Pirelli Introduces Specialist Superbike Qualifying Tyre

Pirelli has developed a new “qualifying tyre” for the Italian track, with the specific aim of reducing lap times and enhancing the spectacle of Superpole action. The tyre will be given non-permanent white “long P” markings and yellow lines have been imprinted on the tyre’s surface, which will reveal the strategy of teams and riders to motor-racing fans looking on.

Pirelli presented the new 200mm tyre at the first Italian round of the Superbike World Championship. It is unique to Monza, being equal in measurement, profile and structure to Pirelli’s race tyres for this circuit. Giorgio Barbier commented, “We continue to put forth significant efforts in developing additional tyre options available to every rider of the Superbike and Supersport grid, and we are satisfied with all the results, including this new qualifying tyre which guarantees more excitement and visibility into the strategies of each team during Superpole for all spectators, both live and on television.”

Pirelli has achieved significant improvements in race and lap times in the first four rounds of the 2009 season with an average decrease in overall race time of the three podium positions of 11 seconds in Race 1 and 13 seconds in Race 2. Lap times in race scenario have decreased significantly at various tracks such as Assen, where an average of three individual riders’ best lap times during the race dropped by 0.63 seconds in Race 1 and 0.78 seconds in Race 2, resulting in a new lap record for the circuit. Thus far this season, nearly 14 different tyres have been made available to the Superbike grid, including two different wets and one intermediate.

With the Monza race, the Superbike World Championship is preparing to enter the most competitive part of the season. Four classes fill one large paddock, but this certainly means the weekend will be filled with passion and adrenaline at the race closest to the home of Pirelli. The Italian manufacturer will bring three front and four rear dry tyres to the Monza race, of which one front and three rears are brand new to this circuit, thanks to winter testing and individual input from teams who use Monza as their test facility.