Pirelli’s 2008 WRC Tyre Hits the Asphalt

The beginning of the 2008 FIA World Rally Championship and Pirelli’s involvement as official tyre sponsor lies only a few short months away, and the Italian tyremaker reports that approval for its new asphalt tyre for the series has recently been granted by its own technicians and the FIA. Fine-tuned with experience gained over numerous test sessions, the new tyre is said to contain, according to Pirelli, “a number of innovative features.”

“The Italian firm’s technicians recently signed off the asphalt tyre, after an intensive and detailed series of tests with reigning Italian Rally Champion Paolo Andreucci and the Bozian Racing Peugeot 307 WRC used by Gigi Galli on a number of WRC events throughout 2006,” the company reported in a statement. These tests, conducted by Pirelli and Andreucci in France, Spain and Sardinia, enabled the FIA to place their seal of approval on a tyre that possesses a number of new features and pre-empts upcoming environmental legislation by two years.

“In particular, the new tyre will not use any so-called ‘heavy oils’ in its construction,” reports Pirelli. “The elements in the new tyre already conform to environmental legislation set to come into force in 2010.”

The tread pattern of the asphalt PZero is all-new and draws much from current Pirelli road car UHP tyres. The asymmetric design, says Pirelli, employs the lessons learned from the development of the RX tyre, a strong performer on dry asphalt. The external shoulder of the new tyre has been widened to offer higher levels of grip when the car is learning into a corner, while the internal part of the tyre features more prominent grooves. These grooves enable the car to work effectively on wet asphalt, even if there is a risk of aquaplaning.

The profile of the new asphalt PZero tyre has been designed to optimise its footprint, even when a rally car is running with a high camber set-up. It is also designed to manage wear as effectively as possible, even in extreme conditions like those seen on WRC events

The new tyre features a more robust construction than Pirelli’s existing asphalt rubber in order to minimise the risk of punctures. This is vitally important, as from 2008 the use of mousse or any other anti-deflation device has been outlawed. The goal of Pirelli’s technicians when designing the carcass for the asphalt PZero was to obtain maximum rigidity and progression whilst providing a tyre that was instantly reactive and easy to drive. At the same time the usual basic requirements of minimum weight and maximum resistance to lacerations also had to be met.

Pirelli report that details of the two remaining tyres to be used next year – for gravel and snow – will be released shortly.