MOTORSPORT
Since its inception in 2005, the main goal of the GP2 Series has been to prepare young drivers for what is arguably the pinnacle of motorsport – Formula 1. And Pirelli says tyre management has always played a key role in helping GP2 drivers to step into F1 easily and be competitive quickly.
It starts on Thursday. The Goodwood Festival of Speed, that is, and Michelin will be easy to find there. The tyre maker, who has signed on the dotted line to sponsor the Goodwood Festival of Speed Supercar Paddock, is running three exhibition spaces at the show. In addition to Michelin’s stand in the abovementioned ‘paddock’, the company says it will bring its motorsport heritage to life for visitors in the main area and within the FoS Tech Pavilion.
Using a two-stop strategy to prevail from a low-key qualifying performance, Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso became the first driver to win two races in the 2012 season in Valencia at the European Grand Prix. Alonso took the lead in the championship thanks to an emotional home victory having qualified 11th on the grid. Pirelli’s motorsport director Paul Hembery commented, “Fernando did an incredible job to win from 11th place.” Sailing serenely ahead of the jostling pack in the first half of the race, Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel looked likely to make good on his greater speed, and led by 20 seconds after qualifying on pole. However a safety car period and a pit stop to change to medium compound tyres later and the German was forced to retire with a technical problem. Alonso completed two short stints on the P Zero Yellow soft tyre and a longer stint of 29 laps on the P Zero White medium.
The streets of the beautiful Spanish port town of Valencia will host the Grand Prix of Europe on 22-24 June 2012. The third consecutive street circuit contains the highest number of corners of any track all year (25) and is likely to be run in high temperatures – Pirelli will supply its P Zero White medium tyres and P Zero Yellow soft tyres for the occasion. Overtaking is notoriously difficult at Valencia, just like Monaco, so qualifying will be crucial, and Pirelli says the speed of the soft tyre will be vital at this stage. During the race, teams will utilise the additional strength and consistency of the medium tyre to form an essential part of their strategies.
The FIA has opted to extend Yokohama Rubber’s supply of Advan tyres to the World Touring Car Championship as control tyre for a further three years, through to 2015. In reporting the continuation of its tyre supply, Yokohama notes that by the time this current deal expires, the WTCC will have run on its tyres for a decade.
Dominic Sandivasci has been appointed Pirelli UK chairman, succeeding Lord Marshall in the position. Sandivasci has been the managing director of Pirelli UK since 1998 and will continue to hold his responsibilities in that position. He will also continue to be based in Burton upon Trent. Sandivasci said: “I’m extremely proud to be offered the ultimate accolade of becoming chairman of the Board and hope that I can continue to provide the guidance, assurance and governance to the business that was so well managed and instilled by Lord Marshall.”
Round Six of the 2012 MotoGP Championship saw Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo win the British Grand Prix for his third consecutive MotoGP victory. Tyre supplier Bridgestone pronounced itself pleased that the compounds it supplied in its rear slicks allowed riders to perform in milder conditions than may have been anticipated. With rain just about staying clear, track temperatures that were cool for June at 22-28°C were the major concern, but the availability of medium-soft rear slicks, selected by all but Ducati’s Valentino Rossi, allowed the field to combat this coolness. The front soft and medium compound tyres split the riders, including front-runners Lorenzo – on the more durable medium – and Repsol Honda’s Casey Stoner, who selected the soft, which warms up faster. Bridgestone said that the compounds both “worked well” and the close racing between the front-runners was indicative of both tyres’ quality.
Ever wanted to get behind the scenes at Le Mans? Only a limited number of people ever get that close in person, but Michelin is providing a rare glimpse into the action that goes into each 24 Hours of Le Mans race via video. Opening the garage doors, Michelin has produced an exclusive video that provides insight into what the Audi team experiences in the run up to, during and after the iconic race, which takes place over the weekend of the 16-17 June.
UK automotive manufacturers have set their sights on breaking all-time manufacturing records by the end of 2015. The confidence is fuelled by multi-billion pound investments committed to the country over the past 18 months that will see production expanded, new models introduced and thousands more people employed.
Team Nexen Tire Europe drivers Alan Sinnot and Luke Fink dominated the Drift Allstars Europe season opener in Birmingham, taking the top two places. The team, which launched on the Friday before the event, runs on Nexen’s new N8000 tyres. Luis Lopez also joined the two drivers in the Nexen team, which launched on the Friday before the event.
Bridgestone will bring its soft and medium front slicks and medium-soft, medium (asymmetric) rear slicks to Britain as it looks to provide the high-speed stability and warm-up performance necessary for good tyre performance at Silverstone. The manufacturer and sole tyre supplier to the series says Silverstone’s speed and susceptibility to cold weather make it one of the most challenging circuits on the calendar in terms of tyre development. With rain a distinct possibility, the brand’s wet tyre soft (main) and hard (alternative) compounds may also come into play.
The UK’s major centre of excellence for vehicle research and development also houses the world’s ninth biggest tyre company, GITI Tire’s European Technical Centre; in May Tyres & Accessories joined representatives of the company and its UK dealers in visiting the site for a demonstration of its current high performance passenger tyre range. With an eye for the spectacular, the company’s test drivers at MIRA demonstrated the performance characteristics of current products such as the Champiro HPY, fitted to a BMW M3, and the Champiro HPX on an Ariel Atom for fast laps showing the tyres’ dry handling ability. Attendees at the event, which included representatives from the company’s exclusive UK distributor Micheldever, also tried for themselves the Champiro 228 on the wet circles track, and the Adventuro M/T off-road tyre in Mira’s 4×4 testing track. Contrasting with the high performance demonstrations was an amusing competitive element featuring a Fiat Panda, a parking cage and the unmistakable smell of burning clutch.
McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton became the seventh winner from seven Grands Prix this year, overtaking Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso during the last eight laps to claim a spectacular victory by 2.5 seconds. Former Pirelli test driver, Romain Grosjean drove his Lotus to a career-best second place, having made a one-stop strategy work to his advantage. Vettel pitted with seven laps to go, and Alonso dropped back, having used the same strategy as Grosjean, pitting only two laps earlier.
When it comes to high performance tyres, Japanese manufacturer Yokohama says there’s something for everyone in its range. From motorsport-bred circuit tyres to safety and confidence-inspiring replacement road tyres, Yokohama offers a range that caters for drivers from mild to wild.
Competition in the high performance tyre market is growing as second line and budget brands bring aggressive performance patterns and larger diameter sizes to market. Established premium tyre makers, who previously had the market all to themselves, now share the performance segment with an abundance of lower-priced products. How can a premium tyre maker maintain its market share in such an environment?
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