It will soon be clarified which tire will be used in the DTM from 2026: Who the candidates are and what would speak in favor of a Hankook comeback
Will the DTM change its tire partner in 2026? This is currently a hot topic, because according to information, the current Pirelli contract expires at the end of the season and there is currently a tender for a new contract as the sole supplier for the traditional series.
And time is pressing, because the new – or theoretically old – tire partner is already supposed to be presented around the season finale in Hockenheim, i.e., in about a month. But who could win the contract?
There seems to be a lot of interest, as all the major manufacturers of GT3 tires are considered candidates, including the current tire partner Pirelli, but also Hankook, Michelin, Goodyear, and Yokohama.
DTM split in dispute no longer an issue
Pirelli’s future is apparently anything but set in stone, even though the ADAC has been working with the Italians in the ADAC GT Masters since 2015—i.e., before the DTM takeover at the end of 2022. And it has commissioned SRO Motorsports Group, a service provider for Balance of Performance (BoP), which currently only supports series with Pirelli tires.
But other interested parties also have their advantages: The DTM has a long history with Hankook, as the South Koreans supplied tires to the series from 2011 to 2020 during the manufacturer era, thereby also conquering the European market.
Even if the marriage did not end amicably at the end of 2020. There was even a legal dispute between the tire manufacturer and the DTM operating company ITR, which was headed by Gerhard Berger at the time and had allegedly contractually guaranteed Hankook that three car manufacturers would be at the start until 2023.
This was no longer the case in 2020 due to the departure of Aston Martin licensee R-Motorsport, and from 2021 onwards, in the GT3 era, it was unclear whether one could even speak of manufacturers, private teams, or a hybrid form. However, these legacy issues are no longer relevant today due to the ADAC’s takeover of the DTM three years ago.
Secret Hankook test with new tire in Oschersleben
Apart from that, Hankook is currently developing a new GT3 tire. For this reason, the manufacturer spent two days testing in Oschersleben around two weeks ago with a Porsche racing car and a very experienced GT3 professional in the cockpit. But where will the tire be used?
Hankook could really use a new platform in circuit racing, because its four-year stint in Formula E will come to an end at the end of the upcoming season when the series switches to Bridgestone. And the 24h Series, which is contested with GT3 cars, has also switched from Hankook tires to Michelin this year.
This leaves Hankook with the Lamborghini Supertrofeo one-make series in the GT sector, races on the Nürburgring Nordschleife, and the Supercar Challenge in the Benelux countries, which cannot be compared to the DTM. The contract with the World Rally Championship runs until the end of 2027.
Could Hankook design a tire specifically for the DTM?
But a Hankook comeback in the DTM would also be an exciting alternative for the ADAC: as the tire manufacturer is currently working on a new tire and is not very present in the GT3 sector at the moment, the product could be specially adapted to the sprint format in the DTM, as in Class 1 times, and ensure greater degradation, which could potentially offer more excitement in the races and more strategic options.
In addition, Hankook was the most financially powerful series sponsor in Class 1 times—well-informed circles are talking about an annual sum of just under ten million euros plus free tires. Although this is no longer conceivable after the end of the DTM as a manufacturer series, industry experts still believe that a Hankook deal would bring more money into the DTM coffers than other potential partners such as Michelin or Pirelli.
Both are very present in the GT3 sector – and Goodyear is currently even active as the sole supplier to the LMGT3 class of the WEC at the endurance highlight in Le Mans.
Would a change with SRO-BoP even be possible?
But would a change even be possible despite the partnership with BoP service provider SRO, which always works with Pirelli? Although Stephane Ratel’s company would then only be able to use the current data pool to a limited extent and would have to make new calculations for the DTM.
Apart from that, a new tire partner would also be a potential reason to look for a new BoP partner. However, this is pure speculation. As we hear, it is currently still unclear how the tender will turn out and which tires the DTM will use from 2026 onwards. Especially since it cannot be ruled out that another tire partner will adapt a tire to the DTM requirements.