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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Kuraray America, Inc. (KAI) demonstrated its community commitment through volunteer service and financial support at the 77th annual Pasadena Livestock Show & Rodeo. The Kuraray Foundation of America (KFA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, contributed USD 5,000 to the event, funding local youth programmes.

Over the rodeo's nine-day run, eleven KAI employees dedicated more than 350 volunteer hours to health, safety and security operations. Leveraging their professional expertise, these volunteers identified and mitigated onsite risks, staffed the medical tent and worked behind the scenes to ensure a safe, well-organised experience for all attendees.

Beyond safety duties, KAI volunteers supported interactive educational exhibits highlighting the connections between industry, agriculture, and sustainability. These displays allowed families to explore the farm-to-table journey and understand how various industries contribute along the way. The rodeo's fundraising efforts extend far beyond the event itself, supporting college scholarships, livestock show awards, calf scramble programmes and other agricultural education opportunities for local students.

For KFA, the sponsorship represented more than financial backing – it was a chance to invest time, expertise and resources in an organisation dedicated to the Pasadena community throughout the year. KAI expressed gratitude to the rodeo for welcoming its team and recognised volunteers David Solo, Calvin Balch, Alex Berry, Dwight Brunner, Matt Callas, Eric McDaniel, Miguel Pompa, Zachary Reynolds, Chase Stewart, Richard Bass and Tyler Free for their service, reflecting the company's dedication to being an active partner in the communities where its employees live and work.

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Yokohama India has introduced a locally manufactured variant of its GEOLANDAR A/T tyre featuring Outline White Letter sidewall styling for sports utility vehicles (SUVs). The 15-inch tyres are produced at the company's manufacturing plant in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, following a transition from importing the product line.

The GEOLANDAR A/T tyre in 15-inch size is designed for fitment on utility models including the Maruti Suzuki Jimny and Mahindra Bolero. The white-lettering option is currently available in two sizes, with Yokohama India planning to expand local production to include 16-inch to 18-inch tyre sizes in 2027.

Gaurav Mahajan, Head of Marketing and OE Sales, Yokohama India, said, "For today’s SUV owner, driving is increasingly part of a broader motoring lifestyle, where the vehicle reflects a sense of individuality, adventure and personal expression. The GEOLANDAR A/T is designed to complement that mindset, bringing a more distinctive and rugged character to the vehicle. It is for enthusiasts who see their SUV as more than a means of getting from one place to another, and want every element of it to reflect their passion for the road and the lifestyle that comes with it."

The introduction forms part of Yokohama's strategy to expand domestic manufacturing capabilities in India and cater to local demand for utility vehicle accessories and components.

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Citira, a Sweden-based company specialising in circular tyre management, has acquired Redpath Tyres Ltd, marking its first entry into the UK commercial and agricultural tyre segment and laying the foundation for a national UK footprint. The deal follows Citira’s earlier UK market entry this year through Tyrefix Group, combining Redpath’s local knowledge and strong reputation with Citira’s circular tyre management model, which covers retreading, rim refurbishment and fleet logistics and is already established in the Nordics and Poland. This acquisition represents a significant strategic step for Citira as it seeks to expand its presence across the United Kingdom.

Redpath Tyres, which has served Scottish customers for 52 years, operates from 11 locations and employs around 90 people. It will retain its own name and team, with Graham, Neil and Catriona continuing in the business and becoming shareholders in the Citira Group. The company’s longstanding local expertise and established customer relationships are expected to support Citira’s broader growth ambitions in the region.

Oliver Johnson, Head of UK, Citira, said, "Redpath Tyres has earned a strong reputation across Scotland through its reliability, service quality and close relationships with the fleets and farming community it supports. That reputation provides an excellent foundation for the next stage of growth. Following our entry into the UK earlier this year, this acquisition represents a deliberate first step into the Commercial (TBR) market and the beginning of our ambition to build a national network.”

Graham Redpath, speaking on behalf of the Redpath family, said, "We as a family have spent 52 years building this business and wanted to find a long-term stewardship that would continue to look after our people and customers. Citira’s plans for the business, and their track record with businesses like Tyrefix, gave me the confidence that this is the right home for the team and everything we’ve built. I’m glad our family gets to stay involved and invested as shareholders in Citira as the business grows as part of a bigger group.”

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Pirelli is preparing for the FIM Grand Prix World Championship's next round at the Pertamina Mandalika International Circuit in Lombok, Indonesia, for the Grand Prix of Indonesia. The circuit's aggressively textured surface delivers strong mechanical grip, but track temperatures exceeding 60°C can render it slippery, placing tyres under severe thermal stress. These conditions make Mandalika an ideal proving ground for new solutions.

For Moto2, Pirelli will offer two soft-compound rear tyres: the standard SC0, used by nearly the entire field in 2025 as development specification E0125, and the new F0515. The latter shares the SC0's compound but pairs it with a newly developed structure for greater stability and more consistent performance. To aid evaluation, each rider's maximum rear tyre allocation rises from eight to nine.

Front options for Moto2 comprise the standard soft SC1 and medium SC2. Over the past two seasons, every rider has selected the soft tyre for the race, as it provides superior grip in high temperatures. In the entry-level class, the soft SC1 and medium SC2 are available for both front and rear, with both solutions proving competitive throughout the season. Last year's Mandalika results reinforced this: Honda's Adrian Fernandez claimed pole on SC1s front and rear, while KTM's José Antonio Rueda won both the race and the title on SC2s.

Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Motorcycle Racing Director, said, “As at several rounds this year, also in Indonesia we will continue our Moto2 development work. After focusing on front tyre specifications at the most recent Grands Prix, we will introduce a new soft rear solution at Mandalika. With its highly macro-rough asphalt and temperatures that can exceed 60°C, the circuit places the tyres under severe thermal stress, making it a particularly valuable proving ground for testing new solutions.

“The F0515 development specification, which will make its debut this weekend, uses the same compound as the standard SC0 but pairs it with a newly developed structure designed to deliver greater stability and more consistent performance. Completing the rear allocation will be the standard SC0, successfully used by almost the entire field in 2025, when it was introduced as development specification E0125. Having both solutions available will allow a direct comparison over the course of the weekend and enable us to gather valuable data to support the next stages of development.”

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