Silverstone [United Rubber (PVT) Ltd.]
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.
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.
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.
Michelin has published a special-edition I-Spy Goodwood Festival of Speed book, celebrating its sponsorship of the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Supercar Paddock. The book will be available on the Michelin stand at the Festival from Thursday 28 June to Sunday 1 July, while stocks last. In common with I-Spy books from past and present, the new book includes interesting cars, places and people to spot at this year’s Festival. Michelin has also made 500 copies available for pre-purchase from the Michelin I-Spy website for £3.50.
The Maxxis British Drift Championship rolled into Castle Combe for the tenth anniversary of Japfest, Europe’s biggest Japanese Car Show, where Maxxis-sponsored drift outfit Team Japspeed demonstrated the sport. The event was used as a showcase for Team Japspeed’s skills and the capabilities of the Maxxis MAZ1 Drift tyre it uses in the UK’s premier series. Next the brand will appear at Modified Nationals, the UK’s biggest event dedicated to tuning and performance modifications. The show takes place at the Peterborough Showground from 1-3 June with an array of modified motors present.
Pirelli has confirmed that it will be the only tyre supplier to the GT Cup Championship until at least 2014. Pirelli UK met with championship organisers Bute Motorsport at Pirelli’s Didcot base last week to discuss the terms of the contract. Pirelli UK Motorsport’s operation manager Matthew Corby said: “The GT Cup Championship is home to some of the most spectacular racing cars in British motorsport, and we are delighted to continue our partnership with this prestigious series. The opening two rounds have proved very exciting and with the new regulations introduced for 2012, I look forward to watching the series grow from strength to strength.”
Avon Tyres British GT Championship and British Endurance Championship driver George Murrells has agreed to feature automotive industry charity BEN’s logo on his Ginetta G55 GT3 supercar. Murrells will also undertake further fundraising activities to support and promote BEN, including running in the Silverstone Half Marathon on 10 March, 2013.
Pirelli will bring its P Zero Yellow and Silver Formula One tyres to Silverstone for the British Grand Prix, the tyre supplier has announced. As is now customary, the Italian manufacturer announced its compound allocations for the three races following the coming weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix. In Montreal’s Canadian Grand Prix, Pirelli will bring its P Zero Yellow soft and P Zero Red supersoft tyres, while at the Grand Prix of Europe in Valencia, the teams will have the P Zero White medium and P Zero Yellow soft at their disposal.
The Pirelli Grand Prix Challenge, which first went live in the US in 2011, has now been expanded to the UK market. The tyre maker has high expectations for the online Formula One prediction game – last year, the American GP Challenge website received 140,000 unique visits and had over 700,000 page views. Prizes to be won through the challenge include a trip to the 2013 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas.
Maxxis-sponsored Team Japspeed dominated the opening round of the Maxxis British Drift Championship on 21-22 April at the Teeside Autodrome, as the team scooped three of the top four spots in the Super Professional class, which the title sponsor refers to as the premier league of drifting. Maxxis-sponsored SATS Motorsport, also using the MAZ1 Drift tyre, leads the constructor’s title race after Steve Moore made it on to the second step of the podium in the Super Pro class. The Infinity Tyres sponsored Acorn Motorsport Division team also had a successful time at the Teeside Autodrome, finishing in third place in the team standings.
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.
Motor Codes has revealed the nation’s 50 most trusted garages, following six weeks of voting by thousands of motorists. Motor Codes, an OFT approved code of practice for car service and repair and new car sales, in invited satisfied customers to nominate their local garage through its annual Garage of the Year contest. This year around 10 per cent of the top performers were tyre specialists despite strong competition from general garages, MOT centres, and franchised vehicle dealerships.
Micheldever Tyres Services will no doubt be particularly pleased with the results, as four of these branches belong to the group, which is know for its Micheldever and Southam wholesale brands as well as its famous Micheldever Station retail outlet and Protyre chain. This year Micheldever Tyre & Auto Services, Winchester as well as Protyre Plymouth, Protyre Gloucester and Protyre Poole were the ones to make it into the top 100.
The Cooper Tires British F3 Series – long established as a feeder series to the pinnacle of single-seat racing – begins at Oulton Park on Easter weekend, alongside the British GT Championship, provided and sponsored by Cooper brand, Avon. The F3 series runs on Cooper rubber, and the brand has been title sponsor since the 2009 season, when it took over from Avon; in total the company has now been involved in the series for 30 years, its first season being 1982.
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship begins at Oulton Park, Cheshire on Easter weekend. The series has attracted a field of 23 cars from 13 different manufacturers for the 2012 season – Avon’s seventh as sole tyre supplier and title sponsor. Paul Coates, general manager for Avon Tyres Motorsport, says: “The challenge of producing such a wide range of tyres and sizes for so many different cars that run to a similar pace is one that we have embraced, and we have produced a tyre that is popular with teams and drivers.”
Yokohama has completed pre-season testing at Silverstone for the new specification Formula Two cars, which will use Yokohama products as control tyres for the first time in the 2012 season. Yokohama HPT, the UK distributor of the company’s tyres and TSW brand wheels, will supply the products ready-mounted to the control wheel rims and deliver to MSV, the UK-based company which manages the championship. It will also provide expertise and on-event support to the series, as it travels around some of Europe's most iconic racetracks.
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