Kenda Tire Europe has appointed Safame Comercial SL as a tyre distribution partner in Iberia. Effective immediately, “Kenda’s complete tyre portfolio will be available to purchase through Safame’s distribution network of more than 7,000 outlets across Spain and Portugal.”
LMP2 driver Antonio Felix da Costa is now a Goodyear Brand Ambassador. The tyre maker announced da Costa’s new engagement prior to the weekend’s FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) 8 Hours of Portimao event; the Portuguese driver called the announcement of his ambassadorship on the weekend that WEC arrived in his homeland an “added bonus”.
At the start of 2021 Grupo Andrés, started work on the construction its new headquarters. According to the company the new facilities will result in “a significant improvement in distribution” due to the “robotization of the logistics process and a notable streamlining of work and the flow of orders”.
Pirelli has paid tribute to Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton after he became the most successful Formula 1 driver of all time. Hamilton registered his 92nd career grand prix win with a one-stop medium-hard strategy in Portimao, Portugal. Mario Isola – head of F1 and car racing at Pirelli said the sport was “privileged to witness history being made.” Hamilton completed 45 consistent laps (40 in race plus five in Q2) on the P Zero Yellow C2 compound before completing the race on the harder P Zero White.
Goodyear has been confirmed as the tyre supplier to the Sports Prototype Cup and the partnership will begin at the Cup’s Formula One support race at the Portuguese Grand Prix later this month.
Formula 1’s Portuguese grand prix will take place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve in Portimão for the first time on 23-25 October. The rescheduled 2020 F1 season has put the circuit in elite company, with Silverstone (31 July-2 August and 7-9 August), Spa (28-30 August), Monza (4-6 September), the Nürburgring (9-11 October) and Imola (31 October-1 November) all hosting competitive racing in challenging times. UK brand Davanti Tyres is the official tyre partner at the track, a position it has held since 2017. “This is an incredible achievement for the team at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve,” said Davanti general manager Peter Cross.
Alejandro Recasens has joined Apollo Vredestein as Cluster Director South-West, responsible for Spain, France, Italy and Portugal. Having had a successful career with Pirelli Tyres spanning two decades, Recasens is now spearheading Apollo Vredestein’s plans for growth in the markets of southwestern Europe.
Autopromtec’s organisers recently flew to Lisbon to receive the award for the best fair international 2019 ahead of the International Motor Show in Geneva, Motortec Automechanika Madrid and the IAA in Frankfurt. The award was given by the Portuguese Automotive Magazine based on a survey conducted by interviewing exhibitors who participated in various European fairs.
An addition to the Continental TractorMaster range will be presented at next week’s Agritechnica show. Called the TractorMaster Hybrid, the new tyre comes with built-in pressure sensors. The pressure and temperature information these provide enables operators to adjust tyre pressure to match the task at hand. Continental’s aim is to deliver a tyre that offers traction with lower soil compaction in the field and greater comfort on the road.
Trico celebrated 1-2 finishes in both GT4 South European Series races in Portugal and the GTC Championship title for Marmaduke Hall and Ed Moore. Taking top spot on the podium for both Saturday and Sunday’s races at the Portimão circuit, securing the GTC category title, they were joined on the second level by the sister car of Moh Ritson and Sarah Moore on both occasions. The third Trico-liveried Ginetta of Jemma Moore and Callum Bradshaw finished just shy of the podium in both of the weekend’s races.
Spanish tyre distributor Grupo Soledad has entered into an agreement with Sailun Tyre that gives it exclusive distribution of the Sailun brand in Spain and Portugal. The distribution agreement was signed by the Sailun Group’s European management and José Pérez, commercial director of Grupo Soledad.
On 5 October, San José Logística de Pneus, a market leading OTR tyre distributor in Portugal and a major player in the equivalent Spanish market opened new facilities in Cantanhede, Portugal.
Portuguese retreader Recauchutagem 31 has celebrated 50 years in the business with a celebration attended by some 400 guests. From humble beginnings with just five employees and a 400 square metre facility in 1969, the retreader has grown over the years into a business that employs 88 and produces up to 500 tyres a day in sizes up to and including 27.00R49. Commenting on the company’s half century, Carlos Marques, chief executive officer of Recauchutagem 31, said: “Many thanks to our employers, our suppliers and our customers for help us these 50 years working with the best quality.”
TECH Europe’s channel sales manager, Jon Bartholomew and VP of sales and training, Walter van Loon, have visited distributor, Altaroda, SA. Based in Paredes, Portugal, Altaroda has been a key player in the tyre repair industry for more than 12 years, building its customer base through customer service and product development.
As of this month, 15 million tyres featuring ContiSeal self-sealing technology have been produced at the Continental factory in Lousado, Portugal. The 15 millionth tyre, a size 255/45 R 19 ContiSportContact 5 SUV destined for original equipment fitment on a Volkswagen, was produced on 23 July and gave cause for a minor celebration at the plant.
Kenda
Grupo Andres
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images
Sports Prototype Cup
Davanti
Apollo Vredestein