Pirelli Tire North America has celebrated its 10th anniversary as a resident of Rome, Georgia, and although some of the company’s business operations have moved to New York in recent years, the facility still serves as the company’s manufacturing base, one of five global R&D centres and as headquarters for Pirelli’s NAFTA Region.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso controlled the race from pole to win at Hockenheim’s German Grand Prix, securing a third victory this year, and beginning to suggest that he is the man most ready to tame the unpredictability of Formula One. Since the season began, seven different drivers have finished first; with half of the 20 scheduled Grands Prix completed, Alonso leads the only other multiple race winner, Red Bull’s Mark Webber, by 34 points – more than a race victory. Webber, victorious two weeks previously at the British Grand Prix, “just found himself slightly out of that sweet spot with these tyres” according to Red Bull boss Christian Horner. The team principal also suggested that the reduced time for dry running in practice had impeded Webber’s Hockenheim preparations. The Australian was 47 seconds off Alonso’s pace, finishing eighth.
The Ferrari FF was officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year and is now on sale for £227,077, plus optional extras. The Italian manufacturer’s latest offering is available in various rim and tyre sizes, and Bridgestone reports its Potenza S001 has been chosen as one of the original equipment fitments for the four-seat, four wheel drive Ferrari.
Fifty-six race cars from around the world took to Le Mans on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 June for the classic 24 Hours of Le Mans, and brake disc manufacturer, Brembo supplied more than two-thirds of the field with its lightweight, long-lasting brake technology. Lightness was of particular importance this year, as Audi’s No.1 R18 e-tron Quattro became the first event-winning hybrid. According to Brembo, most of the prototypes run lightweight monobloc aluminum calipers with carbon-carbon discs, 380mm in front and 355 or 332mm on the rear axle, while GT cars are required to use the heavier cast iron rotors. The Italian brake manufacturer has been dominant in its field at the 8.5-mile Circuit de la Sarthe and this year Brembo supplied 18 LMP prototypes and 18 GT cars, including every Aston Martin, Ferrari and Porsche.
Dunlop Motorsport general manager Jean-Felix Bazelin says that the tyre manufacturer faces “one of the biggest challenges in motorsport”, as it travels to the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). Belgium’s Spa Francorchamps presents numerous challenges, with Dunlop highlighting “one of the greatest compressions seen by race tyres on any circuit as cars streak through the downhill to uphill transition from Eau Rouge to Le Raidillion, and the fickle Ardennes weather, which can mean a track with both wet and dry sectors. The six hours of racing take place on 5 May, and Dunlop tyres have been chosen by all of the bumper LMP2 class of 13 cars, with sole representatives in the LMP1 and GTE Am classes.
Pirelli will be at Donington Park this weekend (28-29 April), supporting the GT Cup Championship for the third consecutive year at its opening round. The championship has introduced GT3 homologated cars for the first time in its five-year history, and with a steadily expanding entry list, and a 23-race calendar the season is hotly anticipated. World-class brands such as McLaren, Porsche, Ferrari, Mosler, BMW, TVR and Chevron are involved, and all will roll on Pirelli’s slick DM and DH compound and wet WS and WH compound tyres. Due to the various cars appearing on the GT Cup grid, Pirelli will supply a range of different tyre sizes will be on offer to competitors.
The newest member of Pirelli’s Diablo motorcycle tyre range – the Supercorsa SC – has hit the track, the Italian tyre maker reports. It says the new tyre took centre stage at the Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy during the first Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race held on 1 April as part of the World Superbike championship. As of this year, all riders in this race category will use the SC2 compound version of the Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa SC in sizes 120/70 ZR17 for the front and 200/55 ZR17 for the rear.
A first-lap stop for full wet tyres in the early driving rain of the Malaysian Grand Prix helped Sergio Perez and Bruno Senna to secure career-best positions, and valuable points for the Sauber and Williams teams, as Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso momentarily silenced the team’s critics with an important victory. Perez showed excellent pace on Pirelli’s hardest P Zero Silver compound, and could have challenged Alonso, who was around 1.5 seconds per lap slower on the medium compound P Zero White tyre than the 21-year old Mexican in the closing stages, but a mistake when in site of Alonso meant he had to follow his team’s instructions and play safe for second place.
Bridgestone’s second Sepang pre-season test concluded today; fine weather allowed teams to test dry weather tyres after extended inclement weather on Tuesday and Wednesday prevented as much slick compound testing as they would have liked. Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner was the fastest rider, setting a 2:00.473 lap on a combination of the hard front and medium rear tyres. Teammate Dani Pedrosa and Monster Yamaha Tech 3 rider Andrea Dovizioso were next fastest. Shinji Aoki, manager, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Department, said he had been “pleased with the performance of the 2012 specification tyres” during the testing sessions.
Pirelli has appointed Paolo Ferrari as chairman and chief executive officer of Pirelli’s NAFTA region. He will be tasked with driving the group’s growth and further strengthening its commitment to its US, Canadian and Mexican operations, according to a Pirelli statement. Matteo Battaini will focus on the role of NAFTA region chief operations officer.
The Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 car scheduled to be launched tomorrow (an event postponed due to heavy snowfalls) will be fitted with wheels produced by the rim manufacturer OZ. The Italian wheel maker has served as a supplier to numerous top Formula 1 teams for a number of years now, but this is its first Ferrari engagement – previously the Ferrari team was supplied by the BBS brand. The agreement between OZ and Ferrari covers a three-year period and the wheels supplied will sport the famous yellow OZ logo, a design that harks back to the one used in the early Eighties.
Hirohide Hamashima, formerly manager of Bridgestone’s Motorsport department, has been hired by Ferrari to be the luxury car brand’s Formula One Team tyre development director. Hamashima worked with Bridgestone, which supplied tyres to F1 from 1997, until pulling out at the end of the 2010 season.
Alongside the introduction of the Run-Flat version of its flagship Potenza S001 UHP sport tyre, Bridgestone announced a run of OE fitments on some of the best known marques. Available in 4 40 to 55 series sizes, Bridgestone Run-Flat Tyres are now fitted right across the BMW and Mini range in Europe, in addition to a large number of models from Audi, Mercedes, Lexus and Volkswagen. Many top sports cars are also equipped with Bridgestone Run-Flats, including Ferrari and Maserati models.
Keskin Tuning Europa GmbH has taken on a new wheel brand, just in time for the winter season. According to the company, these MAM alloy wheels are not only designed for the warm season but are also for winter season applicable and therefore suitable for all-year use. Keskin representatives report that the trademark of the MAM alloy wheels is the good quality, long life and the extraordinary design.
Motorsports wheel manufacturer Braid has released a bespoke set of forged centre-lock wheels specifically designed to fit the Ferrari F40. Dimensionally identical to the OEM equivalent, the wheels measure 8”x18” front and 13”x18” rear respectively. Braid says the wheels are cast “as a monoblock” before forging, making the wheels light and strong, and suitable for any F40 campaigning in motorsport. Braid also suggests the wheels could be used as an “everyday wheel” to protect the value and appearance of the originals.
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