A fifth generation of the Pirelli P Zero has arrived, taking on the baton for the Italian brand’s 1985-introduced flagship range. Pirelli tells us that this latest P Zero “has two key strengths” – excellence in performance and safety – thanks to improved handling on wet and dry surfaces as well as reduced braking distances.
Pirelli has completed its GT World Championship group test at Le Castellet’s Paul Ricard circuit, with a rain flooded track on day one and weak sunshine over a mostly dry track on the second. The test featured the new P Zero DHH tyres for dry conditions and the Cinturato WHB for the wet, all tested by the 57 GT cars in the Prologue. Collectively the cars completed 10,320 laps, equivalent to over 57,000 kilometres, from which Pirelli engineers, working from a mobile laboratory trackside, acquired an impressive amount of data.
Pirelli is introducing a new generation of dry weather tyres for use by GT2, GT3 and GT4 cars in the GT racing championships it supplies. The Pirelli P Zero DHG features a natural rubber component certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). The new tyres were first seen on the morning of 10 March at the Paul Ricard circuit in Le Castellet during the pre-season tests of the GTWC Europe.
Pirelli UK was named Tyre Manufacturer of the Year at the Tyre Industry Awards 2024, recognising the company’s excellence in product innovation, sustainability, and beyond. The NTDA Tyre Manufacturer of the Year Award celebrates the achievements of manufacturers that have made significant contributions to the tyre industry, with the winner decided by a select panel of independent industry experts. Pirelli’s success stems from its unwavering commitment to quality, safety, and sustainability, exemplified by products like the P Zero range, including the P Zero E tyre: the first UHP tyre on the market with more than 55 per cent bio-based and recycled materials.
Since 2019, Pirelli tyres have contributed to numerous lap records at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, with vehicles ranging from electric supercars to SUVs and compact hatchbacks utilising Pirelli’s high-performance tyre range to achieve record-breaking times. Across these varied categories, Pirelli’s P Zero range has been instrumental in setting competitive lap times at this iconic and demanding circuit.
Pirelli has launched a new all-season UHP tyre, the Pirelli P Zero MS. Although the manufacturer states that North America is the “main destination market” for this product, other regions may also receive the tyre. Several vehicle makers have already chosen the P Zero MS for their models, including Audi for the new A4 and A6 e-tron.
Pirelli is supplying tyres to entries in six different classes at the ADAC Ravenol 24h Nürburgring. Describing the event as “one of the most important” in motorsport, Pirelli’s partners include the Porsche 911 GT3 R entered by the Italian Dinamic GT team in the blue riband SP9 category (FIA-GT3) from which the overall winner will emerge. The #54 (PRO) will run the latest generation Hard, Medium and Soft compound Pirelli P Zero and if it rains, it can rely on the Cinturato Hard and Soft, for heavy rain or a drying track respectively. Pirelli said the event presents “an opportunity… to put to the test [its] entire range of GT and Turismo tyres, designed to suit the characteristics of all the different types of car taking part.” The race famously features highly variable weather conditions over the course of the combined Nordschleife and GP-Strecke’s 25.378km.
Pirelli says it is continuing its 70-year relationship with Ferrari and the “shared goal of keeping timeless classics on the road with safety and efficiency” with the launch of Pirelli P Zero Corsa System tyres dedicated to the Ferrari Enzo. These tyres for the 2002-launched Enzo come in size 245/35 R19 for the front wheels and 345/35 R19 size for the rear. Like all tyres in the Collezione range, these products have an identical appearance to the original but are made with modern materials and technologies.
Pirelli and Lamborghini have jointly created bespoke 21-inch, 22-inch, and 23-inch P Zero tyres, as well as a 22-inch Scorpion Winter 2 tyre, for the new Urus SE, the first plug-in hybrid variant of Lamborghini’s SUV. The tyre maker says the “long and intensive combined development programme” that led to these tyres’ development included test driving at more than 185 mph at the Nardò circuit in Italy as well as -30° in the Arctic Circle.
Pirelli is supplying a specially developed version of its P Zero tyre for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the manufacturer’s first high-performance electric car. Developed to meet the additional dynamic requirements of the sporty EV in a two-year collaboration, Pirelli and Hyundai tested the tuned P Zero on the demanding Nürburgring circuit to prove its performance in extreme driving conditions. The P Zero also offers performance, reliability, and comfort for everyday driving.
Pirelli’s 2024 Formula 1 tyre range has become the first to be certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), with all the P Zero and Cinturato tyres carrying the FSC logo on the sidewall. The marking certifies that all the natural rubber used in the tyre complies with stringent environmental and social criteria required by the global non-governmental organisation for sustainable forestry. The new certification was announced on 10 October when Pirelli renewed its agreement as the Global Tyre Partner of Formula 1 until at least 2027. Pirelli said the new FSC certified tyres were introduced after an intense development programme that began in 2022. It adds that the tyres are improved in terms of reliability and performance. On average the tyres in the Pirelli F1 range contain natural rubber equating to 15 per cent of the tyre’s weight.
Pirelli has supplied tyres to every generation of the Porsche Cayenne since it was introduced in 2002, a partnership that is continuing with the latest facelift model. Pirelli is supplying the P Zero ultra-high performance summer tyre, the sports performance P Zero Corsa, and the Scorpion Winter 2 cold weather tyre in special bespoke versions. Pirelli will also offer the Scorpion Zero All Season in some markets. The tyres cover every size option on the new model, which features rim sizes between 20 and 22 inches.
The Automobile Club de France has named the Pirelli P Zero E ‘Tyre of the Year’ at the 2023 Automobile Awards. A jury of 20 men and women selected the Pirelli tyre for its performance, innovation, and sustainable development. Alejandro Recasens, Pirelli’s West Europe managing director, accepted the award on behalf of the tyre maker.
Pirelli’s return to the Macau GT event saw the tyre manufacturer support reigning GT World Challenge Europe champion Raffaele Marciello bringing his AMG-Mercedes career to an end with his second victory at the FIA GT World Cup. In doing so, he became the only driver to win the event twice, both times using Pirelli rubber. The 70th edition of the Macau GT took place on the same weekend Pirelli was supporting Formula 1 at the Las Vegas night race and the World Rally Championship’s closing round of 2023 at Rally Japan. The GT season continues at the Gulf 12 Hours in Abu Dhabi on 10 December: part of the 350 motorsport competitions that Pirelli contests each year.
Formula 1 returns to the USA for the third time in Las Vegas, the series’ first visit to the city since 1982. Tyre supplier Pirelli described the return as a “major technical challenge” – often the case when taking on a new track. The Las Vegas Grand Prix weekend in Nevada will use C3 as P Zero White hard, C4 as P Zero Yellow medium and C5 as P Zero Red soft, the softest selection of tyres in the manufacturer’s F1 range. Mario Isola, Pirelli head of motorsport, said “all the elements are in place for an extraordinary race,” previewing the weekend ahead.
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