AFTER THE NURBURGRING, PIRELLI IS NOW ALL SET FOR THE SPA 24 HOURS

One 24 Hour race after another. No sooner was the race at the Nurburgring over than the Pirelli team travelled the 100 kilometres to the west and Belgium to tackle a second 24 hour race in the space of eight days. This weekend’s Spa event is the more important of the two in terms of the number of tyres and personnel involved, along with the overall logistics effort that goes into it.

As usual, Pirelli takes over the Spa circuit, deploying enough personnel and equipment to ensure the necessary level of support for the record 76 cars entered in the 77^th edition of the Belgian classic.

The logistical and organisational effort instituted by Pirelli, the sole supplier not only for the 24 hours, but also for the main support events, is built around a core team of 140 at the track, made up of technicians, engineers and other staff. All key functions within the company are represented, coming not just from the Milan headquarters, but also from other R&D and Motorsport centres, from four continents. Personnel can count on monitoring and analysis systems that make use of cutting-edge technologies and Pirelli’s experience in over 350 races in which it is involved worldwide.

Such a significant commitment, which has few equals in international motorsport, is required because of the scale of the event. In addition to the teams competing in the 24 Hour, in both the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup and the Intercontinental GT Challenge, there are also 44 cars competing in the GT4 European Series, and more than 30 crews across the GT2 European Series and the McLaren Trophy. These record numbers reaffirm the growing importance of the Spa 24 Hours in privateer racing worldwide.

MATTEO BRAGA, HEAD OF CIRCUIT ACTIVITY PIRELLI
“While last week's 24 Hours of Nürburgring was both demanding and deeply satisfying given the results we achieved, the Spa-Francorchamps race will be even more challenging. For us, it’s like an annual motorsport masters in which we play our part. There are few events in the world that combine technical and competitive challenges with a highly professional atmosphere and environment, where the best of world motorsport come together. From a tyre perspective, the 24 Hours is traditionally a tough test: the tyres are pushed to their limit, thermically and mechanically and managing them correctly, by choosing the right parameters, can make the difference come the end of the race. Past editions have proved that the win goes to those who are consistent and can strike the right balance between pace and speed without taking unnecessary risks.”

THE TYRES
Cars in all categories supported by Pirelli will run the P Zero DHG, produced in several sizes to suit all the GT classes and featuring the use of innovative materials that provide more consistent car balance over long distances. Compared to the previous generation, the DHG for the GT2 and GT4 cars, apart from the new materials also used for the GT3 line, also features a new structure, with optimised profile and construction, to ensure a more consistent contact patch on all types of surface for all cars,
In wet weather, drivers in all GT classes can count on the Cinturato WHB. Compared to the previous generation, it features a stiffer tread and a redesigned pattern, characteristics made possible by the use of innovative materials, which have helped improve the contact patch, optimising grip and warm-up at low temperatures.

THE REGULATIONS
Cars entered in the 24 Hours can use a maximum of 30 sets of dry tyres over the course of the entire race weekend, to which one further set is added for those taking part in the Super Pole. However, this set cannot be used in the race itself. There is no limit on the number of wet weather tyres that can be used.