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Dunlop equipping Italian Superbike championship
The organisers of the Campionato Italiano Velocità (CIV) have selected Dunlop as the exclusive tyre supplier for the championship’s flagship Superbike category, in a deal spanning the 2022 and 2023 seasons. The arrangement was announced during a pre-season presentation at the MotorBikeExpo and makes Dunlop sole tyre supplier for three of CIV’s five categories, as the brand is already the tyre partner to the Italian platform’s Moto3 and Pre-Moto3 classes.
Goodyear finalises Pure ETCR tyre specification
In August Goodyear unveiled the treaded tyre it will supply to the new Pure ETCR electric touring car championship when it gets underway next year, and since then has benefitted from technical feedback supplied by series promoter Eurosport Events and the technical department at WSC Group. Working with this feedback, Goodyear has finalised the specification of the specially-developed Eagle F1 SuperSport race tyre.
Pirelli bringing 2 new tyres to British GT Championship in 2020
Pirelli has served as sole tyre supplier to the British GT Championship since 2016 and has announced its return for a fifth season in 2020 – with a pair of new-spec tyres. Competitors in the GT3 category will race on the Pirelli P Zero DHE tyre this season, a product that replaces the prior-generation DHD2. Cars in the slightly less powerful GT4 category will wear another new tyre, the Pirelli P Zero DHB, successor to the DH.
Cooper Tire Europe supplying BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship
Under a new three-year agreement, Cooper Tire Europe will supply its rallycross tyres to the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship. While all six of the championship’s competitive categories remain open to all tyre suppliers in 2020, this will change in 2021 and 2022 with Cooper becoming the exclusive tyre range for the ‘Production 4×4’, ‘Production’ and ‘Junior’ categories. The championship’s formal name also changes this season to the BTRDA Clubmans Rallycross Championship Presented by Cooper Tires.
Cooper Tire: We want to make British Rallycross the best in the world
Just before Christmas, Motorsport UK announced it had selected Cooper Tire Europe as exclusive tyre supplier for the coming three British Rallycross Championship seasons, and as such is renaming the championship the Motorsport UK British Rallycross Championship 5 Nations Trophy Presented by Cooper Tires. The tyre maker says it is “excited” to extend its motorsport supply portfolio.
Dave Thorpe opts for ‘amazing’ Bridgestone tyres
Bridgestone’s position within the motocross tyre segment has been strengthened by its selection by Britain’s most decorated rider of all time, who labelled the range as “amazing”. In what Bridgestone describes as a “huge breakthrough”, the brand will be fitted to all bikes at Dave Thorpe’s Honda Off-Road Centre as well as to each bike at his Honda Adventure Centre.
Continental & Spark Racing Technology begin Extreme E testing
Testing for the Extreme E off-road electric racing series began earlier this month at the Château de Lastours off-road proving grounds in the south of France. One question the tested aimed to answer during proceedings was how well the car and tyres work together. They also looked into any potential weaknesses in the electric race car’s physical and technical design, not least in its motor. The tests lasted several days and were run by Continental, tyre supplier to Extreme E, and Spark Racing Technology.
Goodyear returns to UK motorsport with sole BTCC tyre supply
From next year, Goodyear will replace its sister brand Dunlop as sole tyre supplier to the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). Goodyear says the decision comes with a view to enhancing the Goodyear brand within the motorsport and ultra-ultra-high-performance (UUHP) segments. Goodyear first returned to motorsport outside North America at the end of August with the opening round of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at Silverstone.
Goodyear making ‘comeback’ at Silverstone with soft, medium WEC tyres
Although active within North America, including as exclusive tyre supplier to NASCAR’s top three series, the Goodyear name has long played second fiddle in motorsport to Dunlop in other parts of the world. This will change on Sunday, with the brand’s return to global motorsport at Silverstone. Goodyear says that after 12,000 kilometres of testing at seven circuits, it is “well prepared” for its comeback.
Prologue debut for Michelin’s 2019/20 WEC tyres
Goodyear is making headlines for its global motorsport comeback, but is by no means the only tyre maker presenting its latest tyres for the 2020 FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) at this week’s Prologue test. Michelin says it has also brought its freshly-developed endurance tyres to Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in Spain to give teams and drivers a “valuable opportunity” to fine-tune their cars’ set-ups ahead of the WEC season opener at Silverstone on 1 September.
Goodyear WEC tyres to debut at tomorrow’s ‘Prologue’ test
Teams from the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) will take to the track for ‘Prologue’ pre-season testing at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya tomorrow. One of the most significant moments of this anticipated public test session will be the return of Goodyear to international competition.
Yokohama tyres for 65th Macau Grand Prix
Yokohama Rubber is to supply Yokohama Advan racing tyres to the 65th Macau Grand Prix, which takes place in the administrative region between 15 and 18 November. This is the 35th occasion that Yokohama has served as tyre supplier – it supplied tyres to this event for 33 consecutive years until 2015 and, after Pirelli’s tyre supply in 2016, resumed support last year. Yokohama Advan tyres will be the control tyre for the event’s main race, the FIA F3 World Cup, and for the concurrently held FIA World Touring Car Cup (WTCR) race. In addition, they will be the tyre of choice for cars competing in the event’s other races.
Hankook throws its hat into the Formula 1 ring
It’s official: Hankook Tire has submitted a tender for Formula 1 tyre supply between 2020 and 2023. In response to questions from within our publishing group, Felix Kinzer, director of corporate communications at Hankook Tire Europe, confirmed that the company submitted an application prior to the 31 August deadline.
Conditions still don’t seem right for a Michelin return to F1
The FIA is currently seeking tenders for tyre supply to the Formula One World Championship between 2020 and 2023. As expected, talk in motorsport circles has returned to the possibility of Michelin throwing its hat into the ring. The French tyre maker is open to the prospect of acting as sole tyre supplier, as requested by the FIA tender, provided that “a technical challenge was involved.” Yet other FIA conditions continue to place stumbling blocks in the way of a Michelin return.
