The Davanti Tyres team confirms that the first track tyre in the Davanti range is now available. The Davanti Protoura Race is produced in sizes for 13- to 18-inch rims and “designed to provide unbeatable performance on the track.” Davanti Tyres is supporting the new track tyre’s release with engagements in motorsport activities, including the Swift Sport Challenge that got underway for 2025 at Brands Hatch last weekend.
The USA is headed back to the Moon in a couple of years and several other countries have landed vehicles on the lunar surface. Pirelli hasn’t been there and – as far as we know – isn’t planning a mission, but the Italian brand comments that the Pirelli tyres used over the course of the 24 Grands Prix in this longest ever Formula 1 season covered a distance that almost would reach the Moon “on an imaginary road linking our planet to its only natural satellite.”
Davanti Tyres has signed a three-year technical and commercial partnership with the Mini Challenge Clubsport, commencing in January 2025. The UK tyre brand’s Protoura Race – its first semi-slick track tyre – will be the new control tyre of the championship, supplied and fitted by BMTR Motorsport. The championship is known for producing competitive action on-track, and organisers stated that they were pleased to introduce a new control tyre with “high levels of research and development.”
Under a recently signed, multi-year tyre supply and sponsorship agreement with France-based historic and classic motorsport promoter HVM Racing, Nova Motorsport will supply period-correct products from its Avon Motorsport tyre range to numerous series across HVM’s Europe-wide portfolio of championships. This new partnership closely follows a similar agreement with the Historic Sports Car Club and further cements Nova Motorsport’s strategic support for all levels of historic motorsport across Europe, dovetailing with the brand’s deep commitment to rallycross and hillclimbing.
The Yokohama Rubber Co., Ltd. plans to expand production capacity for motorsport tyres at its Mishima facility in Japan’s Shizuoka Prefecture. Yokohama Rubber will invest about ¥3.8 billion (£19.4 million) in a new line that will produce 18-inch and larger motorsports tyres, expanding the plant’s capacity for motorsports tyres by 35 per cent.
The FIA updated its list of homologated suppliers for tyre barcodes and RFID tags on 22 February, and for the first time this list features a Chinese tyre maker – Sailun Group. Reporting its inclusion on the ‘List of Suppliers for Tyre Barcodes and RFID Tags Homologated by the FIA’, Sailun says it is now able to exclusively provide racing tyres for numerous international professional racing events.
Following the news that Avon’s ex-motorsport head has formed the Nova Motorsport tyre brand, Goodyear has confirmed to Tyres & Accessories that its Cooper Europe operation is “in advanced discussions” relating to the sale of certain Avon motorsport tyre assets.
UK compounder SPC Rubber Group has formed a new tyre brand targeting the global motorsport market. Nova Motorsport founder and SPC Rubber managing director Paul Hallas said the company will focus “solely on low-volume racing and specialist tyres,” looking forward to announcing its first products and international partnerships in 2024. With a website and social media channels already in place, Nova will take its public bow at Retromobile – The Classic Car Show in Paris (31 January to 4 February 2024, Hall 1, Stand M-002). Nova has also recruited strong segment experience in its leadership team, including former Avon Motorsport head Paul Coates. Nova launches shortly after Goodyear’s closure of the Cooper Tire manufacturing facility in Melksham, the historical home of Avon and its motorsport operations. Nova is headquartered in Wiltshire, the same UK county as Melksham. “Nova”, as will already be apparent to those in the tyre industry, is Avon in reverse, perhaps a nod to a UK brand with a long motorsport heritage, whose future is being reconfigured under its new owner.
Giti Tire Motorsport and Team Oliver Racing enjoyed another successful season in the British Truck Racing Championship (BTRC) with Stuart Oliver securing a top three finish in the standings. The manufacturer also maintained its role as Official Partner and Exclusive Tyre Supplier for 2023, with all trucks racing on the Giti Race-Tuned v1 competition truck tyres in size 315/70R22.5.
Tyre makers often refer to the ‘race to road’ technology transfer when talking about motorsport engagements, but ‘race to loading bay’ is something that perhaps only Continental can claim bragging rights for. The tyre maker is using carbon black from recycled racing tyres in its production of solid tyres.
The Hankook logo remains at the top of the SuperTaikyu official website, but the South Korean tyre manufacturer has backed away from supplying the Japanese endurance racing series after its production was hit by a serious fire at its Daejeon factory roughly six weeks ago.
In a three-year deal beginning in 2024, Goodyear will become exclusive tyre supplier to the LMGT3 category in the FIA World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series. It is currently developing new tyres for the category and will test these in Europe and America together with several GT3 manufacturers later this year. Goodyear comments that “tyre longevity will be a key focus.”
As a contribution to carbon neutrality in motorsport, Yokohama Rubber is now powering its motorsport tyre production line in Mishima, Japan with electricity from renewable sources. Furthermore, certain tyres produced on this line contain 33% sustainable materials.
Sponsors tend to come and go in the fast-moving world of motorsport, making Kumho’s relationship with the BMW Racing Drivers Club one of the longest of its type in UK club history – the opening race of the season at Brands Hatch on 8 April will mark its 26th year.
Giti Tire has signed a multi-year global co-branding agreement with Sparco, one the world’s leading manufacturers of motorsport safety systems and racing equipment. The Giti brand becomes global automotive tyre partner of the Italian brand under the deal, while the slogan “Giti – Powered by Sparco” will appear on the sidewall of key UHP sizes from 2024. The development of these products will form a “bridge” between the businesses, according to Sparco.
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