Pirelli claims a world first with its original equipment tyre supply to the new McLaren Artura hybrid supercar. The Italian firm isn’t shipping any old bespoke P Zero tyres, rather tyres that will ‘talk’ to the Artura via Pirelli’s Cyber Tyre system. Each of the 235/35Z R19 front and 295/35 R20 rear tyres contain a sensor that loquaciously provides vital data to the car’s onboard computer.
Pirelli is exclusively supplying tyres for the new McLaren 765LT, the British supercar company’s fastest-ever Super Series car to lap a circuit. P Zero Trofeo R tyres were chosen as the starting point for this latest collaboration. Now, the Trofeo R has been further refined in a joint effort from Pirelli and McLaren to meet the high-performance requirements of this latest car. For drivers who are less inclined to use their cars on track, the Pirelli P Zero tyres are also available.
Supercar manufacturer and historic Formula 1 competitor McLaren is expected to cut 1200 jobs, according to UK news reports. The redundancies, which amount to more than a quarter of its 4,000-strong workforce, represent the UK company’s response to the damage inflicted by the coronavirus pandemic on the car sector. Staff reductions are expected to be spread across its road car, F1 and Applied Technologies divisions.
The Monegasque and Senna brands have launched a limited edition range of bracelets made from a tyre used by Ayrton Senna during legendary F1 Grand Prix at Donington Park.
McLaren Automotive made its 20,000th hand-assembled car at its McLaren Production Centre (MPC) in Woking, Surrey.
The 20,000th car built was a right-hand drive 600LT Spider in Chicane Grey from the brand’s Sports Series line-up. Launched only last summer as the next chapter in the McLaren ‘Longtail’ story, all production slots for the Coupe variant have already been filled. It has been fitted with Pirelli Trofeo R tyres.
McLaren, the British creator of luxury sports and super cars, has paired with tyre partner Pirelli to deliver a new winter wheel and tyre package for McLaren Sports Series models.
Pirelli has recorded what it describes as a record number of homologations in August 2017, with 110. These include the Scorpion Winter and Sottozero for winter conditions; P Zero and its racing counterpart P Zero Corsa for UHP fitments; and the Cinturato family, including the P7 All Season for cars of medium engine capacity.
Motul and McLaren GT have followed up a successful association with McLaren GT customer race team Garage 59 in 2016, with a newly announced partnership making Motul the approved lubricant supplier of McLaren GT and its customer teams.
Pirelli has unveiled the line-up for this year’s Pirelli Prestige & Performance Competition. The event, held at Blenheim Palace on 3 September, includes some of the greatest supercars of the last forty years. Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, McLaren, Mercedes-Benz, and Pagani will feature among 25 auto brands in eight different classes, while Lamborghini and Porsche have special celebration classes.
The Ecurie Ecosse team has joined forces with McLaren for its assault on the British GT Championship in 2016. With a heritage that dates back to wins at Le Mans in the 1950s, Ecurie Ecosse will field a McLaren 650S GT3 in British GT, which will be exclusively supplied by Pirelli from the coming season in a new multi-year deal.
Though Yokohama will not supply tyres to the 2015 BRDC Formula 4 Championship, its success in the championship’s beginnings were proven by George Russell’s McLaren Autosport BRDC award. Now the UK distributor of Yokohama’s high performance and motorsport tyres has confirmed its commitment to young motorsport drivers on the first rung of the ladder.
Vredestein is once again exhibiting at Top Marques, Monaco. And, according to the company, this year will shine the spotlight on its unique partnerships with Giugiaro and Hamann, as well as its premium styling products.
Top Marques will take place from 17 to 20 April in the Grimaldi Forum in Monte Carlo and Vredestein will showcase its unique partnership with the Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro. The company has developed custom-made tyres with an exceptional sidewall design for the exclusive Giugiaro Parcour car.
British GT title sponsor and tyre supplier Avon will fit its rubber to two teams’ Bentley Continental GT3s as the championship returns at Cheshire’s Oulton Park over Easter bank holiday. More than 30 cars will take to the capacity grid for the season opener, with Bentley’s return to full-time motor racing a highlight. Another is the presence of an Olympic gold medallist, competing with Nissan Academy Team RJN.
Pirelli, the 11 Formula One teams and the FIA have agreed the schedule of the new dedicated tyre testing days (one per team) that each team will undertake within the existing 2014 in-season test calendar. Caterham, Mercedes and Williams will test in Bahrain; Sauber, Toro Rosso, McLaren and Force India in Barcelona; and Ferrari, Lotus, Red Bull and Marussia at Silverstone.
Entering the final preseason test at Bahrain, commentary from Formula One drivers about the 2014 range of Pirelli tyres has been most noticeable for its comparative scarcity. When drivers have spoken up, their verdicts have been generally indecisive or cautious. Sauber driver Adrian Sutil praised Pirelli’s 2014 Formula One tyres for showing “greater consistency” on the first day of the final test, but has previously been quoted by motorsport news sources bemoaning the tyres’ harder compounds and stiffer constructions.
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