Milan,
18
October
2022
|
10:29
Europe/Amsterdam

CATALUNYA RALLY, DIRT ON THE ROAD THE GREATEST PITFALL FOR TYRES

The fast Catalan roads have abrasive asphalt, with a good level of grip, which tends to accumulate mud and stones 

P Zero Hard tyres are the first choice and Soft as an option. Wet weather tyres are also available

Testoni: "Better a cautious approach than one that is too aggressive. Favoured are those with a clean driving style"

PreviewCatalunya-01
PreviewCatalunya-2
PreviewCatalunya-3

The 2022 WRC season, after crowning Kalle Rovanpera champion in New Zealand, is drawing to a close with the final European stage in Catalunya, the first of the two asphalt races that close the calendar. The Salou stage is also the final round of the FIAERC European Championship in which Pirelli collected five wins out of seven rallies and accompanied Laurent Pellier to the FIAERC Junior title with one race to spare.

WHY TYRES WILL MAKE THE DIFFERENCE IN CATALUNYA
The asphalts of the Costa Daurada are notoriously smooth and, in some cases, at the same time very abrasive, generally offering a good level of grip. In high temperatures, tyre wear management is crucial. The key element to which one must pay the utmost attention is cornering cuts, which are essential to save precious tenths, but risky as they can lead to tyre damage when returning to the road. In addition, cuts make the surface increasingly dirty with mud and stones. The 2022 edition also includes the unknown of the two unprecedented opening special stages on Friday, the Els Omells - Malda (10.66 km) and the Serra de la Llena (11.93 km), both of which are expected to be very fast. 
The 19 special stages of the rally total 293.77 kilometres over a distance of 1405.03 kilometres.

For this race in the WRC:
P Zero RA WRC HA, a hard compound suitable for the most abrasive surfaces and longest stages, is the prime. 
P Zero RA WRC SA, a soft compound for the slippery surfaces, is the option. 
Cinturato RWB, is the choice for rain.

PIRELLI QUOTE
Terenzio Testoni, rally activity manager: "The Rally of Catalunya is always a great challenge for tyres and drivers, with one of the most difficult asphalts ever, with many fast corners where lateral grip counts, all traction and braking, which advises against overly aggressive driving and instead favours those with a cleaner style. Not to be underestimated is the impact of the temperatures, usually quite high for the season, which increase tyre fatigue and wear. Last year, precisely at Salou, we debuted the evolution of our hard asphalt tyre, the P Zero RH-A, which over the course of the season has confirmed its characteristics of robustness and reliability". 

PIRELLI TYRES IN CATALONIA
Pirelli brings 880 tyres for the Rally1 cars to Catalunya. The allocations for the top category are:

  • 28 tyres for the P Zero RA WRC HA
  • 22 for the P Zero RA WRC SA
  • 12 for the Cinturato RWB

Each Rally1 car can mount a total of up to 28 tyres throughout the race, including the 4 for the shakedown, the compound of which is the choice of each crew.

Pirelli also supplies 1600 tyres to the other 4WD categories, which can use up to a maximum of 26 tyres per car, including the shakedown. The allocations for each crew are:

  • 26 P Zero RA5A and RA5 for WRC2 and WRC3 respectively
  • 20 P Zero RA7+ 
  • 12 Cinturato RWB/RW1 for WRC2 and WRC3 respectively

The P Zero RA5A for WRC2 is making its debut in Catalonia and is an evolution of the previous RA5 (which remains in WRC3). The new tyre has been developed by building on the technical solutions adopted for the P Zero RA WRC HA for WRC1, with which it shares the compound. 

For the ERC, Pirelli offers its drivers the full range of asphalt tyres: 

  • P Zero RA5A hard compound
  • P Zero RA7B medium compound
  • P Zero RA 7+B, soft compound
  • Cinturato RWB in case of rain