"Our goal is to produce a tire that is competitive in Formula One and to compete in Formula One as soon as 2007," Rick Brennan, Kumho Tire U.S.A. Inc. high performance brand manager, has told moderntiredealer.com.
"We´ve been looking at a lot of ways to move up the food chain," says Brennan.
Participation in F1 will "show that Kumho has the advanced technology" for the circuit.
Kumho has been competing in Formula Three events in Korea since 2000 and European F3 events since last year, according to Brennan. "F1 in Europe is the next logical step."
Obtaining a presence in F1 "is bigger than just the tire itself. It´s logistics, service -- there are a lot of things that go into place.
"F1 is a huge step. It will take some time for someone like Kumho to step up and start swinging at pitches."
Brennan says Kumho´s F1 tire will be manufactured in South Korea.
