28
May
2013
|
17:32
Europe/Amsterdam

Pirelli and Blancpain all set for Silverstone after six-week break

Following a six-week break, the Blancpain Endurance Series will resume at Silverstone this weekend as the all-action endurance racing series - which uses control tyres from Pirelli - travels to the home of British motorsport for round two. Launched in 2011, the Blancpain Endurance Series is still a relatively new championship but has proved incredibly popular as more than 60 GT3 cars representing 28 countries battled it out at the season-opener staged in Monza. The cars eligible to compete are race versions of road-going supercars and include a number of prestigious marques including Aston Martin, Ferrari, McLaren, Porsche and Lamborghini. Many of the cars are similar to those that are competing on the FIA GT series – an endurance racing series that also uses Pirelli as the championship’s official tyre supplier. Pirelli has agreed terms to supply its iconic P Zero racing tyres to all five rounds of the Blancpain Endurance Series and the large number of manufacturers and teams that are looking to make their mark in the competitive world of endurance racing. For Silverstone, Pirelli will supply the Blancpain Endurance crews with its P Zero tyres: one slick tyre and one wet tyre. Endurance racing features a wide variety of different car configurations, ranging from front to rear engines, but despite this radically diverse set of vehicle dynamics, the Italian tyres guarantee optimal performance for every competitor. Famed as the host of the inaugural Formula One race when it was made an official championship back in 1950, Silverstone is a circuit steeped in history. It is the perfect location for endurance racing due to its high-speed nature and classic corners such as the Copse, Becketts, Stowe and Woodcote. The Blancpain Endurance Series has been coming to the circuit since its inception two years ago. Kessel Racing is currently leading this year’s championship after its Ferrari 458 took the overall victory at Monza last month courtesy of Cesar Ramos, Davide Rigon and Daniel Zampieri. Pirelli’s senior engineer Matteo Braga commented: “It is fantastic to witness the Blancpain Endurance Series growing from strength to strength first-hand and we welcome the challenges of another packed grid at Silverstone this coming weekend. Silverstone is a circuit that is extremely demanding on the cars, tyres and drivers. The speed of Becketts and Maggots also makes this one of the fastest races of the season but our Pirelli slicks and wets are well suited to the demands of this iconic circuit.” Qualifying for the Blancpain Endurance Series takes place in the afternoon of Sunday 2 June at 0900hrs, with the three-hour race commencing at 1450hrs.

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For further information on Pirelli, please contact Anthony Peacock on anthony@mediaticaworld.com or +44 7765 896 930. For Blancpain Endurance Series information: www.blancpain-endurance-series.com