Poor Conditions Fail to Hamper Pirelli WRC Tyres

Winner of the opening World Rally Championship round for 2008, Jari-Matti Latvala, has voiced high regard for the Pirelli Sottozero tyres he competed on. The Finnish driver, who at the age of 22 became the youngest winner of a WRC event, said he was “pleasantly surprised by the performance and grip from the studded Pirelli tyres, which turned out to be really effective even in the marginal conditions that we found on some of the stages. This is down to the impressive work from all the Pirelli technicians.”

The Swedish Rally was held in less than optimal conditions, with mud and gravel frequently coming through the thin covering layer of snow and ice. This deteriorating road surface led organisers to cancel to of the special stages. Nevertheless, Latvala’s Ford Focus WRC, and its Sottozero tyres, performed beyond expectations – especially as the tyres were not designed for the conditions actually encountered.

“We had to face some very gravely conditions this year in Sweden, because of the lack of snow and ice,” commented Pirelli motorsport director Paul Hembery, Pirelli’s motorsport director. “This meant that our tyres had to face a much wider performance window than we expected. For that very reason, it’s important to underline the fact that our Pirelli Sottozero tyres were a pleasant surprise for everybody in Sweden because of their strength and adaptability in the variable road conditions. Pirelli has been able to supply all the teams with a product capable of delivering the best possible performance even in these unusual circumstances compared to the normal winter weather that could be expected in Sweden.”