Today isn’t 1 April and no legs were pulled during the writing of the above headline. Swiss motoring magazine auto-illustrierte has published a tyre test – and every single protagonist is a Goodyear tyre. Who stood where on the podium is nonetheless interesting.
Goodyear has developed a bespoke version of its ultra-ultra high performance Eagle F1 Supersport tyre for the different versions of the Maserati GranTurismo. The car will be available with a V6 twin-turbo configuration with two different levels of performance. The tyres have been tuned to suit the characteristics of the new Maserati models and carry MGT markings to show that they have been specifically developed for the Italian brand.
Earlier this month, Lotus revealed its latest sports car; the Lotus Emira. According to the company, it “delivers exotic supercar appeal in the sports car segment” and “above all, it looks like a Lotus”, while the design is “beautiful, timeless, memorable and modern.” Of course, what really interests this magazine are the wheels and tyres, and Lotus says that the Emira will have four 20-inch wheels. Standard tyre fitment is the Goodyear Eagle F1 Supersport, with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 available as an option. Lotus says that both tyres have been specially developed for the Emira by their manufacturers.
Cupra has selected Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport tyres as the original equipment fitment on the most powerful car the Seat high-performance subsidiary has ever made, the Formentor VZ5. It will fit the Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport to the Formentor VZ5 in size 255/35R20.
Goodyear’s inaugural FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) campaign in 2020 was the prelude to a new era for the brand in the series. Goodyear is an official championship partner supplying every car in the LMP2 prototype category this season, which begins at Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, on Saturday 1 May with a six-hour race. In its comeback season to top-level motorsport, its first action at this level in two decades, Goodyear’s tyres were victorious in Shanghai and Bahrain, and achieved a memorable double podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
It has been nearly two years since the Goodyear brand’s reintroduction to motorsport in Europe, and it is fair to say that operating in a pandemic was not part of the plan when this brand strategy was set out. Tyres & Accessories spoke to Ben Crawley, Goodyear motorsport director EMEA, about his experiences of the 2020 season. Goodyear re-entered European motorsport almost two years ago. While the brand on a global level has “never really been out of motorsport,” bearing in mind its six continuous decades of NASCAR in the USA, Crawley tells T&A that the thinking behind Goodyear’s reentry in more global series “fits into a wider brand rejuvenation” strategy. “We know we have this fantastic legacy and history in racing, and we want to be able to use that to reengage and provide some excitement for the brand and how we communicate the brand with consumers.” The motorsport strategy also coincided with Goodyear’s introduction of ultra-ultra-high performance (UUHP) Eagle F1 Supersport tyres, and “the natural synergies that come with high performance tyres for the road and racing.” Beyond the new product range, the “brand rejuvenation strategy includes the Blimp, racing, and broader advertising and marketing partnerships,” Crawley adds. Subscribers can view the video of this interview in the full version of this article.
Goodyear made its WTCR debut in the Race of Belgium at Circuit Zolder. Goodyear is the exclusive tyre supplier to the global touring car series as of this year. Through its close relationship with promoter Eurosport Events, Goodyear is also an Official Series Partner of WTCR, highlighted through initiatives such as the Goodyear #FollowTheLeader campaign. The single compound Goodyear Eagle F1 SuperSport WTCR race tyre will be used by the entire grid at every race.
The Mini Challenge returns this weekend for its second set of races since its Covid-delayed start at Donington Park (1-2 August). The JCW field is linked to the British Touring Car Championship, both as a support series for the first time in 2020 and by virtue of its switch from Dunlop rubber to European sister brand Goodyear, which supplies the BTCC. The move to Goodyear, in the final year of its 2017 penned Dunlop supply deal, signifies the continued realignment of the Goodyear brand within motorsport. Having already returned to the international stage with top-flight series like the FIA World Endurance Championship, Goodyear wants to expand its presence in national series too. The Mini Challenge JCWs run on a variation of Goodyear’s new Eagle F1 SuperSport slick tyre range. The company stresses the strength of this move for the development of competitors looking to make the step up to the headline BTCC series.
Goodyear is looking forward to recommencing the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) season this weekend at Spa-Francorchamps. The tyre manufacturer’s partner teams, Jota Sport and Jackie Chan DC Racing are currently second and third in the LMP2 standings. The former has finished on the podium in the last four rounds, while Jota took a memorable win at Shanghai in November. They will be joined by an additional Goodyear-shod car from Algarve Pro Racing. The Portuguese team usually competes in the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) but will step up to the world stage this weekend.
Goodyear has revealed the bespoke Eagle F1 SuperSport race tyre that will be equipped to all cars in Pure ETCR. The series is the world’s first all-electric multi-brand touring car series. Goodyear is the exclusive tyre supplier and founding partner of the championship.
Goodyear will accelerate the development of its motorsport programme in 2020 in several German race series. Following a period away from the top level of sport, the tyre brand will build on its long and successful racing history at the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, where Goodyear will equip numerous teams in the VLN Endurance Championship and the 24h Race. Its racing tyres will also be used in the two racing series DMV GT and Touring Car Cup (DMV GTC) as well as the DMV National Endurance Series 500 (DMV NES 500).
Goodyear and Brabham Automotive have announced a new partnership to collaborate across racing and road car developments. The new partnership both coincides with the return to racing of the Brabham marque and reignites a winning partnership that began in 1965.
A first for Tyre Reviews with its ‘full video’ tyre test, and a first for Goodyear. The 2019 Tyre Reviews UHP Summer Tyre Test is a cracking good watch and makes a refreshing change from the standard, text-heavy test format. It features eight brands of performance rubber, including what the UK-based site calls the “holy trinity of UHP tyres” – the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S, Continental SportContact 6 and Goodyear’s latest, the new Eagle F1 Supersport.
Goodyear originally launched the Eagle moniker back in the 1930s. And the Eagle F1 was introduced to the market in 1985. However, the latest generation – which begins with the Eagle F1 Asymmetric 5 and goes all the way up to the Eagle F1 Supersport RS – is designed to meet the most demanding consumer needs. Tyres & Accessories attended the Goodyear Eagle F1 Series event at the famous Ascari racetrack in Spain in order to find out more.
Goodyear will launch a new range of three ultra-ultra-high performance (UUHP) tyres in 2019. The manufacturer’s flagship SuperSport range will be available in three variants – Eagle F1 SuperSport, SuperSport R and SuperSport RS – all of which are designed for use on performance vehicles in 18-21” rim sizes.
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