANRPC's perspective on conditions in producing countries, where smallholders account for the vast majority of global output. He emphasised that sustainability requirements must be paired with practical support, fair pricing and affordable traceability solutions. This, he argued, would ensure smallholders are not shut out of sustainable markets but instead benefit from the transition.

Dr Angthong said, “Natural rubber is the livelihood of millions of smallholder families across our member countries. The shift towards deforestation-free, low-carbon supply chains is an opportunity for our sector – but only if it is inclusive. CSCAP 2026 provided a valuable platform for producers, buyers, regulators and financiers to work together on solutions that are credible, affordable and fair to farmers. ANRPC will continue to serve as the voice of producing countries in shaping these solutions.”

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