Pirelli World Rally Championship tyre testing begins in Sardinia
Pirelli has begun its 2021 World Rally Championship campaign with two days of private tyre testing in Sardinia. The first day is devoted to gravel and the second day on asphalt. At the wheel of Pirelli’s uniquely-liveried Citroen C3 WRC test car will be Norway’s Andreas Mikkelsen, co-driven by his compatriot Anders Jaeger. The former Volkswagen, Citroen and Hyundai factory driver will be spearheading the development of the latest-generation Pirelli Scorpion tyres for gravel and P Zero tyres for asphalt, which will be supplied exclusively to the World Rally Championship from 2021 to 2024. The new tyres will eventually join the studded Sottozero Ice already displayed at the 2020 GP Ice Race in January in the manufacturer’s WRC tyre line-up.
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Michelin to pursue sustainable motorsport despite Formula E exit
Michelin motorsport director Matthieu Bonardel has given his reaction to the announcement of a changing of the guard in the world’s premier battery-powered single-seater racing series. Despite Hankook’s move to replace Michelin as Formula E tyre supplier after the 2021/2022 season, the French manufacturer continues to believe that “sporting competition and sustainable mobility are inextricably linked.” Michelin was the tyre inaugural supplier to Formula E, which began in 2014/15, and has actively shaped the series as exclusive tyre partner ever since.
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Hamilton uses soft-medium tyre strategy to win Styrian grand prix
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won the Pirelli-titled Steiermark race from pole, stopping just once to move from P Zero Red soft to P Zero Yellow medium tyres. Both Mercedes drivers, who finished first and second, used the same strategy, but with Hamilton stopping seven laps earlier than his team mate.
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Goodyear to make ELMS debut
Goodyear will make its debut as a tyre supplier to the European Le Mans Series this weekend. The manufacturer is working alongside top teams in the LMP2 and LMGTE classes at the season-opening 4 Hours of Le Castellet. Goodyear’s latest tyre technology will be fitted to five front-running LMP2 prototypes and every car in the LMGTE field throughout the ELMS season. The brand’s entrance into the series follows last year’s fitments to LMP2 winners in the FIA World Endurance Championship. However the weekend will mark the first time that LMGTE cars have raced on the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport race tyres. Having been delayed by the pandemic, the series will run over five races until November.
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KTM, Husqvarna select Dunlop Geomax MX-33 for 2021 motocross ranges
Dunlop’s versatile Geomax MX-33 tyre has been selected as original equipment on every KTM and Husqvarna 2021 motocross range. The tyre has proven its race-winning performance in top-level motocross races around the world. Dunlop signed a three-year extension to its MXGP World Championship tyre partnership in February 2020.
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Formula Renault Eurocup 2020 season starts on Hankook Formula tyres
The Formula Renault Eurocup, which runs on Hankook tyres, has begun its 50th season in Monza. Featuring prestigious racing tracks throughout the world, all vehicles of the series will be fitted with Hankook’s high-performing racing tyres, Ventus F200 and Ventus Z217. Ventus F200 is a dry racing tyre with excellent grip, handling performance, and durability, while Ventus Z217 is a highly stable wet surface racing tyre.
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Pirelli to premiere 18-inch Formula 2 tyres
After the postponement of the season opener due to the coronavirus, the first Formula 1 race of the year will take place this weekend at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. The same event will feature another premiere: Pirelli’s new 18-inch racing tyres will also be used for the first time, but initially only in Formula 2. Their debut in Formula 1 will follow later.
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FIA confirms Hankook as future tyre partner for Formula E
Hankook will supply tyres to Formula E as the series’ third generation tyre partner. The FIA (Federation Internationale de lAutomobile) confirmed Hankook after a tender process and FIA World Motor Sport Council approval. The world championship, which stages races in metropolitan areas around the globe, will run on “sustainably produced, particularly long-lasting and energy-saving Hankook tyres,” the manufacturer says. Tyres for Formula E have previously been supplied by Michelin, which was the series inaugural tyre partner.
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Metzeler launches Racetec TD Slick motorcycle racing tyre
Metzeler has added the Racetec TD Slick to its racing tyre range, after unveiling the new tyre at EICMA in November. The new model is designed for motorcyclists and club racers for both competition and training. As such it has been manufactured primarily for ease of use. It does not require tyre warmers and does not require a particular bike set-up. It is also designed for consistent performance over multiple sessions, versatility on different asphalt types and operating temperatures, and high abrasion resistance. The rear tyre can also be reversed between sessions, useful on circuits which wear tyres more on one side.
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Falken adds extra entry for NLS opening round
Falken Motorsports has made a surprise addition to its NLS schedule. The tyre brand’s motorsport team will add the Porsche of Christian Engelhart and Dennis Olsen to this weekend’s opening NLS round. Falken says it originally planned to start the revised season with both of its Porsches at the NLS2 and 3 double-header on 11-12 July. A weather disrupted schedule and few other opportunities to test mean the race debut for the 2020 car has been brought forward.
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New Goodyear branding unveiled in esports Le Mans
Goodyear’s comeback to world championship motorsport has been marked already with with wins in the FIA World Endurance Championship and a new partnership with the WTCR – FIA World Touring Car Cup. But with the suspension of live motorsport, the brand has entered another world of motorsport for the first time, moving into virtual racing. The two major track series follow Goodyear’s entrance into the European Truck Racing Championship Digital Racing Challenge and the eNASCAR league.
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Goodyear becomes Algarve Pro Racing ELMS LMP2 development partner
European Le Mans Series (ELMS) LMP2 racing team, Algarve Pro Racing has made Goodyear its tyre technical partner. The reigning Asian Le Mans Series Champion has already demonstrated race-winning pedigree and a deep understanding of how to maximise tyre performance. Goodyear says the partnership will allow it to receive valuable technical feedback on a variety of European tracks.
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Cooper Tire Europe readies RallyX racing return
Cooper Tire Europe will return to live motorsport competition next month when RallyX Nordic hosts the ‘All-Star Magic Weekend’ at Höljes. Planned with strict health and safety measures amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the event will run behind closed doors over four days from 2-5 July. Cooper has continued to develop its support for rallycross in recent years, It added the exclusive supply deal for the next three British Rallycross Championship seasons last year.
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First OE fitment for Michelin connected road-legal track tyre
Michelin has launched a new Pilot Sport Cup 2 Connect road-legal track tyre. Intended for 80 per cent track use, the Connect version of the Pilot Sport Cup 2 has an integrated container for a sensor. This makes it the first 100 per cent connect-ready tyre on the market. Users need only insert the Michelin Track Connect solution sensors. This allows drivers to optimise their performance during track days. Further improvements to the tyre construction and tread have helped Michelin offer a tyre that improves on the base Pilot Sport Cup 2, itself a favourite fitment of GT racing models. The tyre will receive its world premiere as original equipment on the BMW M2 CS.
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Pirelli confirms tyre nominations for rescheduled F1 calendar
Formula 1 tyre supplier Pirelli has confirmed the compound choices for the first eight 2020 grands prix. Pirelli has made two interesting decisions in this list. First, the softest C5 compound will not feature, a fact most probably informed by the lack of a street circuit in the current calendar. Secondly, the Silverstone double-header on 2 and 9 August will get two different sets of compounds, with C1-3 at the first grand prix, and C2-4 at the second. This will provide an interesting comparison for fans, and gives the tyre manufacturer another chance to discuss the effects different tyre compounds can have on F1 racing.
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