Milan, January 13, 2013 – Pirelli will return to the WRC from this weekend in Monte Carlo with four completely new tyres, which are intended for use not only at the pinnacle of the sport but also in other key rally championships all over the world.
The new product range was launched at the Autosport International Show in Birmingham last week: the traditional opener to the motorsport season.
Mario Isola, Pirelli’s Racing Manager, presented the new tyres and explained their characteristics. “The hallmark of our new tyres is their versatility but at the same time their specific focus,” he said. “So we have developed tyres like the RK for asphalt and Scorpion for gravel that are suited to wide variety of rallies, both on the World Championship and the European Championship. We’ve also developed some specific tyres for more specialised events, such as Monte Carlo and Sweden. In line with the sporting regulations we will have just one tread pattern for asphalt and gravel. This brings our competition tyres even closer to the tyres we make for the road.”
The tyre that will be used most often is the new RK, in 235/40R18 size, which is available for all the top cars from the new R5 class upwards. This product, designed for asphalt, has two longitudinal grooves – in accordance with the regulations – which means that it can be used both in dry and wet conditions. The two longitudinal channels are positioned on the internal part of the tyre to ensure more effective water drainage and avoid aquaplaning. This also allows better cornering, when the car relies more heavily on the external part of the tyre that generates more grip thanks to a greater contact patch.
