BTCC commits to Dunlop as title sponsorship extended
Dunlop has extended both its official tyre supply and title sponsorship of the MSA British Touring Car Championship, signing an agreement with promoter and rights holder, TOCA to continue the partnership until at least the end of 2021. This contract will extend both the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship title sponsorship, which began in 2005, and the Official tyre supplier partnership, which began in 2003, into a third decade.
Continue Reading
New slick tyre extends Pirelli F1 range, 3 compounds available per race weekend
The FIA World Motor Sport Council has formally approved new 2016 tyre regulations for Formula One, including an extended slick range and the availability of three compounds per race weekend, at its meeting in Paris. Exclusive tyre supplier Pirelli will introduce a new slick compound, the P Zero Purple ultrasoft, which was tested in Abu Dhabi following the conclusion of the 2015 season. It takes its place as the softest compound, with the existing designations retained. Rules regarding intermediate and wet tyres remain unchanged.
Continue Reading
Nascar victory rounds off successful year for Tamworth brakes and clutch supplier
UK high-specification brakes and clutch manufacturer Alcon has experienced a successful 2015 motorsport season to go alongside its significant supply deals with Peugeot and Supacat among others. In late November, Kyle Busch claiming victory in the Nascar Sprint Cup race at the Homestead-Miami Speedway, and with it becoming the 2015 champion. Busch brought his Alcon-equipped, Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota home 1.5 seconds ahead of his nearest rival, to crown yet another successful year for the Tamworth-based manufacturer.
Continue Reading
Bridgestone extends British motocross partnership
Bridgestone has signed a new deal with the British Schoolboy Motorcycle Association (BSMA), making the tyre manufacturer the title sponsor of the Bridgestone BSMA National Series 2016. The new agreement means Bridgestone will complete a third successive year of involvement with the category, formerly known as a BSMA Clubman’s Series. The tyre giant adds that “massive improvements” are already planned for the youth series.
Continue Reading
Dmack launches first WRC team as Tänak rejoins
Tyre manufacturer Dmack has launched its first FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) team, with Estonian driver Ott Tänakat the helm. The Dmack World Rally Team will run a Ford Fiesta RS WRC in close partnership with M-Sport, with the 28-year-old Tänak competing on all 14 rounds of the series. It will be the first time Dmack will compete against the factory teams of Volkswagen and Hyundai in the FIA World Rally Championship for Manufacturers, and will allow its tyres the opportunity to rub shoulders with Michelin and Pirelli at the top level of the sport.
Continue Reading
Nankang NS-2R to increase championship involvement in 2016
In Nankang’s 50 year history, the tyre manufacturer has gained many landmark technical achievements in high performance tyres; it became the first Taiwanese tyre company to produce W-rated tyres, and 22” and 24” sizes. While the company produces a wide range of sizes for small commuter cars, its eponymous UK distributor enjoys a strong motorsport focus, epitomised by the NS-2R road-legal track tyre.
Continue Reading
Pirelli completes longest ever test on F1 compounds, constructions in Abu Dhabi
Formula One’s teams have driven more than 6,020km on various development versions of Pirelli’s 2016 range, including the new ultrasoft compound. Over 1084 laps, McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne set the best time over the 12 hour non-stop session. The session took place in expected bright sunshine and warm temperatures, starting out at around 24°C ambient (35°C asphalt) and reaching 28°C and 40°C respectively by lunchtime. The next testing session, in which Pirelli will focus on its wet tyres, will take place at Circuit Paul Ricard, France on 25-26 January.
Continue Reading
P Zero Yellow soft Red supersoft compounds for F1’s Abu Dhabi finale
2015’s Formula One calendar concludes at Yas Marina, Abu Dhabi; a venue with which Pirelli is very familiar. The F1 tyre supplier has used the venue for testing, including the world’s first wet-weather test run at night, and a pre-season launch. The smooth asphalt means the softest tyres in the range will be supplied, a combination previously employed at the slowest grand prix, Monaco, and at four other race weekends. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is held from late afternoon into the evening, so track temperatures tend to drop over the course of the race, meaning that the pattern of tyre behaviour is different to normal: another complex variable for teams to factor into their strategy calculations. Pirelli expects a performance gap between the two compounds of 1.0-1.2 seconds per lap.
Continue Reading
Dunlop to support Britcar Endurance relaunch
Dunlop has signed a multi-year agreement to support the new Britcar Endurance package, comprising the Dunlop Endurance Championship and Dunlop Production Championship. Now under new management, the championships will be supported by Dunlop brand and marketing initiatives in addition to running on Dunlop Motorsport tyres. The new management arrangement, in the form of Hedley Cowell […]
Continue Reading
G-Drive Racing wins World Endurance Championship LMP2 on Dunlop
G-Drive’s Roman Rusinov, Sam Bird and Julien Canal claimed the 2015 LMP2 title after winning the final round of the FIA World Endurance Championship in Bahrain. Mike McGregor, manager testing & track support, race design & development at Dunlop, said: “Congratulations to G-Drive on the win and the title – it was well deserved. Their strategy worked really well with Sam [Bird] and Pipo [Derani #28] so quick and consistent. We’re delighted for Ligier, Jacques Nicolet and all the G-Drive team. Matt Howson also drove really well today and KCMG put up a really good fight.
Continue Reading
Michelin helps Porsche clinch top endurance honours in Bahrain
Porsche’s success in the 2015 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) has been supported by its tyre partner, Michelin. The Stuttgart marque claimed top prizes in the LM P1 and LM GTE Pro classes this year, following its return to world class endurance racing in 2014 after a year of pressure from fellow Michelin runners Audi (in LM P1) and Ferrari (in LM GTE Pro). Michelin states that it provided tyres developed to meet the specific needs of its different manufacturer teams in the championship, which permits open competition between tyre firms.
Continue Reading
Nissan, Michelin secure 4th GT500 title in 5 years
The NISMO-run Motul Nissan GT-R claimed the Japan’s 2015 Super GT Championship title having finished second at the Motegi GT 250km Race, the championship’s final round. The team ran on Michelin tyres, making this the fourth time in five years that the title has been claimed on the French manufacturer’s rubber.
Continue Reading
‘Considered tyre management’ aids Rosberg in Brazilian victory
Nico Rosberg’s “considered approach to tyre management over the course of the whole weekend” was the key to his victory in the Brazilian grand prix, according to Pirelli motorsport director, Paul Hembery. His three-stop strategy, running one stint on the P Zero Yellow soft tyre followed by three remaining stints on the P Zero White […]
Continue Reading
Class victories and fraternal competition on Pirelli tyres at Wales Rally GB
One of four World Rally Championship tyre suppliers, Pirelli experienced success in the season-closing Wales Rally GB, as Gianluca Linari won the WRC2 Production class, taking the title too, while Fabio Andolfi finished second in the WRC3 category and won class RC4. The wind and rain pummelled event saw Ford Fiesta RS WRC drivers Robert […]
Continue Reading
