Pirelli launches dedicated rally app

The launch of a new app from Pirelli aims to give rally competitors greater control over the management of their tyres. The Pirelli Competizioni app bears the name of the tyre maker’s sporting arm and is available in English and Italian and iOS and Android versions. Pirelli claims it to be the “very first app to be designed specifically for rally competitors.”

Before, during, or after each event, crews can consult the app to obtain information they need to understand, choose and manage their tyres throughout the competition. According to Pirelli, the Pirelli Competizioni app was inspired by the questions and specific requests its rally engineers received from competitors over a number of years. In its first incarnation, the app will be available for the European Rally Championship and Italian Rally Championship.

The app contains the following sections:

Products: This area features in-depth information about Pirelli’s rally tyre range, organised by type, with comprehensive technical and usage details. “This enables amateur drivers in particular to develop an exhaustive bank of knowledge about each and every tyre available, helping them to choose the right tyres for the right occasion,” comments Pirelli.

Tyre usage: Achieving a top result involves more than just choosing the right tyres – drivers also have to know how to use and manage them in the best possible way. Each compound, for example, needs to be handled differently when it comes to temperatures and pressures. This section is where users can find out the best way to manage the tyres, in order to extract the maximum possible performance and increase their tyre knowledge.

Live info: Pirelli calls this the “most innovative” section of the app; it allows rally crews access to a Pirelli chat window to talk about tyres in real time. All registered users will have access to Pirelli’s advice on which tyres to choose at every point in the competition. Following the app’s launch, this tool will be extended to all major national rally championships, starting with the Italian Rally Championship and British Rally Championship, as well as the European Rally Championship.

My Pirelli tyres: This tool serves as a “passport” for the tyres a user already has, acting as a personalised database for every tyre and containing details of each one as well as information about how to get the best out of them. Using this function, crews can also read the barcode on each tyre using a smartphone camera in order to record details of how exactly the tyres are fitted and used. A list of barcodes utilised per event can be automatically generated and sub-divided into different sections of each rally if required, which can then be sent to specific users or printed out on paper. This function helps to keep track of any changes in the position of each tyre on the car (if tyres are swapped between stages) and also ensures drivers don’t go beyond any set limit of tyres allowed per event, thanks to a specially designed warning system.