GRT Grasser Racing Team has won the opening round of the Blancpain GT Series Endurance Cup at Monza in its #63 Lamborghini Huracan GT3, using the Pirelli P Zero DHD tyre. The drivers making up the team were Christian Engelhart, Andrea Caldarelli and Mirko Bortolotti. In race two of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo, also run on 23 April, Antonelli Motorsport drivers Loris Spinelli and Mikael Grenier emerged victorious.
Pirelli is sole tyre supplier for the 2017 Blancpain GT Series, which commences at Misano, Italy this weekend. The manufacturer has developed its tyre range for the series, including a new P Zero DHD for GT3, the P Zero DH for GT4, and the WH for wet conditions; the latter tyre could see early use as rain is forecast for Sunday in Misano. Pirelli will bring 2,000 P Zero DHDs and 629 P Zero DHs to Misano for a provisional grid of 34 GT3 cars, plus 24 extra cars in GT4 and the GT sports club. The series includes many of the premium and prestige marques for which Pirelli also provides original equipment on the road. In total, eight different models will be represented from seven different automotive brands.
Pirelli will return to the FFSA French GT Championship next year as part of the new-look GT4 European Series promoted by SRO Motorsports Group. As exclusive tyre supplier to the championship, Pirelli will supply two commercially available, 18-inch P Zero fitments: The DH slick tyre for dry conditions and the WH patterned tyre for rain.
Pirelli has claimed its best overall result on a rally since returning to the World Rally Championship last year. Martin Prokop – equalling his own best-ever career result – claimed fourth place, while in the WRC2 category Qatari driver Abdulaziz Al Kawari claimed victory. Simone Tempestini claimed the Production category too, ensuring a win for Pirelli in all the main support categories and the top results for privateer drivers: the focus of Pirelli’s World Rally Championship campaign this year.
Round two of the 2015 Rally World Championship provided testing conditions for the four tyre suppliers – Michelin, Dmack, Pirelli and Hankook – allowing tyre characteristics to take centre stage. Ice, fresh and melting snow, mud and frozen dirt, meant that studs were employed for winter traction – 384 in each Michelin X-Ice North 3, for example. However, this meant that carrying extra tyres made for faster running, Jacques Morelli, manager of Michelin’s World Rally Championship programme, explained.
The new Pirelli Scorpion tyre for gravel will make its debut on a World Rally Car at the Rally Portugal on 3-6 April. It will be the first time the Scorpion name has been seen at the top level of rallying since Pirelli ended its exclusive supply contract with the World Rally Championship in 2010. […]
Pirelli’s all-new Scorpion Gravel tyre helped two cars achieve WRC2 podium finishes on its return to the World Rally Championship, after a three-year absence. Pirelli is supplying tyres on a customer basis to privateers, and Lorenzo Bertelli (13th overall and second in WRC2) in his Ford Fiesta RRC, and Max Rendina (14th overall and third in WRC2) with a Mitsubishi Lancer both achieved top-three places in their class on the new tyre.
If you would like the latest news from the Chinese tyre industry in Chinese, visit our partner site TyrepressChina.com. Or click below to continue on Tyrepress.