Soft Pirelli Scorpion KX WRC to tackle rain, mud on Kenyan Safari Rally

Pirelli engineers predict its soft compound Scorpion KX WRC are the optimal choice for World Rally Championship contenders in Kenya, as the WRC Safari Rally commences on 22 June. Rain and muddy conditions, as well as loose stones and rapidly changing road conditions greet competitors, who have chosen to load up on the soft version of the Scorpion KXs. 28 sets per car – the 24 assigned by regulation plus the additional four for the shakedown – allow drivers to fit four new tyres at each of the seven services over the course of the race weekend.

Pirelli engineers’ analysis of the rally suggests the race promises to be more unpredictable than usual. Saturday is set to be the toughest of the three race days, although the most demanding single special stages are at SS 14 and 17 Malewa on Sunday morning. On these stages, as on all of them, the greatest dangers come from loose stones, which combined with the high average speeds increase the risk of puncture. Pirelli expects tyre wear to be low on average.

Rain, which the weather forecasts give as highly probable at the end of each day, means the presence of mud and standing water in numerous sections, with an increased risk of rocks emerging. Given the weather and the general road surface conditions, the Rally 1 drivers opted to have the maximum number of soft tyres at their disposal, in order to cope with the wet and slippery surfaces. Hard tyres, which are the option, have little chance of seeing action, Pirelli added..

The tyres available in Kenya are the Scorpion KX WRC SA (soft compound), which is designed to ensure grip even in the most slippery conditions with a balance of performance and endurance, and the HA hard compound version, generally suitable for the more abrasive surfaces and longer trials.

In the other categories, Rally2 cars will have Scorpion K6B (soft) and K4B (hard) tyres available, while the Rally3 cars have K6A (soft) and K4A (hard). For these cars, the allocations are 22 and 8 tyres for the prime and option respectively, to which a set must be added for the shakedown.